PoemsbyWilfredOwenWithanIntroductionbySiegfriedSassoonIntroductionInwritinganIntroductionsuchasthisitisgoodtobebrief。
Thepoemsprintedinthisbookneednopreliminarycommendationsfrommeoranyoneelse。TheauthorhasleftushisownfragmentarybutimpressiveForeword；this，andhisPoems，canspeakforhim，backedbytheauthorityofhisexperienceasaninfantrysoldier，andsustainedbynobilityandoriginalityofstyle。AllthatwasstrongestinWilfredOwensurvivesinhispoems；anysuperficialimpressionsofhispersonality，anyrecordsofhisconversation，behaviour，orappearance，wouldbeirrelevantandunseemly。Thecuriositywhichdemandssuchmorselswouldbeincapableofappreciatingtherichnessofhiswork。
Thediscussionofhisexperimentsinassonanceanddissonance（ofwhich~StrangeMeeting~isthefinestexample）maybelefttotheprofessionalcriticsofverse，themajorityofwhomwillbemorepreoccupiedwithsuchtechnicaldetailsthanwiththeprofoundhumanityoftheself—revelationmanifestedinsuchmagnificentlinesasthoseattheendofhis~ApologiaproPoemateMeo~，andinthatotherpoemwhichhenamed~GreaterLove~。
TheimportanceofhiscontributiontotheliteratureoftheWarcannotbedecidedbythosewho，likemyself，bothadmiredhimasapoetandvaluedhimasafriend。HisconclusionsaboutWararesoentirelyinaccordancewithmyownthatIcannotattempttojudgehisworkwithanycriticaldetachment。Icanonlyaffirmthathewasamanofabsoluteintegrityofmind。Heneverwrotehispoems（assomanywar—poetsdid）tomaketheeffectofapersonalgesture。
Hepitiedothers；hedidnotpityhimself。Inthelastyearofhislifeheattainedaclearvisionofwhatheneededtosay，andthesepoemssurvivehimashistrueandsplendidtestament。
WilfredOwenwasbornatOswestryon18thMarch1893。HewaseducatedattheBirkenheadInstitute，andmatriculatedatLondonUniversityin1910。
In1913heobtainedaprivatetutorshipnearBordeaux，whereheremaineduntil1915。DuringthisperiodhebecameacquaintedwiththeeminentFrenchpoet，LaurentTailhade，towhomheshowedhisearlyverses，andfromwhomhereceivedconsiderableencouragement。
In1915，inspiteofdelicatehealth，hejoinedtheArtists’RiflesO。T。C。，wasgazettedtotheManchesterRegiment，andservedwiththeir2ndBattalioninFrancefromDecember1916toJune1917，whenhewasinvalidedhome。
FourteenmonthslaterhereturnedtotheWesternFrontandservedwiththesameBattalion，ultimatelycommandingaCompany。
HewasawardedtheMilitaryCrossforgallantrywhiletakingpartinsomeheavyfightingon1stOctober。Hewaskilledon4thNovember1918，whileendeavouringtogethismenacrosstheSambreCanal。
Amonthbeforehisdeathhewrotetohismother：\"Mynervesareinperfectorder。Icameoutagaininordertohelptheseboys；
directly，byleadingthemaswellasanofficercan；
indirectly，bywatchingtheirsufferingsthatImayspeakofthemaswellasapleadercan。\"Lethisownwordsbehisepitaph：——
~\"Couragewasmine，andIhadmystery；
Wisdomwasmine，andIhadmastery。\"~
SiegfriedSassoon。
POEMS
PrefaceThisbookisnotaboutheroes。EnglishPoetryisnotyetfittospeakofthem。Norisitaboutdeedsorlands，noranythingaboutglory，honour，dominionorpower，exceptWar。
Aboveall，thisbookisnotconcernedwithPoetry。
ThesubjectofitisWar，andthepityofWar。
ThePoetryisinthepity。
Thepoemsprintedinthisbookneednopreliminarycommendationsfrommeoranyoneelse。TheauthorhasleftushisownfragmentarybutimpressiveForeword；this，andhisPoems，canspeakforhim，backedbytheauthorityofhisexperienceasaninfantrysoldier，andsustainedbynobilityandoriginalityofstyle。AllthatwasstrongestinWilfredOwensurvivesinhispoems；anysuperficialimpressionsofhispersonality，anyrecordsofhisconversation，behaviour，orappearance，wouldbeirrelevantandunseemly。Thecuriositywhichdemandssuchmorselswouldbeincapableofappreciatingtherichnessofhiswork。
Thediscussionofhisexperimentsinassonanceanddissonance（ofwhich~StrangeMeeting~isthefinestexample）maybelefttotheprofessionalcriticsofverse，themajorityofwhomwillbemorepreoccupiedwithsuchtechnicaldetailsthanwiththeprofoundhumanityoftheself—revelationmanifestedinsuchmagnificentlinesasthoseattheendofhis~ApologiaproPoemateMeo~，andinthatotherpoemwhichhenamed~GreaterLove~。
TheimportanceofhiscontributiontotheliteratureoftheWarcannotbedecidedbythosewho，likemyself，bothadmiredhimasapoetandvaluedhimasafriend。HisconclusionsaboutWararesoentirelyinaccordancewithmyownthatIcannotattempttojudgehisworkwithanycriticaldetachment。Icanonlyaffirmthathewasamanofabsoluteintegrityofmind。Heneverwrotehispoems（assomanywar—poetsdid）tomaketheeffectofapersonalgesture。
Hepitiedothers；hedidnotpityhimself。Inthelastyearofhislifeheattainedaclearvisionofwhatheneededtosay，andthesepoemssurvivehimashistrueandsplendidtestament。
WilfredOwenwasbornatOswestryon18thMarch1893。HewaseducatedattheBirkenheadInstitute，andmatriculatedatLondonUniversityin1910。
In1913heobtainedaprivatetutorshipnearBordeaux，whereheremaineduntil1915。DuringthisperiodhebecameacquaintedwiththeeminentFrenchpoet，LaurentTailhade，towhomheshowedhisearlyverses，andfromwhomhereceivedconsiderableencouragement。
In1915，inspiteofdelicatehealth，hejoinedtheArtists’RiflesO。T。C。，wasgazettedtotheManchesterRegiment，andservedwiththeir2ndBattalioninFrancefromDecember1916toJune1917，whenhewasinvalidedhome。
FourteenmonthslaterhereturnedtotheWesternFrontandservedwiththesameBattalion，ultimatelycommandingaCompany。
HewasawardedtheMilitaryCrossforgallantrywhiletakingpartinsomeheavyfightingon1stOctober。Hewaskilledon4thNovember1918，whileendeavouringtogethismenacrosstheSambreCanal。
Amonthbeforehisdeathhewrotetohismother：\"Mynervesareinperfectorder。Icameoutagaininordertohelptheseboys；
directly，byleadingthemaswellasanofficercan；
indirectly，bywatchingtheirsufferingsthatImayspeakofthemaswellasapleadercan。\"Lethisownwordsbehisepitaph：——
~\"Couragewasmine，andIhadmystery；
Wisdomwasmine，andIhadmastery。\"~
SiegfriedSassoon。
POEMS
PrefaceThisbookisnotaboutheroes。EnglishPoetryisnotyetfittospeakofthem。Norisitaboutdeedsorlands，noranythingaboutglory，honour，dominionorpower，exceptWar。
Aboveall，thisbookisnotconcernedwithPoetry。
ThesubjectofitisWar，andthepityofWar。
ThePoetryisinthepity。