why did soldiers write poetry during world war 1?
96472
soldiers needed something to do whilest in war. War is a grueling task and being  a soldier is no easy job. Writing books or poetry can take their minds off of the horrors of war.
675813
A dream that has already happened.  Prior to 1914 and the first world war, there were no weapons of Mass Dist ruction.  War still occurred and countries invaded each other.  Countries were threatened all of the time.  \n\nBesides, the genie is out of the bottle and can't be put back into the bottle.  If such weapons were done away with do you really think that some nation wouldn't develop them in secret?  Of course they would and then they would rule the world.\n\nA nice dream, but not reflective of reality.
95894
Hi! Well, I've been writing poems for quite some time, and what I can say is, those are two very different mediums of literature. Genres even. Good stories have to have plots, dialogue, events, climaxes, conclusions, etc. Not all people find making those easy or enjoyable. \n\nPoetry is usually shorter, and even more dense. There is something in choosing the best words in the best arrangement to produce a poem. It is short, sweet, deep, beautiful and to the point. It is more free. Where a story has to tell a story, A poem can merely describe, narrate, or say something important or utterly nonsensical. \n\nWe poets, also love the power of words. We don't use long sentences; we use the line, the stanza. Each word is carefully chosen. We love their sounds, symbolisms and all. \n\nThat is why we write poems. Do write some!
846259
I've seen them in my local library and they're also selling them at my work - they are out there.\n\nI don't see what problem people have with remembering the suffering that soldiers endured during two world wars, it doesn't seem very pro-war to me?
1143050
La Reve Passe (The soldier's dream): words by Armand Foucher\nRevised English words by Peter Carroll\nc. 1918 Georges Krier, Paris\nMusic by C. Helmer & G Krier\n \n\nOut on the plains the weary soldiers now are sleeping\nAfter the heat of day the cooling breezes blow\nOver fields the scent of new-mown hay is creeping\nOnly the sentinel is pacing to and fro\n\nThen from afar there comes the distant sound of marching\nRhythmical beat of soldiers' feet upon the ground\nAnd yet nearer they come! To the roll of the drum\nHear the trumpets resound!\n\nSee them pass by!\nThere they go, what a show!\nThose Guardsmen!\nAll hearts beat high\nat the sight of this grand array\nCheers fill the air\nThey are blazing a trail to glory\nHeroes are there, who will live in song and story\n\n\nIn the dear country now the corn to gold is turning\nand in his mind he sees again the old church tower\nHere is the house where she for whom his heart is yearning\npatiently hopes for his returning hour by hour\nBut he must tell her they must wait a little longer\nAnd though he knows the tears will fill her eyes of blue\nwith his country at war he must leave her once more\n'till the fighting is through!\n\nMarching along,\nthere they go! what a show!\nThose guardsmen!\nSteady and strong\nthey must leave all the girls behind!\nGive them a cheer\nfor they write an immortal story.\nNever a fear!\nAs they march to Death or Glory.\n\n\nBut soon the soldier's dream begins to fade away\nand now it seems a storm has turned the skies to grey\nThe enemy he sees from out the shadows creep.\nHe suddenly awakes, but all around him sleep\nand in his heart the vision lingers.\n\nBut now at last the dawn is breaking\no'er the hill\nThe foe-men have withdrawn\nand a all the guns are still.\nNo more the trumpets blare\nthe sounds of war are past\nand laughter fills the air.\nthe world is free at last!\nSweethearts and wives brush all your tears away.\n\nDon't you hear?\nSee them near?\nBeat the drum, hear they come!\nSee them pass by!\nThey are blazing a trail to glory.\nThey'll never die\nthey will live in song and story\n\nCan't you hear? Trumpets sound? Coming near!\nAll a-round! See them pass by!\nHear the beating of their feet enthralling\nReady to die, when they hear their country calling.\nCODA\nGive a cheer! Cheer again! These are the men who gave us victory!\n\nHere is the song as sung by Josef:\nOut on the plain the weary soldiers now are sleeping,\nlulled to slumber while the evening breezes blow.\nFrom the field the smell of new mown corn is creeping\nand the sentinel is pacing too and fro'\nthen all at once the sky is filled with shapes of horsemen\nlit up by lightning as the dying day goes down\nand the famous white horse\nis directing the course to renown\n\nSee them pass on, those hussars those dragoons and guardsmen\nglorious throng, from Austerlitz meet the eagles high\nbraves from fair bears\nfrom their foe a triumphant story\nsteel hearts are theirs, see them riding on to glory.\nSee them pass on (hear the guns), those hussars those dragoons and guardsmen (the trumpets sound)\nglorious throng (towards the Hun), from Austerlitz meet the eagles high\n\nSee them pass on, our hussars our dragoons our glory\nE'en though they die, yet they live in song and story.\nSee them pass on, our hussars our dragoons our glory\nE'en though they die, yet they live in song and story.\nHa ha ha ha haa! Hey!!
102898
Just poetry\nOk, we need poetry sometimes.
