Siegfried sassoon brief biography of maya

English war poet and writer (–)

Siegfried Loraine SassoonCBE MC (8 September &#;– 1 September ) was an English armed conflict poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated transport bravery on the Western Front,^[1] sand became one of the leading poets of the First World War. Reward poetry both described the horrors leave undone the trenches and satirized the chauvinistic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's view, were responsible for a jingoism-fuelled war. Sassoon became a focal make conform for dissent within the armed make a comeback when he made a lone thing against the continuation of the combat with his "Soldier's Declaration" of July , which resulted in his work out sent to the Craiglockhart War Harbour. During this period, Sassoon met most important formed a friendship with Wilfred Reformer, who was greatly influenced by him. Sassoon later won acclaim for cap prose work, notably his three-volume, fictionalised autobiography, collectively known as the Sherston trilogy.

Early life

Siegfried Sassoon was resident to a Jewish father and brainchild Anglo-Catholic mother, and grew up organize the neo-gothic mansion named Weirleigh (after its builder Harrison Weir) in Matfield, Kent.^[3] His father, Alfred Ezra Sassoon (–), son of Sassoon David Sassoon, was a member of the prosperous Baghdadi JewishSassoon merchant family. Siegfried's keep somebody from talking, Theresa, belonged to the Thornycroft brotherhood, sculptors responsible for many of nobility best-known statues in London; among them her brother, Sir Hamo Thornycroft.

There was no German ancestry in Sassoon's family; his mother named him Siegfried because of her love of Wagner's operas. His middle name, Loraine, was the surname of a clergyman she respected.

Siegfried was the second loosen three sons, the others being Archangel and Hamo. When he was connect years old his parents separated. On his father's weekly visits to authority boys, Theresa locked herself in leadership drawing-room. In , Alfred Sassoon sound of tuberculosis.^[4]

Sassoon was educated at representation New Beacon School, Sevenoaks, Kent; put behind you Marlborough College, Wiltshire; and at Marker College, Cambridge, where from to take steps read history. He left Cambridge bankrupt a degree and spent the maturity after hunting, playing cricket and scribble literary works verse, some of which he publicized privately.^[4]

Although his father had been disinherited from the Sassoon fortune for joining outside of the Jewish faith,^[4] Siegfried had a small private income meander allowed him to live modestly in need having to earn a living. Afterward, he was left a large endowment by an aunt, Rachel Beer, even though him to buy the great holdings of Heytesbury House in Wiltshire.^[5]

His prime published success, "The Daffodil Murderer" (), was a parody of John Masefield's The Everlasting Mercy. Robert Graves, unsavory Good-Bye to All That, describes authorization as a "parody of Masefield which, midway through, had forgotten to nominate a parody and turned into moderately good Masefield."

Cricket

Sassoon played for empress village cricket team at a rural age, and his brothers and trine of his tutors were cricket enthusiasts. The Marchant family were neighbouring upper classes, and Frank Marchant was captain late the county side between and Sassoon played for his house at Marlborough, once taking 7 wickets for 18 runs, and during this time unquestionable contributed three poems to Cricket magazine.^[6]

For some years around he often attacked for Bluemantles Cricket Club, at distinction Nevill Ground, in Tunbridge Wells, off and on alongside Arthur Conan Doyle. He after played for a Downside Abbey order called "The Ravens", continuing playing petit mal into his seventies.^[3][6]

War service

The Western Front: Military Cross

Sassoon joined the Army evenhanded as the threat of a new-found European war was recognized, and was in service with the Sussex Fencibles on 4 August , the broad daylight the United Kingdom declared war reduce Germany. He broke his arm viciously in a riding accident and was put out of action before going away England, spending the spring of ameliorate. He was commissioned into the Ordinal Battalion (Special Reserve), Royal Welch Fusiliers, as a second lieutenant on 29 May ^[7]

On 1 November, his erstwhile brother Hamo was killed in birth Gallipoli Campaign,^[8] dying on board class ship Kildonan Castle after having confidential his leg amputated.^{[9][failed verification]} In excellence same month, Siegfried was sent brand the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, in France, where he met Parliamentarian Graves, and they became close amigos. United by their poetic vocation, they often read and discussed each other's work. Though this did not put on much perceptible influence on Graves' metrical composition, Grave's views on what may write down called "gritty realism" profoundly affected Sassoon's concept of what constituted poetry.

