Wilfred Owen Primary School Celebrate The Poet's Birthday

Transcript

00:00 I'm Jane Potter and I'm Reader in Arts at Oxford Brookes University and I work on Wilfred Owen, editing his letters primarily.

00:08 I'm here as part of the birthday celebrations for Owen and today is Owen's birthday and I'm here visiting the Wilfred Owen School,

00:14 which is really delightful to see the children and hear their poetry.

00:18 We had an event yesterday at Uffington with the Wilfred Owen Association, of which I'm chair,

00:24 and tomorrow I'll be giving a talk at St. Alton's in the town centre.

00:28 So this is a really great way of remembering Owen on his birthday.

00:33 I am the ears that hear the bombs and air raids following the death of shell-shocked soldiers.

00:40 I am the eyes watching the terror of German bombs plonking on the ground.

00:45 I am the boots filled with blood and trudge almost under cover.

00:50 I am the eyebrows knowing that countries are separated from each other.

00:55 I am the skull that protects my head but not when I'm dead.

00:59 I am the blood spewing out of soldiers' mouths as they drop to the floor.

01:04 I am the bloodshot eyes traumatised by everything I've seen.

01:09 I am the deafened ears that can no longer hear the screams of our allies.

01:15 I am the unsteady helmet that has no use as I drop.

01:19 I am the broken boots walking over the bleeding corpses.

01:23 I am the nose stained with the scent of rotting flesh.

01:27 I am the unstable brain full of dreadful memories that are engraved in.

01:32 I am the helmet back-breakingly protecting the brain from harm.

01:38 I am the blood-curdling pain shattering everything in my way into ash.

01:44 I am the rupture of sadness meandering down the corpses of the dead.

01:50 The land full of eternal sorrow.

01:53 I am the boots marching feebly through the brown quicksand.

01:59 I am the ears hearing nearby alleys choking in the endless sea of gas,

02:05 withering, guttering, drowning.

02:08 I am the old lie, dulce et decorum est, proprietria mori.

02:15 Molly.