World War I remains one of the most significant events in world history and forever changed the planet’s geopolitical landscape. The scale of the warfare which happened as part of World War I was truly immense and made an impact on the lives of millions of people, both soldiers and civilians. Yet, due to its nature, World War I took the lives of thousands of young men and left even more injured. Essentially, the romantic spirit during the early days of World War I eventually transformed into the personal tragedies of numerous people, which has been reflected in the works of poets such as Wilfred Owen.
The grand scale of World War I and its long-term nature became a surprise for all countries and their populations, and initially, people believed that it would end quickly. Many governments told their citizens that the war would be finished by Christmas (Andrea and Overfield 379). As a result, people were actually inspired to defend their nations and go to war against their enemies. In other words, many held an incorrect perception of war and its reality. Nevertheless, the eagerness of the soldiers to go into a fight was reflected in the main art form of the period, the poster. Many different propaganda posters showed heroic men and encouraged people to support the war effort (Andrea and Overfield 380). Moreover, at some point, even women were called on to enlist in the army through posters distributed in large quantities around countries.
Yet, as the war progressed, it became more apparent that it implied the demonstration of national spirit and belligerence and death and destruction. At the same time, since such elements could disrupt the commitment of citizens to participate in the war effort, the unfavorable side of the war was mostly explored by independent artists.
Wilfred Owen was one of the most notable poets of World War I who offered a unique perspective on the events. Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” is an example of a work conveying the horrors encountered by soldiers during the war. The poem tells a story about soldiers who come under a gas attack and observe one of their comrades die due to poisoning. Owen does not provide a heroic image of soldiers as strong men and instead uses words such as “beggars” and “hags” (Owen 17). Essentially, Owen portrays soldiers as exhausted from the war, describing them as “Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots” (Owen 17). The picture of the war presented by Owen is considerably different from the one promoted by war posters. Owen shows how deadly weapons such as gas kill soldiers in an inhumane way, making them suffer. Owen provides a description of the dying soldier’s last moments: “He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning” (Owen 17). “Dulce et Decorum Est” enables readers to see the war from another angle and to understand how dreadful it can be.
Another important poem by Wilfred Owen is “Disabled,” which tells a story of a man who was injured during the war. Owen describes the life of a veteran who lost his legs in combat and now spends his days in a hospital thinking of his life before the war. The man comes to the conclusion that he will no longer be able to enjoy his life as before because he will remain forever traumatized. For instance, Owen describes the way the veteran is treated by women, “All of them touch him like some queer disease.” (Owen 43). Essentially, since the man no longer has legs, women are not interested in having a relationship with him. He notices how the war makes him older, and his youth has disappeared over a year (Owen 43). The poem “Disabled” highlights the tragedy of an individual who participated in a war and was injured during it. Owen shifts the national focus promoted in propaganda posters to personal and demonstrates the struggle endured by veterans.
At the same time, poetry was not the only art form that highlighted the horrors of war and the agony of individual soldiers who suffered from the decisions of politicians. Artists played a major role in showing the reality of war to people, yet their work during the conflict remained under the complete control of their commanders. Essentially, soldiers could not show their paintings depicting war and therefore presented their works to the public only after the peace deals were made. For instance, artists such as Paul Nash managed to capture the essence of war by demonstrating the destruction, which was an inherent part of every major battle (Andrea and Overfield 387). Otto Dix is another notable artist who, after the end of World War 1, became a pacifist and sought to convey the atmosphere of war horror through his paintings (Andrea and Overfield 389). Although photography was common during the period, art enabled painters to show battlefield agony in fine detail. Nowadays, the paintings made by artists during World War I still serve as a reminder of how destructive wars are and why they should never happen again.
World War I produced many narratives in society, both heroic and tragic, and many of them were reflected in the art of the period. People were initially optimistic about the war and believed it would end in several months. Citizens of countries participating in the conflict were encouraged to help the war effort through propaganda posters. At the same time, after the end of the war, many former soldiers, such as Wilfred Owen and Otto Dix, showed the horrors of the war in their art.
Works Cited
Andrea, Alfred J., and Overfield, James H. The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Volume II: Since 1500. Cengage Learning, 2012.
Owen, Wilfred. Poems by Wilfred Owen – 23 of WWI’s best poems. Abela Publishing Ltd, 2018.