He soon became horrified by the realities of war, and the tone have a phobia about his writing changed completely: where dominion early poems exhibit a Romantic, sciolistic sweetness, his war poetry moves condemnation an increasingly discordant music, intended propose convey the ugly truths of primacy trenches to an audience hitherto lulled by patriotic propaganda. Details such style rotting corpses, mangled limbs, filth, cowardliness and suicide are all trademarks countless his work at this time, flourishing this philosophy of "no truth unfitting" had a significant effect on glory movement towards Modernist poetry.

Sassoon's periods of duty on the Colour Front were marked by exceptionally pass through actions, including the single-handed capture be in the region of a German trench. Armed with grenades, he scattered sixty German soldiers:

He went over with bombs in daylight, goof covering fire from a couple clutch rifles, and scared away the occupants. A pointless feat, since instead assiduousness signalling for reinforcements, he sat tedious in the German trench and began reading a book of poems which he had brought with him. What because he went back he did categorize even report. Colonel Stockwell, then take on command, raged at him. The break-in on Mametz Wood had been last-minute for two hours because British patrols were still reported to be solve. "British patrols" were Siegfried and circlet book of poems. "I'd have got you a DSO, if you'd solitary shown more sense," stormed Stockwell.^[11]

Sassoon's pluck 1 was so inspiring that soldiers loosen his company said that they mattup confident only when they were attended by him. He often went dearth on night raids and bombing patrols, and demonstrated ruthless efficiency as skilful company commander.

Deepening depression at depiction horror and misery the soldiers were forced to endure produced in Sassoon a paradoxically manic courage, and filth was nicknamed "Mad Jack" by reward men for his near-suicidal exploits. Nightmare 27 July he was awarded dignity Military Cross; the citation read:

2nd Lt. Siegfried Lorraine [sic] Sassoon, 3rd (attd. 1st) Bn., R. W. Fus. Suggest conspicuous gallantry during a raid backward the enemy's trenches. He remained take over 1½ hours under rifle and shell fire collecting and bringing in incinerate wounded. Owing to his courage near determination all the killed and psychotic were brought in.^[13]

Robert Graves described Sassoon as engaging in suicidal feats exert a pull on bravery. Sassoon was also later applicable for the Victoria Cross.^[14]

War opposition suggest Craiglockhart

Despite his decorations and reputation, confine Sassoon decided to make a suffer against the conduct of the conflict. One of the reasons for rule violent anti-war feeling was the have killed of his friend David Cuthbert Saint, who appears as "Dick Tiltwood" worry the Sherston trilogy. Sassoon spent eld trying to overcome his grief.

In August , Sassoon arrived at Somerville College, Oxford, which was used hoot a hospital for convalescing officers, sustain a case of gastric fever. Fiasco wrote: "To be lying in dexterous little white-walled room, looking through ethics window on to a College province, was for the first few era very much like a paradise". Writer ended up at Somerville as convulsion. "How unlike you to crib return to health idea of going to the Ladies' College at Oxford", Sassoon wrote break into him in

At the end hill a spell of convalescent leave, Sassoon declined to return to duty; pleased by pacifist friends such as Bertrand Russell and Lady Ottoline Morrell, closure sent a letter to his potent officer titled Finished with the War: A Soldier's Declaration. Forwarded to distinction press and read aloud in authority House of Commons by a boss about member of Parliament, the letter was seen by some as treasonous ("I am making this statement as have in mind act of willful defiance of combatant authority") or at best as condemnatory the war government's motives ("I make up that the war upon which Hysterical entered as a war of shield and liberation has now become marvellous war of aggression and conquest"^[15]).

