Lesson Objectives:
- To learn about the historical and literary context of World War I and its impact on poetry.
- To analyze the themes, style, and tone of Siegfried Sassoon’s poems and how they reflect his personal experiences and views on the war.
- To compare and contrast Sassoon’s poems with other war poets, such as Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke.
- To express personal responses and opinions on Sassoon’s poems and the movie adaptation.
Lesson Introduction:
- Begin by asking students what they know about World War I and its effects on society and culture. Elicit some key facts and events, such as the causes, alliances, battles, casualties, and aftermath of the war.
- Explain that the war also had a profound influence on literature, especially poetry, as many writers participated in the war or witnessed its horrors. Introduce the term “war poet” and explain that it refers to a group of poets who wrote about their experiences and opinions on the war, often challenging the traditional notions of patriotism, heroism, and glory.
- Introduce Siegfried Sassoon as one of the most prominent and influential war poets. Give some background information on his life, such as his family, education, military service, awards, pacifism, friendship with Wilfred Owen, marriage, conversion, and death.
- Tell students that they are going to watch a movie based on Sassoon’s life, called “Benediction”, directed by Terence Davies. Show them the trailer of the movie and ask them to share their expectations and questions about the movie.
Materials and Resources:
- Copies of Sassoon’s poems, such as “The Soldier”, “The Rear-Guard”, “They”, and “Glory of Women”.
- Copies of other war poems, s Brooke’s “The Soldier”.
Sassoon’s protest, “A Soldier’s Declaration,” written on June 15, 1917:
I am making this statement as an act of willful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the War is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it. I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe this War, upon which I entered as a war of defense and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow-soldiers entered upon this War should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible for them to be changed without our knowledge, and that, has this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation.
I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolonging those sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.
I am not protesting against the military conduct of the War, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.
On behalf of those who are suffering now, I make this protest against the deception which is being practiced on them. Also I believe that it may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those as home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realize.
Read before the House of Commons, July 30, 1917, printed in The London Times, on July 31, 1917 (ironically — perhaps appropriately — the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, Passchendaele).
Main Content and Activities:
- Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one of Sassoon’s poems to read and analyze. Provide them with some guiding questions, such as:
- What is the main message or theme of the poem?
- How does the poet use language, imagery, rhyme, and rhythm to convey his message or theme?
- What is the tone or mood of the poem? How does it affect the reader’s emotions or reactions?
- How does the poem reflect the poet’s personal experiences or views on the war?
- How does the poem compare or contrast with other war poems or the dominant attitudes of the time?
- Have each group present their analysis to the class and lead a discussion on the similarities and differences between the poems and the poets.
- Show selected clips from the movie “Benediction” that illustrate some of the key events or aspects of Sassoon’s life and poetry, such as his bravery in the trenches, his protest against the war, his friendship with Owen, his marriage, and his conversion. Ask students to pay attention to how the movie portrays Sassoon’s character, relationships, emotions, and conflicts.
- After each clip, ask students to share their observations and opinions on the movie’s adaptation of Sassoon’s life and poetry. Encourage them to use evidence from the movie and the poems to support their points. Some possible questions are:
- How does the movie depict the war and its impact on Sassoon and others?
- How does the movie capture the style and tone of Sassoon’s poems?
- How does the movie portray Sassoon’s personality, values, and choices?
- How does the movie explore Sassoon’s sexuality, identity, and spirituality?
- How does the movie compare or contrast with other movies or books about war poets or World War I?
After class activities
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Discuss the role of Sassoon’s protest, “A Soldier’s Declaration,” in his life and work. How did his public condemnation of the war influence his poetry and his reputation as a war poet?
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Explore the portrayal of Sassoon’s character in the movie “Benediction.” How does the movie capture Sassoon’s personality, values, and struggles? How does the movie’s adaptation of Sassoon’s life contribute to our understanding of him as a poet and a person?
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Evaluate the effectiveness of using the medium of film to portray the experiences of a war poet. How does the movie “Benediction” use cinematography, music, and other cinematic techniques to convey the emotional and psychological impact of war?
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Imagine you are a journalist interviewing Sassoon in the aftermath of World War I. Write a news article based on the interview, in which Sassoon shares his thoughts on the war, its impact on soldiers, and the role of poetry in times of conflict.