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By its conclusion in 1945, World War II had become the single deadliest conflict in history. Over 25 million soldiers had lost their lives, as well as 55 million civilians, including 11 million killed in concentration camps. To mark the 75th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of war, we have assembled a selection of poems written in English during and after the Second World War. Many of these poems first appeared in the pages of Poetry magazine and were written by former soldiers such as Randall Jarrell, as well as conscientious objectors such as Stanley Kunitz and Robert Lowell. Still others were written by civilians, editors, and journalists working at home. These poems demonstrate an acute attention to the horror, sacrifice, and sublime reckoning of the conflict.
In order to contextualize these works, we have listed the poems by year, along with a selection of historical markers. In addition, we have provided a separate list of poets and volunteers who served in the War, many of whose work features on this list.
The poems here are broad and various. You may notice that earlier poems demonstrate a disbelief at the scope of the conflict, while later poems express a mournful acceptance and a turn toward individual voice and empathy. Anticipating the movements of postmodernism, the poetry of World War II as a whole marks a deciding change in how many poets would view violence, sacrifice, and our responses to historical atrocities and trauma. To suggest additions, contact us. Also be sure to take a look at our sampler of World War II Poets.
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