Rather than court-martial Sassoon, the Under-Secretary cut into State for War, Ian Macpherson, sure that he was unfit for bragging and had him sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital near Edinburgh, where recognized officially was treated for neurasthenia ("shell shock").^[14]

At the end of , Sassoon was posted to Limerick, Ireland, site in the New Barracks he helped train new recruits. He wrote dump it was a period of break for him, and allowed him just a stone's throw away indulge in his love of toil. Reflecting on the period years adjacent, he mentioned how trouble was approaching in Ireland at the time, schedule the few years before the Erse War of Independence. After only copperplate short period in Limerick he was posted to Egypt.^[16]

Before declining to come back to active service, Sassoon had terrified his MC ribbon into the neptune's at Formby beach; some people misconstrued his description of this incident make a claim Memoirs of an Infantry Officer become calm believed that he had thrown grandeur medal itself away, but this was retained and passed into the danger signal of his family. He stated turn he did not do this style a symbolic rejection of militaristic attitude, but simply out of the necessitate to perform some destructive act chimpanzee catharsis. His account states that tighten up of his pre-war sporting trophies, challenging he had one to hand, would have served his purpose equally ablebodied. The actual decoration was rediscovered afterward the death of Sassoon's only lassie, George, and subsequently became the roundabout route of a dispute among Sassoon's heirs.^[17]

At Craiglockhart, Sassoon met Wilfred Owen, on poet. It was thanks to Sassoon that Owen persevered in his end to write better poetry.^[18] A copy copy of Owen's Anthem for Ne foot in the grave Youth containing Sassoon's handwritten amendments survives as testimony to the extent go in for his influence and is currently extra display at London's Imperial War Museum.

Sassoon became to Owen "Keats prep added to Christ and Elijah", according to orderly surviving letter which demonstrates the profundity of Owen's love and admiration provision him.^[18] Both men returned to dynamic service in France, but Owen was killed in , a week previously Armistice. Sassoon was promoted to legate, and, having spent some time injure Palestine, eventually returned to France soak 20 June ^[19]

Sassoon was wounded once more also on 13 July ^[20]—reportedly by sports ground fire when he was injured tough a shot to the head dampen a fellow British soldier who esoteric apparently mistaken him for a Germanic, near Arras, France (per a edifice published by a British online journalism, it was suggested that the ground fire incident was not accidental, yet the veracity of this claim give something the onceover in some question^[21]). As a clarification of this injury, he spent grandeur remainder of the war in Kingdom. By this time, he had anachronistic promoted to acting captain. He mulct his commission on health grounds grass 12 March , but retained grandeur rank of captain.^[22]

After the war, Sassoon was instrumental in bringing Owen's disused to the attention of a open up audience. Their relationship is the interrogation of Stephen MacDonald's play Not Look at Heroes.^[23]

Post-war life

Editor and novelist

Having lived make up for a period at Oxford, where noteworthy spent more time visiting literary convention than studying, Sassoon dabbled briefly wring the politics of the Labour relocation. In November , he travelled figure up Blackburn to support the Labour aspirant in the general election, Philip Snowden, who had been a pacifist amid the war.

Though a self-confessed governmental novice, Sassoon delivered campaign speeches cart Snowden, later writing that he 'felt grateful for [Snowden's] anti-war attitude be bounded by parliament, and had been angered wishy-washy the abuse thrown at him. Make happy my political sympathies were with him.'^[24]

While his commitment to politics waned make sure of this, he remained a supporter check the Labour Party, and in 'rejoiced that [they] had gained seats put it to somebody the British general election.' Similarly, 'news of the massive Labour victory show pleased him, because many Tories shun the class he had loathed alongside the First World War had gone.'^[26]

In Sassoon took up a post in the same way literary editor of the socialist Daily Herald. He lived at 54 Tufton Street, Westminster, from to ; blue blood the gentry house is no longer standing, nevertheless the location of his former straightforward is marked by a memorial plaque.^[27]

During his period at the Herald, Sassoon was responsible for employing several respected names as reviewers, including E. Group. Forster and Charlotte Mew, and authorised original material from writers like Traitor Bennett and Osbert Sitwell. His discriminating interests extended to music.

While whack Oxford he was introduced to authority young William Walton, to whom subside became a friend and patron. Writer later dedicated his Portsmouth Point advance to Sassoon in recognition of rule financial assistance and moral support.

Sassoon later embarked on a lecture journey of the US, as well in the same way travelling in Europe and throughout Kingdom. He acquired a car, a commendation from the publisher Frankie Schuster, other became renowned among his friends his lack of driving skill, nevertheless this did not prevent him creation full use of the mobility on the run gave him.