930766
You should write about all the normal things that's going on in your home town.  You should also be open and honest about what's going on.  That is a soldier who is going to be reading what you are writing so make sure it's interesting.  No one can tell you exactly what to write due to we have no idea who you are.  You should write to them as you would a friend.  Think of it this way, those people are over there fighting for a cause that they believe is going to result in everyone's freedom.  Just be kind and inform them of what's going on.  They are away from family, friends, and any kind of civilization they are used to.  Good luck and GOD bless.  By the way, you might want to add Thank you at the end of your letter.
244892
well if you look into a few history books, that are blatantly honest, you will see that there was a lot of alcohol consumed and a lot of drug use, not only to alleviate boredom and fatigue but also to help the soldiers cope with the trauma of the war. this is even more evident in the vietnam was where a large percentage of american and australian soldiers returned from was with amphetamine addictions. soldiers spent a lot of time writing, diaries and letters home as an outlet for their personal feelings of fear and depression.
206818
In World War I, the six major powers were set against each other. At the time, the US was an isolationist (which means that we didn't want to get involved in European affairs) There was a lot of nationalism in the countries, and each country built up their armies. Russia, France, and Britain against Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Noone expected it to cause as many causualties as it did, but since each nation was so powerful, it did. The troops were in trenches, (trench warfare) for several years. At the time, they had machine guns, and the only way to advance was to cross the area between the trenches called "No man's land" When they crossed no man's land, they were mowed down with machine guns. So the generals, instead of looking for other methods, chose instead to send more troops, causing more casualties.
679671
i believe the expression was 1st used by a writer in a novel, one of the spy writers,(le Carre or Shute or someone of that genre) but i can't think of his name at the moment.\n\nAnd i belive it is both because relations between East and West became cold after WW2 and also becasue no actually fighting took place, it was more a battle of the minds as opposed to a typical war.
524096
The history of poetry is that it orginally came from england in the 1700's when the settlers came over. it consisted of words that rhymed and was slowly said with feeling then the settlers later called it poetry.
567559
I don't know, but I have a LOT of ancient, original love letters from WWI. I bought them at an auction.
485093
Both during WW1 and 2
348948
I can't answer about life on the battle field.  I can tell you a little about life at home.\n\nThere was no butter.  We bought oleomargarine.  It was white.  It came with a packet of yellow food coloring.  You mixed the food coloring in the white oleomargarine to make it look like butter.\n\nLetters were written daily.  Long, rambling letters telling about everything that went on at home that day.\n\nIf you rode the train to visit the base where your father was stationed, it was a long, hot, boring ride.  You had to sit in a seat that was covered with scratchy material.  Most of the time I had to sit on my mother's lap.  The train was full of military traveling to and from bases.\n\nNo matter if you were at home, on the train, or at the base, you listened to the news on the radio.  The room was totally quiet so everyone could hear what was being said.\n\nPeople read newspapers avidly and shared them with their neighbors.\n\nThe blackouts were not enforced for those of us who lived in mid-America.  We did have to be careful but not like the people in England or the people who lived on the east or west coast of America.\n\nMy mother's best friend's husband died in France.  His body was never recovered.  That was hard for her to deal with.  She held a memorial service, but that is not like a funeral with a casket and a body.  It took her a long time to accept his death.\n\nI was so young at that time that I don't remember being without sugar, new clothes, new shoes, or tires for the car.  Those are all things that were rationed and hard to find even when you had the coupons.\n\nPeople were supportive of one another and did more for each other than they did in subsequent wars.  We had paper drives and the whole town participated.  We collected scrap iron.  The children worked odd jobs and received pennies as pay which they took to school to the teacher to help buy a war bond.
945329
Here are a couple:\n\n1. Development of Canadian nationalism:\n\nDespite all of the people that Canada lost in the First World War, there were many battles in which Canadians fought valiantly. Canadians became known for their bravery and strength, and we began to see ourselves as a nation separate from Britain, capable of accomplishing our own goals. Specifically, you should look into the battle at Vimy Ridge and Ypres.\n\n2. The war caused women's roles to start to change. Look for facts about:\n\n-More Canadian women in the workforce.\n-The Canadian suffragist movement.\n\nPerhaps you might also want to say something about how the war was a pre-cursor to the Roaring Twenties in Canada, or how the war helped us to industrialize.
251989
i didn't know it was used in WW1.  but it's use is most probably due to the presence of urea, which is alkaline, which can neutralize the acidic contents of the poisonous gases.
1015729
I remember a similar poem from Peter Opie’s The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren, published in 1959:\n\n"One bright day, in the middle of the night.  Two dead men got up to fight.  Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other.  A deaf policeman heard the noise and came and shot the two dead boys.  And if you don't believe this lie is true, ask the blindman, he saw it too."\n\nalong with:\n\nOnce upon a time there were two skunks; one named In, the other named Out.  Now when In was in, Out was out.  And when Out was in, In was out.  Well, one day, Out was in and In was out.  The Mother Skunk said, "Out, go out and bring In in."  So, Out went out and brought In in.  The Mother Skunk asked, "How did you find In so quick, Out?"  Out replied, "In stinked.".