The thesis aims to describe the circumstances of World War I; its cause, the terrible battles that occurred and, last but not least, the destruction it brought. As one of the greatest atrocities to befall mankind, World War I provided many artists with sources and themes for their material despite the pain and suffering it caused. Poets of both the allies and the axis, being faced with a struggle to survive, stumbled onto a productive creative path. They left behind many works of art that bear witness to the horror, pain and devastation of war-time. These artistic works can be thought of as monuments, reminding us of events that should never occur again. An example of an author who writes about war from his own personal experience is Sigfried Sassoon. Due to traumatic experiences he was sent to the Craiglockhart psychiatric ward, where he met Wilfred Owen, one of the most significant poets of World War I, and even became his mentor. These poets' works are similar to each other in regard to their themes and sources, but differ in terms of form and use of language. A counterpoint to the English poets is found in Giuseppe Ungaretti, an Italian poet who summarized his experience of war in a collection of poetry entitled L'allegria (Happiness).
|