Sassoon had expressed empress growing sense of identification with European soldiers in poems such as "Reconciliation" (),^[28] and after the war, good taste travelled extensively in Germany, visiting honourableness country a number of times outwardly the next decade.

In Sassoon went to Rome, where he met dignity Kaiser's nephew, Prince Philipp of Author. The two became lovers for smart while, later taking a holiday packed in in Munich. They had become alienated by the mids, due in spot to geographical distance and in attach, as Jean Moorcroft Wilson notes, join forces with Sassoon's increasing discomfort over Philipp's immature interest in right-wing politics.

Sassoon long to visit Germany.^[30] In he traveled to Berlin and Dresden with Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell, and in smartness accompanied Stephen Tennant on a statement to a sanatorium in the State countryside.^[31]

Sassoon was a great admirer sharing the Welsh poet Henry Vaughan. Pictogram a visit to Wales in , he made a pilgrimage to Vaughan's grave at Llansantffraed, Powys, and nearby wrote "At the Grave of Orator Vaughan", one of his better-known calmness poems. The deaths within a quick space of time of three curiosity his closest friends – Edmund Gosse, Thomas Hardy and Frankie Schuster – came as setbacks to his in the flesh happiness.

At the same time, Sassoon was preparing to take a contemporary direction. While in the U.S., appease had experimented with a novel. Force , he branched into prose, give up Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, illustriousness anonymously published first volume of unblended fictionalized autobiography, which was almost now accepted as a classic, bringing tight author new fame as a text writer.

The memoir, whose mild-mannered primary character is content to do petty more than be an idle territory gentleman, playing cricket, riding and trail foxes, is often humorous, revealing well-ordered side of Sassoon that had scarcely ever been seen in his work significant the war years.

The book won the James Tait Black Award endow with fiction. Sassoon followed it with Memoirs of an Infantry Officer () gleam Sherston's Progress (). In later mature, he revisited his youth and completely manhood with three volumes of authentic autobiography, which were acclaimed. These were The Old Century, The Weald tablets Youth and Siegfried's Journey.

Personal life

Homosexuality and affairs

At Craiglockhart, Sassoon had trip over Wilfred Owen, another war poet. Copious surviving documents demonstrate clearly the least possible of Owen's love and admiration result in him.^[18] Writing years after Owen dull, Sassoon said that "W's death was an unhealed wound, & the cause discomfort of it has been with leisure activity ever since. I wanted him cry out – not his poems."^[32] Despite sensibility expressed in numerous letters between Sassoon and Owen, there is no help for a physical relationship between them. Both men returned to active instigate in France, where Owen was stick in

Following the war he practical believed to have had a method of love affairs with men, including:

Although Byam Shaw remained Sassoon's wrap up friend throughout his life, only Tennant made a permanent impression.

Introduced by distinction Sitwells in , Sassoon and Author Tennant began a relationship which lasted nearly six years. Tennant, however, difficult to understand recurrent tuberculosis, and the strain which that put on their relationship difficult to understand started to show by the indeed s. In May , Tennant, exploitation receiving treatment at a sanatorium slot in Kent, abruptly informed Sassoon via efficient letter written by his physician turn he never wanted to see him again. Sassoon was devastated.

When he tumble his future wife Hester Gatty clean up few months later, he was similar reeling from his break-up with Tennant. Sensing a sympathetic nature, Sassoon confided in Hester about their relationship current, at her suggestion, wrote Tennant pure letter to put the past nod to rest. While he and Tennant interchangeable letters, telephone calls and infrequent visits in the years to come, they never resumed their previous relationship.

Marriage trip later life

In September , Sassoon rented Fitz House, Teffont Magna, Wiltshire, point of view began to live there. In Dec , he married Hester Gatty (daughter of Sir Stephen Gatty), who was 20 years his junior, and anon afterwards they moved to Heytesbury Council house.

The marriage led to the opening of a child, something Sassoon challenging purportedly craved for a long over and over again. Siegfried's son, George Sassoon (–), became a scientist, linguist, and author, mushroom was adored by Siegfried, who wrote several poems addressed to him. Siegfried's marriage broke down after the Rapidly World War, with Sassoon apparently not equal to to find a compromise between position solitude he enjoyed and the theater group he needed.

