In his poem Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen describes the horrors of chemical warfare. And yet, he also tells the reader how great an honor it would be to die for your country. Despite all the terrors of war, and the sins committed on the battlefield, he reveals how common it is for people to willingly sacrifice themselves to become heroes. It’s poems like this that make up Owen’s legacy. And while he was known for his works during World War I, many don’t know of his life, and how he became the poet we all praise today.

Wilfred Owen was born on March 18th, 1893. Due to financial constraints, his family had to work for a railway company. In 1904, Owen began fostering a passion for poetry, and in 1911, he was admitted into the University of London, where he worked as an assistant for the Vicar of Dunsden. However, as he spent more time at Dunsden, he became disillusioned with the Church’s unwillingness to aid the poor and the ill. So in 1913, he went to the Berlitz School of Languages in France, where he taught English and France. When World War I began, he actually considered enlisting in the French army, but eventually went back to England and enlisted there.

When he completed his training, he became second lieutenant. Initially, he regarded his troops as little more than ingrates, but over time, this superiority would fade. He was later diagnosed with neurasthenia, or shell shock. While he was recovering at Craiglockhard War Hospital, he met many authors, including Siegfried Sassoon, with whom he became friends.

When Sassoon was injured, Owen took it upon himself to tell everyone about the cruelties of war. From then on, he was eventually killed in action. Just one week later, the Allies would sign the Armistice of November 11th to end the war. Owen was buried in Shrewsbury, where his tombstone reads, “Shall life renew these bodies? Of a truth all death will he annul.”

Because of the dark symbolism in Owen’s poetry, as well as the time period in which his poetry takes place, Owen was considered one of the greatest poets from World War I. While he drew inspiration from other poets, it was his friendship with Sassoon that drew his muse, as seen through Dulce et Decorum Est. Another notable piece was Anthem for Doomed Youth, which told of the darkness of the battlefield, and how religious rites took place during wartime, not in a church. As the war dragged on, Owen kept challenging his background, so much so that in another poem, Exposure, he even claims that God’s love was dying.

Wilfred Owen has left a lasting legacy that has impacted modern culture. In Regeneration, by Pat Barker, Owen and Sassoon’s relationship are viewed from Sassoon’s perspective, and how their relationship shaped Owen as a person. In Southern Victory Series by Harry Turtledove, Owen’s poetry is acknowledged within the first page, as the series began with a retelling of World War I. A band, The Libertines, even published an album titled Anthems For Doomed Youth, named after Owen’s iconic poem. It’s clear that Owen has influenced a variety of generations. Even after a century had passed, Owen is still remembered by artists and musicians alike, and will continue to be remembered for decades to come.