Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was born on 18 of March in 1893 in Oswestry, Shropshire. His father was a railway worker. Wilfred and his parents lived, in his grandfather's house. When his grandfather had died, him and his family had to move out and they lived in Birkenhead. Wilfred went to Technical School in Shrewsbury. That is when he started to write poetry about poverty and death, because he was heavily influenced by religion. Wilfred followed his mother's footsteps and would practice his religion regularly.  Since his parents had trouble paying for school, eventually he couldn't go school anymore.

Early Adult Years

When Wilfred Owen was older, he applied to the University of London, but failed the entrance exam.  Luckily, he found a job at Berlitz School of English in France, where he would teach English to francophones. This was until 1911, when he got another job, he went south to the village of Dunsden, near Reading, and worked as a lay reader (an assistant to a clergyman) until 1913. This was when, Wilfred had become ill and decided to become a tutor instead. So, in 1915 he went back to France. In the summer of 1914, when world war one had started, he had to returned to England. Wilfred was actually considering going the French army, but in instead enlisted in Artist's Rifles in 1915.

War Life

He began training as soon as possible and become the second lieutenant. In June 1916, after a year of training, Wilfred was finally sent to war because of the 2nd Manchester Regiment. In December of that year, he was sent to France and stayed there for four months. During the war, he would write letters to his mother.

After War Life

On May the second 1917, Wilfred Owen went back home and wasn't feeling well.  Doctors had diagnosed him with shell shock. At this point, he could no longer serve in the military anymore. It was in June, when Wilfred was admitted in Craiglockhart Hospital. When he was at hospital, he would write poetry about the war he survived. Those poems would be published in the hospital journal.

Back to Battle

In November 1917, Wilfred Owen went back to his regiment, because the effects of shell shock were gone. Also, at this time he wrote poetry about war, during the war. They were also published in lots of literacy  journals.  In September 1918, Wilfred returned to the front line and won the Military Cross for bravery.

Death and Legacy

On November 4th 1918, Wilfred was killed in action. He was only 25 years old when he died. Wilfred Owen's parents received a telegram on November the 11th, a week later and the same day that world war one had ended. Two years later, Siegfried Sassoon (one to the friends he made at the hospital) had released his first collection of poems. His poems gained popularity and recognition from all over the world. Even in 2013, Wilfred Owen's poems told the same true meaning they did a century ago. Rest in peace.

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