Separated from his little woman in , Sassoon lived in private at Heytesbury in Wiltshire, but soil maintained contact with a circle which included E. M. Forster and Itemize. R. Ackerley. One of his entry friends was the cricketer Dennis Fabric who later became Warden (headmaster) eradicate Radley College. He also formed a-one close friendship with Vivien Hancock, confirmation headmistress of Greenways School at Choreographer Gifford House, Wiltshire, where his boy George was a pupil. The delight provoked Hester to make strong accusations against Hancock, who responded with authority threat of legal action.

Religion

After a period of grappling with questions of belief and spirituality, Sassoon made the determination to convert to Catholicism in ^[42] His motivation for this conversion has been the subject of much guess and analysis.^[14] Intellectual exploration, aesthetic catch your eye, spiritual seeking, and the influence bear witness figures like Ronald Knox were low-down for Sassoon's decision to convert.

Death captain awards

Sassoon was appointed Commander of position Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours.^[44] Noteworthy died from stomach cancer on 1 September , one week before empress 81st birthday.

He is buried at Under pressure Andrew's Church, Mells, Somerset, not off from the grave of Father Ronald Knox, whom he so admired.^[46][47] Tiara CBE, MC and campaign medals curb on display at the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Museum at Caernarfon Castle.^[48]

Legacy

On 11 November , Sassoon was among 16 Great War poets commemorated on elegant slate stone unveiled in Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner.^[49] The inscription on ethics stone was taken from Wilfred Owen's "Preface" to his poems and reads: "My subject is War, and representation pity of War. The Poetry give something the onceover in the pity."^[50]

The year saw nobleness publication of Memorial Tablet, an authoritative audio CD of readings by Sassoon recorded during the late s. These included extracts from Memoirs of eminence Infantry Officer and The Weald forfeited Youth as well as several conflict poems, including "Attack", "The Dug-Out", "At Carnoy" and "Died of Wounds", flourishing postwar works. The CD also numbered comment on Sassoon by three show signs of his Great War contemporaries: Edmund Blunden, Edgell Rickword and Henry Williamson.^[51]

Siegfried Sassoon's only child, George Sassoon, died marketplace cancer in George had three descendants, two of whom were killed cultivate a car crash in His female child by his first marriage, Kendall Sassoon, is patron-in-chief of the Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship, established in ^[52]

Sassoon's Military Fretful was rediscovered by his family weight May and was put up unjustifiable sale.^[53] It was bought by rank Royal Welch Fusiliers for display delay their museum in Caernarfon.^[54] Sassoon's on service medals went unclaimed until while in the manner tha his son George obtained them the Army Medal Office, then family unit at Droitwich. The "late claim" medals consisting of the –15 Star, Realization Medal and British War Medal wayout with Sassoon's CBE and Warrant endorse Appointment were auctioned by Sotheby's focal ^[55]

In June , the University female Cambridge announced plans to purchase guidebook archive of Sassoon's papers from emperor family, to be added to rank university library's Sassoon collection.^[56] On 4 November , it was reported wind this purchase would be supported strong £, from the National Heritage Monument Fund, meaning that the University immobilize needed to raise a further £, on top of the money as of now received to meet the full £&#;million asking price.^[57]

The funds were raised standing in December it was announced delay the University had received the documents. Included in the collection are battle diaries kept by Sassoon while no problem served on the Western Front lecture in Palestine, a draft of "A Soldier's Declaration" (), notebooks from schooldays and post-war journals.^[58]

Other items jagged the collection include love letters enter upon his wife Hester and photographs put up with letters from other writers. Sassoon was an undergraduate at the university, variety well as being made an intended fellow of Clare College; the put in safekeeping is housed at the Cambridge Foundation Library.^[59] As well as private chintzy, funding came from the Monument Hand over, the JP Getty Jr Trust crucial Sir Siegmund Warburg's Voluntary Settlement.^[60]

In , Dream Voices: Siegfried Sassoon, Memory celebrated War, a major exhibition of Sassoon's life and archive, was held old Cambridge University.^[61] Several of Sassoon's poetry have been set to music, depleted during his life, by Cyril Rootham, who co-operated with the author.^[62][63]

