Introduction to World War 1 Literature

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Programme

In the coming lessons we will discuss World War I 

and some British war poets:

- Rupert Brooke 

- Siegfried Sassoon 

- Wilfred Owen

The Great War

What do you know?

What do you know about WW1 ?

A different take on war

We are going to listen to two war poems. 

Compare them both and prepare to explain which one you think is the better one and why. 

For the first one you will get some additional questions. 

Rubert Brooke

1. While listening pay attention to the tone of the poem. What can you say about this?

2. When during this war do you think this poem was written? Explain your answer.

Rupert Brooke - The Soldier 

Rubert Brooke

1. While listening pay attention to the tone of the poem. What can you say about this?

2. When during this war do you think this poem was written? Explain your answer.

Wilfred Owen - Dulce et Decorum est

A different take on war

We have listened to two war poems. 

Compare them both and to explain which one you think is the better one and why. 

Discuss with you neighbour

Which poem do you prefer?

Use 1 word to describe WW1

Poetry WW I part 2

Life in the trenches

Watch this video, take notes, summarize its contents and make sure you can explain afterwards what it was about.

Summary of Life as a soldier in world war I

Rupert Brooke (1887-1915): War Sonnets

Why is the date on which Rupert Brooke died possibly relevant for the tone of his poems?

A sonnet has...

1. 18 lines
2. 12 lines
3. 20 lines
4. 14 lines

Het sonnet bestaat uit veertien regels en is één van de populairste dichtvormen in de geschiedenis van de westerse literatuur. Het bestaat uit twee kwatrijnen (stukjes van vier regels; samen een octaaf) en twee terzinen (drie regels; samen een sextet). Meestal is er een twist of wending na de octaaf, (9de regel)genaamd de volta.

Find the correct translation of: 'strofe'

1. stanza
2. line
3. strophe
4. rhyme

What is a stanza (strofe)?

1. Een alinea in een gedicht
2. Een rijmregel in een gedicht
3. Een refrein in een gedicht
4. Hetzelfde als een sextet

Poetry WWI

Part 3

Start with docu Wilfred Owen (35 mins)

Wat weet je over een sonnet?

Sonnet

• 14 regels
• 1 x octaaf
• 1 x sextet
• 1ste regel sextet (9de regel) heet volta
• Volta is wending of twist

Today 

We're talking about:

Elements in poetry

Tone in poems

Trenches

Examples of elements used in poems

Imagery: Vivid descriptions that evoskes sensory experiences.

Example: “The golden leaves danced in the crisp autumn air.”

Rhyme: The repetition of sounds at the end of lines.

Example: “Roses are red, / Violets are blue, / Sugar is sweet, / And so are you.”

Theme: The central idea or message of the poem.

Example: Love, nature, loss, or identity.

Symbolism: Using symbols to represent larger concepts.

Example: A dove representing peace.

Stanza Structure: The arrangement of lines into groups (stanzas).

Example: A quatrain (four lines) followed by a tercet (three lines).

Tone: The poet’s attitude toward the subject.

Example: A nostalgic tone in a poem reflecting on childhood.

Form: The specific format of the poem, like sonnet, haiku, or free verse.

Example: A traditional sonnet has 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme.

Voice: The unique style and perspective of the speaker in the poem.

Example: A first-person narrative that conveys personal emotions and experiences.

These elements work together to create the depth and resonance of a poem!

Stanza Structure: The arrangement of lines into groups (stanzas).

Example: A quatrain (four lines) followed by a tercet (three lines).

Tone: The poet’s attitude toward the subject.

Example: A nostalgic tone in a poem reflecting on childhood.

Form: The specific format of the poem, like sonnet, haiku, or free verse.

Example: A traditional sonnet has 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme.

Voice: The unique style and perspective of the speaker in the poem.

Example: A first-person narrative that conveys personal emotions and experiences.

Wilfred Owen

Continue with docu Wilfred Owen (35 mins)

WW1

Part 4

Today 

We're talking about:

Elements in poetry

Tone in poems

Trenches

Give some examples of elements in poetry

Examples of elements used in poems

Imagery: Vivid descriptions that evoskes sensory experiences.

Example: “The golden leaves danced in the crisp autumn air.”

Rhyme: The repetition of sounds at the end of lines.

Example: “Roses are red, / Violets are blue, / Sugar is sweet, / And so are you.”

Theme: The central idea or message of the poem.

Example: Love, nature, loss, or identity.

Symbolism: Using symbols to represent larger concepts.

Example: A dove representing peace.

Stanza Structure: The arrangement of lines into groups (stanzas).

Example: A quatrain (four lines) followed by a tercet (three lines).

