From The Trenches To The Lınes: War And Protest In The Poetry Of Wilfred Owen And Cahit Irgat

Ersoy Gümüş

Article Details

From The Trenches To The Lınes: War And Protest In The Poetry Of Wilfred Owen And Cahit Irgat

Authors:

Ersoy Gümüş

Publisher:

Afyon Kocatepe University

Main Topics:

Karşılaştırmalı ve Ulusötesi Edebiyat

Journal:

Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 3, pp.870-882

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358838

pISSN:

1302-1265

Keywords:

Abstract:

 This study presents a comparative analysis of the ways in which Wilfred Owen and Cahit Irgat, two significant figures of anti-war poetry, portray the physical and psychological devastation of war. Owen, drawing upon his firsthand experiences as a soldier during the First World War, reflects the brutality and futility of trench warfare by subverting traditional notions of heroism. In addition to all destruction caused by war, Irgat, writing in the context of the Second World War, focuses primarily on the suffering of civilians, highlighting issues such as hunger, poverty, and emotional collapse on the home front. Both poets employ poetry as a form of resistance to nationalist and militarist discourses, offering a human-centered perspective that emphasizes loss, alienation, and the dehumanizing effects of war. The aim of this study is to examine how Owen and Irgat use poetry not only as a literary medium, but also as a vehicle for ethical reflection and social critique. It argues that their works function as poetic testimonies that challenge dominant war narratives and advocate for a more humane and peace-oriented worldview.

 This study presents a comparative analysis of the ways in which Wilfred Owen and Cahit Irgat, two significant figures of anti-war poetry, portray the physical and psychological devastation of war. Owen, drawing upon his firsthand experiences as a soldier during the First World War, reflects the brutality and futility of trench warfare by subverting traditional notions of heroism. In addition to all destruction caused by war, Irgat, writing in the context of the Second World War, focuses primarily on the suffering of civilians, highlighting issues such as hunger, poverty, and emotional collapse on the home front. Both poets employ poetry as a form of resistance to nationalist and militarist discourses, offering a human-centered perspective that emphasizes loss, alienation, and the dehumanizing effects of war. The aim of this study is to examine how Owen and Irgat use poetry not only as a literary medium, but also as a vehicle for ethical reflection and social critique. It argues that their works function as poetic testimonies that challenge dominant war narratives and advocate for a more humane and peace-oriented worldview.

 This study presents a comparative analysis of the ways in which Wilfred Owen and Cahit Irgat, two significant figures of anti-war poetry, portray the physical and psychological devastation of war. Owen, drawing upon his firsthand experiences as a soldier during the First World War, reflects the brutality and futility of trench warfare by subverting traditional notions of heroism. In addition to all destruction caused by war, Irgat, writing in the context of the Second World War, focuses primarily on the suffering of civilians, highlighting issues such as hunger, poverty, and emotional collapse on the home front. Both poets employ poetry as a form of resistance to nationalist and militarist discourses, offering a human-centered perspective that emphasizes loss, alienation, and the dehumanizing effects of war. The aim of this study is to examine how Owen and Irgat use poetry not only as a literary medium, but also as a vehicle for ethical reflection and social critique. It argues that their works function as poetic testimonies that challenge dominant war narratives and advocate for a more humane and peace-oriented worldview.

 Bu çalışma, savaş karşıtı şiirin iki önemli ismi olan Wilfred Owen ve Cahit Irgatın savaşın neden olduğu fiziksel ve psikolojik yıkımı nasıl betimlediklerini karşılaştırmalı bir bakış açısıyla ele almaktadır. Birinci Dünya Savaşına asker olarak katılan Owen, siper savaşlarının acımasızlığını ve anlamsızlığını geleneksel kahramanlık anlayışlarını tersyüz ederek yansıtır. Cahit Irgat ise İkinci Dünya Savaşı bağlamında, cephede yaşanan yıkımlara ek olarak savaşın cephe gerisinde neden olduğu açlık, yoksulluk ve duygusal çöküntü gibi sivilleri etkileyen yönlerine odaklanır. Her iki şair de şiiri, milliyetçi ve militarist söylemlere karşı bir direniş biçimi olarak kullanmakta; savaşı insan merkezli bir bakış açısıyla, kayıp, yabancılaşma ve insanlıktan çıkarılma gibi temalar etrafında ele almaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Owen ve Irgatın şiiri yalnızca edebi bir araç olarak değil, aynı zamanda etik bir sorgulama ve toplumsal eleştiri zemini olarak nasıl kullandıklarını incelemektir. Çalışmada, her iki şairin eserlerinin hâkim savaş anlatılarını sorgulayan, daha insancıl ve barış odaklı bir dünya görüşünü savunan şiirsel tanıklıklar olduğu öne sürülmektedir.

Article Details

From The Trenches To The Lınes: War And Protest In The Poetry Of Wilfred Owen And Cahit Irgat

Authors:

Ersoy Gümüş

Publisher:

Afyon Kocatepe University

Main Topics:

Karşılaştırmalı ve Ulusötesi Edebiyat

Journal:

Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 3, pp.870-882

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358838

pISSN:

1302-1265

Wilfred Owen

Cahit Irgat

anti-war literature

trauma

poetic resistance

war criticism.Wilfred Owen

Cahit Irgat

savaş karşıtı edebiyat

travma

şiirsel direniş

savaş eleştirisi.

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Ersoy Gümüş

Publisher: Afyon Kocatepe University

Main Topics: Karşılaştırmalı ve Ulusötesi Edebiyat

Journal: Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 3, pp.870-882

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 9/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001358838

pISSN: 1302-1265

Issues

Authors:

Ersoy Gümüş

Publisher:

Afyon Kocatepe University

Main Topics:

Karşılaştırmalı ve Ulusötesi Edebiyat

Journal:

Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.27 Issue 3, pp.870-882

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358838

pISSN:

1302-1265