Wilfred Owen was an English poet and soldier, renowned for his war poetry on the horrors of trenches and gas.
Whilst on the battlefield he was blown up by a trench mortar and spent several days unconscious on an embankment lying amongst the remains of one of his fellow officers. Soon afterward, Owen was diagnosed as suffering from neurasthenia or shell shock and sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh for treatment. It was while recuperating at Craiglockhart that he met fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon, an encounter that was to transform Owen’s life.
One of his most famous poems ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ tells the perils of war:
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
Artist’s Response
My illustrated photo-etched plate reflects on the experience of notorious war poet Wilfred Owen’s time in Edinburgh. Owen spent time at Craiglockhart hospital during WW1 where he met fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon. Both poets used their work to expose the horrors of war. Craiglockhart itself was instrumental in pioneering treatment for shell shock.
The illustration references portraits of the poets, imagery of the nurses who looked after them and incorporates text from Owen’s poem ‘Anthem for Doomed youth’ in the background. Whilst the serpent snaking throughout references ‘The Hydra’ magazine of Craiglockhart that Owen wrote for. The composition moves from imagery of the First World War to that of more contemporary warfare to emphasise that post-traumatic stress disorder is still an issue that affects the soldiers of today.
Annie Adam
4th (Final) Year Illustration
Edinburgh College Of Art
www.annieadamdesign.com
Annie Adam is an illustrator and designer based in Edinburgh whilst she completes her 4th year in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art. She is interested in a wide variety of visual communication methods, including digital collage, expressive line work, and printmaking. Her work is greatly influenced by her Scottish location, drawing inspiration from the abundance of nature and idiosyncratic heritage of Edinburgh. She particularly explores historical narratives, with a particular focus on illustrating the often-undervalued stories of remarkable women throughout history.