Tone: The poet’s attitude toward the subject.

Example: A nostalgic tone in a poem reflecting on childhood.

Form: The specific format of the poem, like sonnet, haiku, or free verse.

Example: A traditional sonnet has 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme.

Voice: The unique style and perspective of the speaker in the poem.

Example: A first-person narrative that conveys personal emotions and experiences.

These elements work together to create the depth and resonance of a poem!

Stanza Structure: The arrangement of lines into groups (stanzas).

Example: A quatrain (four lines) followed by a tercet (three lines).

Tone: The poet’s attitude toward the subject.

Example: A nostalgic tone in a poem reflecting on childhood.

Form: The specific format of the poem, like sonnet, haiku, or free verse.

Example: A traditional sonnet has 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme.

Voice: The unique style and perspective of the speaker in the poem.

Example: A first-person narrative that conveys personal emotions and experiences.

Which elements can you see in The soldier?

Wilfred Owen

Went back to the front voluntarily, why?

How does this make you feel?

Tone Definition

The tone is a literary device that conveys the author’s attitude towards the subject they’re writing about. It might also reflect how they feel about the intended audience.

Which of the following is/are examples of tone (multiple answers possible)

1. Sentimental
2. Ironic
3. Formal
4. Depressing

Common Examples of Tone

Aggressive

Appreciative

Critical

Defensive

Depressing

Evasive

Formal

Gullible

Incredulous

Ironic

Sentimental

World-weary

What do we mean by tone in writing

The tone conveys the author’s attitude towards the subject they’re writing about.

What is the tone in writing?

How to find the tone in a poem?

Analyze the writer’s attitude towards what they’re writing in the same way one might consider a friend’s attitude towards a subject. Consider the words they use and the punctuation.

How to find the tone in a poem?

Poetry WW1

part 5

Today

Tone

Rupert Brooke

The soldier analyse

What do you remember about "the tone"?

Why is understanding the tone important?

Why is understanding the tone important?

Understanding the tone is important because it helps the reader figure out the writer’s intentions.

Continue in reader 

p. 9

Tone indicates the writer’s attitude. 

Often an author’s tone is described by adjectives, such as: cynical, depressed, sympathetic, cheerful, outraged, positive, angry, sarcastic, prayerful, ironic, solemn, vindictive, intense, excited

more examples of tone

Cheerful.

Dry.

Assertive.

Lighthearted.

Regretful.

Humorous.

Pessimistic.

Nostalgic.

Give some examples of elements in poetry

Examples of elements used in poems

Imagery: Vivid descriptions that evoskes sensory experiences.

Example: “The golden leaves danced in the crisp autumn air.”

Rhyme: The repetition of sounds at the end of lines.

Example: “Roses are red, / Violets are blue, / Sugar is sweet, / And so are you.”

Theme: The central idea or message of the poem.

Example: Love, nature, loss, or identity.

Symbolism: Using symbols to represent larger concepts.

Example: A dove representing peace.

Stanza Structure: The arrangement of lines into groups (stanzas).

Example: A quatrain (four lines) followed by a tercet (three lines).

Tone: The poet’s attitude toward the subject.

Example: A nostalgic tone in a poem reflecting on childhood.

Form: The specific format of the poem, like sonnet, haiku, or free verse.

Example: A traditional sonnet has 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme.

Voice: The unique style and perspective of the speaker in the poem.

Example: A first-person narrative that conveys personal emotions and experiences.

These elements work together to create the depth and resonance of a poem!

Tone: The poet’s attitude toward the subject.

Example: A nostalgic tone in a poem reflecting on childhood.

Form: The specific format of the poem, like sonnet, haiku, or free verse.

Example: A traditional sonnet has 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme.

Voice: The unique style and perspective of the speaker in the poem.

Example: A first-person narrative that conveys personal emotions and experiences.

Today

 Sassoon

Learn about various poetic devices

"Figure of speech"

Opdracht

Lees het stuk in de reader dat Siegfried Sassoon schreef naar zijn Kolonel, zijn leidinggevende. Wat vind je van zijn statement?

Reactie op statement Sassoon

Continue in reader 

p. 9

1. De eerste strofe (het octaaf ) en de tweede strofe (het sextet) vormen samen een contrast (tegenstelling). Vat de inhoud van beide strofes samen.

2. Door de doden rijk te noemen (eerste regel) introduceert Brooke een aantal beelden die allemaal betrekking hebben op rijkdom en armoede. Welke andere woorden kun je hier van vinden?

3. Waarnaar verwijst die tegenstelling tussen armoede en rijkdom eigenlijk echt?

4. Indirect is dit gedicht een commentaar op het leven voor de Eerste Wereldoorlog. Welke aspecten van dat leven bekritiseert Brooke hier?

Poetic devices can be found everywhere, not just in poetry...

Figures of speech

Alliteration

Alliteration: the repetition of a sound or letter at the beginning of multiple words in a series.

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…” 

Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven (1845)

Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel (klinker) or diphthong sounds (tweeklank) in one or more words found close together.

Chips and dips

Surf and turf 

Metaphor

Metaphor describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

life is an emotional rollercoaster

the apple on your cheek

love is a battlefield

Simile

Simile describes something by comparing it to something else with the words like or as.

life is like a box of chocolates

Those two are as different as night and day.

Similes are like metaphors. But metaphors aren’t the same as similes.

Personification

With personification, you emphasize a non-human’s characteristics by describing them with human attributes. That non-human can be an object, an animal, or even an idea or a concept. 

The heart wants what it wants—or else it does not care . . .

“You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes.” 

- Thriller, Michael Jackson (1982).

Onomatopoeia

In an onomatopoeia the sound of a word imitates its sense. 

“Piddle-paddle, piddle-paddle, splash, splash, splash

Into the pool with a great big dash!”

Anaphora

Anaphora is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. 

"So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania..." 

- "I have a dream", Martin Luther King

enjambment

Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. 

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

That alters when it alteration finds

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! It is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

- Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare (1609).

What poetic device is this?

"Tyger Tyger, burning bright,"
- William Blake, Tyger (1794).

"I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king"
- That's life, Frank Sinatra (1966).

1. assonance
2. caesura
3. enjambment
4. alliteration

Alliteration

Alliteration: the repetition of a sound or letter at the beginning of multiple words in a series.

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…” 

Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven (1845)

What poetic device is this?

"Psychic spies from China try to steal your mind's elation"
- Californication, Red Hot Chili Peppers (2000).

Boy toy named Troy used to live in Detroit
- Anaconda, Nicki Minaj (2014).

1. assonance
2. caesura
3. enjambent
4. volta

Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel (klinker) or diphthong sounds (tweeklank) in one or more words found close together.

Chips and dips

Surf and turf 

What poetic device is this?

Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on show them what you’re worth
Make them go oh, oh, oh
As you shoot across the sky
- Firework, Katy Perry (2010).

1. onomatopoeia
2. enjambment
3. metaphor
4. volta

Metaphor

Metaphor describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

life is an emotional rollercoaster

the apple on your cheek

love is a battlefield

What poetic device is this?

Sweet like a honey bun, spit like a Tommy gun
Rollie a one of one, come get your mommy some
- Money, Cardi B (2018).

1. assonance
2. alliteration
3. metaphor
4. simile

Simile

Simile describes something by comparing it to something else with the words like or as.

life is like a box of chocolates

Those two are as different as night and day.

Similes are like metaphors. But metaphors aren’t the same as similes.

What poetic device is this?

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
- Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare (1609).

"Forget Barbie, fuck Nicki 'cause sh-she's fake"
"She on a diet, " but my pockets eatin' cheesecake
- Monster, Kanye West (Nicki Minaj's verse) (2010).

1. enjambment
2. personification
3. onomatopoeia
4. volta

Personification

With personification, you emphasize a non-human’s characteristics by describing them with human attributes. That non-human can be an object, an animal, or even an idea or a concept. 

The heart wants what it wants—or else it does not care . . .

“You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes.” 

- Thriller, Michael Jackson (1982).

What poetic device is this?

“Oh, the bells, bells, bells!
What a tale their terror tells
How they clang, and clash, and roar!
(...)
By the twanging,
And the clanging,

1. enjambment
2. pun
3. onomatopoeia
4. anaphora

Onomatopoeia

In an onomatopoeia the sound of a word imitates its sense. 

“Piddle-paddle, piddle-paddle, splash, splash, splash

Into the pool with a great big dash!”

What poetic device is this?

Bring me my bow of burning gold
Bring me my arrows of desire
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

- Jerusalem, William Blake (1808).

1. anaphora
2. eye rhyme
3. simile
4. caesura

Anaphora

Anaphora is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. 

"So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania..." 

- "I have a dream", Martin Luther King

What poetic device is this?

Your skin
your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
You know, you know I love you so

- Yellow, Coldplay (2000).

1. anaphora
2. caesura
3. enjambment
4. assonance

enjambment

Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. 

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

That alters when it alteration finds

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! It is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

- Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare (1609).

Life in the trenches

Watch this video, take notes, summarize its contents and make sure you can explain afterwards what it was about.