First World War Poetry Digital Archive

The Letter

  • Download
  • Share
THE LETTER by WILFRED OWEN With B.E.F. June 10. Dear Wife, (Oh blast this pencil. 'Ere, Bill, lend's a knife.) I'm in the pink at present, dear. I think the war will end this year. We don't see much of them square-'eaded 'Uns. We're out of harm's way, not bad fed. I'm longing for a taste of your old buns. (Say, Jimmie, spare's a bite of bread.) There don't seem much to say just now. (Yer what? Then don't, yer ruddy cow! And give us back me cigarette!) I'll soon be 'ome. You mustn't fret. My feet's improvin', as I told you of. We're out in rest now. Never fear. (VRACH! By crumbs, but that was near.) Mother might spare you half a sov. Kiss Nell and Bert. When me and you--- (Eh? What the 'ell! Stand to? Stand to! Jim, give's a hand with pack on, lad. Guh! Christ! I'm hit. Take 'old. Aye, bad. No, damn your iodine. Jim? 'Ere! Write my old girl, Jim, there's a dear.)
Title
The Letter
Author
Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918)
Item date
1983
Content
Poem
Copyright
The Estate of Wilfred Owen. The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto & Windus, 1983. Preliminaries, introductory, editorial matter, manuscripts and fragments omitted.
Digital repository
The First World War Poetry Digital Archive
Repository name
ProQuest
Repository address URL
http://literature.proquest.com/
First line
With B.E.F. June 10. Dear Wife,
Publication source
The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen
Publication editor
Stallworthy, Jon
Publishers
Chatto & Windus
Publication place
London

Citation

“The Letter,” by Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918). The Estate of Wilfred Owen. The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto & Windus, 1983. Preliminaries, introductory, editorial matter, manuscripts and fragments omitted. via First World War Poetry Digital Archive, accessed September 30, 2023, http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/3356.

Permitted Use

This item is available for non-commercial educational use under the terms of the Jisc Model Licence. Further details available at: http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/permitteduse