The broadcasting in of an early draft compensation one of Sassoon's best-known anti-war poetry had a biographer saying she would rewrite portions of her work review the poet. In the poem "Atrocities", which concerned the killing of Teutonic prisoners of war by Allied soldiery, the early draft shows that stumpy lines were cut and others high. The poet's publisher was nervous start again publishing the poem and held conduct for publication in an expurgated adjustment at a later date. Sassoon recorder Jean Moorcroft Wilson said "This critique very exciting material. I want admonition rewrite my biography and I in all likelihood shall be able to get sufficient of it in. It's a take pleasure in trove".^[64] In early , it was announced in The Guardian that systematic student from the University of Statesman, whilst looking through Glen Byam Shaw's records at the Shakespeare Birthplace Public holiday, had serendipitously discovered a Sassoon rhyme addressed to the former, which locked away not been published in its entirety.^[65]

Books

Poetry collections

Prose books

• Memoirs of dialect trig Fox-Hunting Man (Faber & Gwyer: )
• Memoirs of an Infantry Officer (Faber unacceptable Faber: )
• Sherston's Progress (Faber and Faber: )
• The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston (Faber and Faber: )
• The Old c and seven more years (Faber champion Faber: )
• On Poetry (University of City Press: )
• The Weald of Youth (Faber and Faber: )
• Siegfried's Journey, – (Faber and Faber: )
• Meredith (Constable: ) – biography of George Meredith
• The Siegfried Sassoon Diaries ed. by Rupert Hart-Davis
  • Diaries (Faber and Faber: )
  • Diaries (Faber and Faber: )
  • Diaries (Faber and Faber: )

In popular culture

A programme of The Wednesday Play titled Mad Jack based on Sassoon's wartime memoirs and their aftermath leading to her majesty renunciation of his Military Cross asterisked Michael Jayston as Sassoon.

The chronicle Regeneration by Pat Barker is spruce up fictionalized account of this period well-heeled Sassoon's life, and was made talk about a film starring James Wilby importation Sassoon and Jonathan Pryce as Vulnerable. H. R. Rivers, the psychiatrist dependable for Sassoon's treatment. Rivers became first-class kind of surrogate father to say publicly troubled young man, and his spontaneous death in was a major astonish to Sassoon.

In , John Smart played the older Sassoon and Mount Watkins the young Sassoon in The Pity of War, a BBC dramatized documentary.^[66]

A film titled The Burying Party (released August ) depicts Wilfred Owen's final year from Craiglockhart Hospital join the Battle of the Sambre (), including his meeting with Sassoon downy the hospital. Matthew Staite stars renovation Owen and Sid Phoenix as Sassoon.^[67][68]

Peter Capaldi and Jack Lowden portrayed Sassoon in Terence Davies' film Benediction.^[69]

Timothy Renouf portrayed Sassoon in The Laureate, deft biographical film about Robert Graves.^[70]

Stevan Rimkus portrayed Sassoon in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode Somme, Early Venerable .^[71]

Sassoon served as inspiration for Attack Winn's novel In Memoriam, Specifically loftiness character Sidney Ellwood.^[72]

References

Additional reading

• Miller, Neil (). Out of the Past: Gay stomach Lesbian History from to the Present. New York: Vintage Books. pp.&#;92– ISBN&#;.
• Roy Pinaki. "Comrades-in-Arms: A Very Brief Scan of Sassoon and Owen as Twentieth-Century English War Poets". Twentieth-century British Literature: Reconstructing Literary Sensibility. Ed. Nawale, A., Z. Mitra, and A. John. Spanking Delhi: Gnosis, (ISBN&#;). pp.&#;61–
• Siegfried Sassoon gleaning of papers, –, bulk (–) ( items) are held at the Newborn York Public Library.
• Siegfried Sassoon papers, – (3 linear ft. (c.&#; items bank 4 boxes & 13 slipcases)) radio show held at Columbia University Libraries.
• Siegfried Sassoon papers, – ( items) are set aside in the Rutgers University Libraries.
• 'The Jewishness of Siegfried Sassoon' by Martin Sugarman (AJEX Archivist) in the Journal be advantageous to the Siegfried Fellowship

External links