Collected Poems by Frederic Manning: A Timeless Anthology of War and Loss

Frederic Manning (1882-1935) was an English poet, novelist, and critic who served as an officer in the British Army during World War I. His experiences on the Western Front deeply influenced his writing, and his Collected Poems, first published in 1933, is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and moving poetic testimonies to the horrors of war.

Thematic Overview

The poems in Collected Poems explore a wide range of themes related to war, including the physical and psychological trauma inflicted on soldiers, the futility of conflict, and the search for meaning in the face of death and destruction. Manning's writing is characterized by its unflinching realism, its vivid imagery, and its profound understanding of the human condition.

Collected Poems

by Frederic Manning

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1631 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	176 pages
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled

FREE

One of the most striking features of Manning's poetry is its lack of sentimentality. He does not glorify war or romanticize the experiences of soldiers. Instead, he presents the brutality and senselessness of combat in all its starkness.

In "Parados," for example, Manning describes the horrors of trench warfare:

In the wet dusk the long line of the trench,
Zigzagged with death, was like a monstrous worm
That, wounded, writhed in pain and weariness
Across the livid fields, and left a trail of slime.

Manning's poems also explore the psychological impact of war. In "In the Rain," he captures the sense of alienation and despair that soldiers often feel after prolonged exposure to violence:

I have seen many faces in the rain,
Sad faces, faces that have lost their gleam;
I have seen them in the rain, and they have looked
So hopeless that I have forgotten mine.

Despite the darkness and despair that pervade much of his poetry, Manning also offers moments of hope and humanity. In "The Tulips," for example, he celebrates the beauty of life and the resilience of the human spirit:

The tulips, with their cups of flame,
Are kindled in the rain;
The rain is like a living thing,
And trembles on each stem.

The wind is like a holy thing,
And whispers in the rain;
The rain is like a holy thing,
And washes clean the shame.

Critical Reception

Collected Poems has been widely praised for its poetic excellence and its historical significance. The critic Robert Graves wrote that Manning's poems "stand among the most intense and remarkable poems written during the war." The poet Siegfried Sassoon called Manning "a poet of rare originality and power."

Collected Poems has also been recognized for its importance as a historical document. It provides a unique insight into the experiences of soldiers on the Western Front, and it has been used by historians and scholars to understand the impact of war on the human psyche.

Legacy

Frederic Manning's Collected Poems remains a powerful and moving testament to the horrors of war. Its unflinching realism, vivid imagery, and profound understanding of the human condition make it an essential read for anyone interested in war poetry or the history of World War I.

Manning's work continues to resonate with readers today. His poems have been translated into numerous languages, and they are still taught in schools and universities around the world. Collected Poems is a masterpiece of war poetry that deserves to be read and remembered for generations to come.

Collected Poems

by Frederic Manning

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1631 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	176 pages
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled

FREE