The
War Poets -
Wilfred Owen 2
Weakened
and exhausted by the horror of war Owen was returned to England and on 26
June 1917 he arrived at Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh.
After
six weeks rest Owen slowly began to explore his surroundings. In August 1917
he wrote: 'I saw Holyrood on Sunday afternoon ... a floating mirage of gold
mist; a sight familiar enough in dreams and poems, but which I never thought
possible in these lands'. The war had had a huge impact on Owen, however, encouraged
by his doctor he began participating in activities which Dr
Brock felt would be beneficial to his recovery. Owen began teaching at the
local Tynecastle School, carried out research in the Advocate's Library and
edited the fortnightly magazine of Craiglockhart War Hospital - The Hydra. Dr
Brock soon learned of Owen's enthusiasm for poetry and encouraged him to write.
The four months that Owen spent at Craiglockhart were in fact the most creative
of
his
short life. His best known poems, 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and 'Dulce Et Decorum
Est' belong to this period. Owen also drafted a futuristic play, set in the
year 2000 and entitled 'Purpose: To expose war to the criticism of reason',
unfortunately the manuscript for this play has not survived.
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