Wilfred
Owen was born in Plas Wilmot, Owestry, England. He began
writing poetry as a youth, and his early works reflected
his religious beliefs. In 1911, as a lay assistant at
Dunsden Parish, Owen grew increasingly dissatisfied with
the church's relationship to society, and turned his focus
to the plight of the poor. From 1913 to 1914, Owen was
employed as a tutor of the English language in France.
In 1914, he enlisted in the London Regiment, which became
the 2nd Artists Rifles Officers Training Corps. Owen entered
the war in January 1917, fighting as an officer in the
Battle of the Somme. While hospitalized for shell shock,
he met poet and novelist Siegfried Sassoon who shared
his grim view of the war. Under Sassoon's mentorship,
Owen's poetry flourished, expressing the brutal realities
of combat in an innovative way. Shot and killed one week
before the war ended, Owen was awarded the Military Cross
for serving with distinction. Most of his works were published
posthumously by Sassoon.
Wilfred
Owen was born in Plas Wilmot, Owestry, England. He began
writing poetry as a youth, and his early works reflected
his religious beliefs. In 1911, as a lay assistant at
Dunsden Parish, Owen grew increasingly dissatisfied with
the church's relationship to society, and turned his focus
to the plight of the poor. From 1913 to 1914, Owen was
employed as a tutor of the English language in France.
In 1914, he enlisted in the London Regiment, which became
the 2nd Artists Rifles Officers Training Corps. Owen entered
the war in January 1917, fighting as an officer in the
Battle of the Somme. While hospitalized for shell shock,
he met poet and novelist Siegfried Sassoon who shared
his grim view of the war. Under Sassoon's mentorship,
Owen's poetry flourished, expressing the brutal realities
of combat in an innovative way. Shot and killed one week
before the war ended, Owen was awarded the Military Cross
for serving with distinction. Most of his works were published
posthumously by Sassoon.