WWI Poetry Trivia Quiz

Answer: 'Recruiting' by E. A. Mackintosh

E. A. (Ewart Alan) Mackintosh's poem is extremely bitter, critical and angry about the hypocricy of the civilians at the time of the war. This is because the "fat civilians" did not appreciate the brave and honest soldiers out fighting in France and Belgium - they would change their tune completely if they were young enough to fight.

Mackintosh's language is very clear and blunt and no imagery such as similes or metaphors are used. This reflects the harsh reality of war and the inevitable death that will come to many soldiers. Furthermore, the regular rhyme and rhythm of the poem reflects this, and the sound of the soldiers marching.

Answer: True

This 16-line poem was written by Katherine Tynan Hinkson. It is about the departure of the "foolish and young" boys who left to become soldiers at the start of the war. Written from the perspective of a civilian, it enables us to see how they saw war.

The poem is sad and reflective, with a slow rhythm reflecting this. There are similes and metaphors used, such as the reference to war being a monster, and the soldiers being "food".

Answer: 'The Target' by Ivor Gurney

'The Target' is a poem about having to kill another man. It is written in the first person and in clear, simplistic language, which suggests the 'voice' of the poem is that of an ordinary tommy. However, the problem was faced by many soldiers, regardless of rank or nationality - the guilt caused by shooting the enemy can be horrific.

Answer: 'The Send-Off' by Wilfred Owen

Wilfred Owen's poem suggests that no-one cares about the soldiers, as there were no crowds to watch them go and "we never heard to which front these were sent". This poem is sad, as it says that not enough soldiers will return from war when it ends. It also contains mixed, contradictory feelings, represented by oxymorons.

Answer: Wilfred Owen

Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918) wrote many war poems, such as 'The Send Off' and 'The Parable of the Old Man and the Young'. In this poem, he focuses on the horrors of war during battle. The 46-line poem is split into three parts: before the battle, during the battle, and the aftermath.

It is very descriptive, especially the first part, which is the longest, in order to reflect the long time waiting before the battle.

Answer: The Bohemians

'The Bohemians' is about soldiers who refuse to "clean their buttons" etc, as they did not want to conform. This title is extremely ironic as, in the end, they all had to conform in death and they were put in the same graves as everyone else. The tone of the poem is fairly bitter, but ambivalent towards the bohemians - neither totally praising them nor criticising them.

Answer: 'Lamentations' by Siegfried Sassoon

'Lamentations' is about loss and grief during the war. The narrator of the poem finds a sobbing man in the guard-room, filled with grief at his brother's death. Due to the fact that it is in first person, it can be assumed that it is based upon Sassoon's own experiences, although the whole poem might be a metaphor for the emotions in everyone's heads.

Answer: False

'The Deserter' begins with the line: "There was a man, - don't mind his name". This is because it relates to thousands of soldiers and so many can empathise. Letts' poem is very sad, as the men who tried to desert must have experienced so many terrible things and felt so much fear.

Answer: The Hero

'The Hero' is about Jack, a soldier who "panicked down the trench that night the mine || Went up at Wicked Corner; how he'd tried || To get sent home, and how, at last, he died". The title is ambiguous, with many possible reasons, including: the irony that he is not a typical hero, that Sassoon thought he was a hero (as he tried to survive war) and that Jack's mother thinks that he is a hero.

Answer: Leaves

Margaret Postgate Cole uses nature to convey her thoughts about war, using the concept of both leaves and snowflakes falling. Her poem is quite eerie, as seen in the quotation "But thickly, and silently, || They fell, like snowflakes, wiping out the noon", where the metaphor refers to soldiers dying.