Trench Poetry and Songs
Image © Imperial War Museum
Trench Poetry & Songs
The well known poets of the period, such as Owen and Sassoon, were not the only soldiers writing verse during the First World War. A large amount of "trench poetry" and songs was also written by ordinary soldiers (or at least in the style of), often published in trench newsletters and the like. One of the best known of these writers was 'Woodbine Willy', actually Revd. Geoffrey Kennedy MC, CF, who served in the war as a padre. A selection of his poetry is available here, so too is a selection of some of the better known soldiers' songs from the period:
