윌프레드 오웬의 전쟁시에 나타난 영웅주의 (Wilfred Owen’s War Poetry and Heroism)

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the heroism in the poetry of Wilfred Owen, one of the war poets on WWI. Owen’s poem is well-known for “the pity of War.” Heroism is also a vital feature of his war poems. He grew up during the last days of British imperialism and is familiar with the conventional ideas about wars. Moreover, his heroism becomes strengthened by the military atmosphere. “1914,” his first war poem and “An Imperial Elegy,” written at a military camp are the quintessential examples that seek to idealize the war. He never gives up on heroism even after suffering the effects of shell shock. Therefore, the pity of War and heroism continually co-exist creating conflict in his later poems. “Strange Meeting,” written at a war hospital, highlights the pity of War and yet consists of heroic images. Heroism becomes a relic of the past, which signifies his sorrow for losing heroism in the war and also his intention to cut it off from his poetry. After returning to the battle ground, he finally realizes his heroism by awarded the Military Cross for his military contribution and by portraying soldiers’ heroic acts in “Spring offensive.” However, the soldiers’ acts are not fully admired. This reflects his conflict between to be a hero in the field as a soldier and to reject heroism in an attempt to warn about the reality of war as a poet. His later war poems always lie between his long passion for heroism and his deeply seated contempt for WWI. This gives his war poems a tension and uniqueness.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the heroism in the poetry of Wilfred Owen, one of the war poets on WWI. Owen’s poem is well-known for “the pity of War.” Heroism is also a vital feature of his war poems. He grew up during the last days of British imperialism and is familiar with the conventional ideas about wars. Moreover, his heroism becomes strengthened by the military atmosphere. “1914,” his first war poem and “An Imperial Elegy,” written at a military camp are the quintessential examples that seek to idealize the war. He never gives up on heroism even after suffering the effects of shell shock. Therefore, the pity of War and heroism continually co-exist creating conflict in his later poems. “Strange Meeting,” written at a war hospital, highlights the pity of War and yet consists of heroic images. Heroism becomes a relic of the past, which signifies his sorrow for losing heroism in the war and also his intention to cut it off from his poetry. After returning to the battle ground, he finally realizes his heroism by awarded the Military Cross for his military contribution and by portraying soldiers’ heroic acts in “Spring offensive.” However, the soldiers’ acts are not fully admired. This reflects his conflict between to be a hero in the field as a soldier and to reject heroism in an attempt to warn about the reality of war as a poet. His later war poems always lie between his long passion for heroism and his deeply seated contempt for WWI. This gives his war poems a tension and uniqueness.