Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967) was an English war poet, also known for fictionalized autobiographies admired for their portraits of English country life.
In May 1915, Sassoon was commissioned into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and impressed many with his bravery in the front lines in France. In July 1917, when away from the front due to injury, he met prominent pacifists. This strengthened his increasing disenchantment with the war. At the urging of the mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell, Sassoon wrote a letter to his commanding officer refusing to return to duty because he believed the war was being intentionally protracted by those who had the power to end it. Sassoon’s letter, titled “A Soldier’s Declaration,” was published in newspapers, and read out in the House of Commons; it very nearly got him executed.
Many of Sassoon’s war poems were published in The Old Huntsman (1917) and Counter-Attack (1918.) Shunning the sentimentality and chauvinism of many war poets, Sassoon wrote of the dreadfulness and cruelty of trench combat and disdainfully lampooned leaders of the military, political, and religious establishments for their blind support of the war.
World War I continued to shadow Sassoon’s mind throughout his long life. He celebrated the war’s end with the beautiful short lyric Everyone Sang: …” O, but Everyone / Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will never be done.” After traveling around the United States, Sassoon wrote near-autobiographical novels Memoirs of a Fox-hunting Man (1928,) Memoirs of an Infantry Officer (1930,) and Sherston’s Progress (1936) which were very popular.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Siegfried Sassoon
In me the tiger sniffs the rose.
—Siegfried Sassoon
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives. Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin They think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives.
—Siegfried Sassoon
Topics: Soldiers
In me past, present, future meet—to hold long chiding conference. My lusts usurp the present tense— and strangle reason in his seat.
—Siegfried Sassoon
Topics: Reason
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