Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Poets
    • Poems
    • Makar – National Poet
      • Our Waking Breath: A Poem-letter from Scotland to Ukraine
      • A Woman’s A Woman
      • The story of the Makar – National Poet of Scotland
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Spiorad an Àite
      Spirit of Place
    • The Trysting Thorns
    • Poetry Ambassadors
      Tosgairean na Bàrdachd
      • Poetry Commissions: Walter Scott 250
        Coimiseanan Bàrdachd: Walter Scott 250
      • Poetry Ambassadors 2021
    • Poetry Ambassadors 2020
    • Posters
    • Podcasts
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • Designing sensory poetry activities
    • Children’s poems in Scots
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • What’s On
    • Meeting rooms and venue hire
    • Exhibitions
  • Shop
    • Poetry Highlights
    • Entropie Books
    • Stichill Marigold Press
    • Poems for Doctors, Nurses & Teachers
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Jobs
    • Company Papers & Policies
    • Our projects
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • World War I
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

World War I

Dulce Et Decorum Est - by Wilfred Owen

{ Poem }

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest / To children ardent for some desperate glory, / The…

Yper - by Ian A. Olson

{ Poem }

At length grandfather walked the Ypres road
/ From Poperinghe, to where the army laid
/ (At Hagle Dump) the remnants of his son:
/ A…

Glory - by Violet Jacob

{ Poem }

I canna’ see ye, lad, I canna’ see ye,
/ For a’ yon glory that’s aboot yer heid,
/ Yon…

The Forfar Bus - by J. B. Salmond

{ Poem }

On the Forfar ‘bus in a morn of spring,
/ A nipping wind and the frost’s sharp sting;
/ And I can’t tell why,…

Pilgrimage: Being the thoughts of an ex-soldier at Ypres, 8/8/28 - by J. B. Salmond

{ Poem }

Me, an’ Jean, an’ the bairn;
/ The wee lad spierin’ an’ starin’;
/ Daunderin’ quiet an’ douce-like doun
/ The Menin road into Ypres toun.
/ ‘Did…

Any Private to Any Private - by J. B. Salmond

{ Poem }

Ay, gie’s ma rum. I’m needin’t sair, by God!
/ We’ve juist been bringin’ Wullie doun the line –…

Killochyett - by Andrew Dodds

{ Poem }

Killochyett! … Killochyett! …
/ The dusk is drappin’ doon;
/ The waefu’ wind is whimp’rin’ in the trees;
/ The lichts begin tae blink aboot…

Every Woman - by Aiko Greig

{ Poem }

Who can gauge our range or pace? Every woman, / a signal tower, an illusion, a ship bearing dead ahead.

from Three Battles - by E. Alan Mackintosh

{ Poem }

In the cold of the morning, / In the burning of the day, / The thin lines stumbled forward, /…

Poppies - by J. B. Salmond

{ Poem }

No great triumphal march
/ For lads like you;
/ No pasteboard victory arch,
/ No grand review.
/ In…

Billets - by John Peterson

{ Poem }

From out the reeling night the old chateau
/ Rears up to meet a straggling file of men,
/ Muddy and sore; who filled…

War - by John Peterson

{ Poem }

The songs I’ve sung are futile,
/ Of little futile things,
/ Of foolish dreams and fancies
/ On feeble faltering wings;
/ So I will cease my…

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 … 7 Next
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2022.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
Scottish Poetry Library