Siegfried Sassoon

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon, CBE, MC (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon’s view, were responsible for a jingoism-fuelled war. Sassoon became a focal point for dissent within the armed forces when he made a lone protest against the continuation of the war in his “Soldier’s Declaration” of 1917, culminating in his admission to a military psychiatric hospital; this resulted in his forming a friendship with Wilfred Owen, who was greatly influenced by him. Sassoon later won acclaim for his prose work, notably his three-volume fictionalised autobiography, collectively known as the “Sherston trilogy”.

Synonyms:
Sassoon
Siegfried_Sassoon (Wikipedia)
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Sassoon by George Charles Beresford (1915).jpg
Siegfried Sassoon (May 1915)
by George Charles Beresford
Born Siegfried Loraine Sassoon
(1886-09-08)8 September 1886
Matfield, Kent, England
Died 1 September 1967(1967-09-01) (aged 80)
Heytesbury, Wiltshire, England
Pen name Saul Kain, Pinchbeck Lyre
Occupation Soldier, Poet, Diarist, Memoirist, Journalist
Nationality British
Alma mater Clare College, Cambridge
Period Early 20th century
Genre Poetry, Fiction, biography
Notable works The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston
Spouse Hester Gatty
Military career
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Rank Captain
Unit Sussex Yeomanry
Royal Welch Fusiliers
Battles/wars First World War
Awards Military Cross

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon, CBE, MC (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's view, were responsible for a jingoism-fuelled war. Sassoon became a focal point for dissent within the armed forces when he made a lone protest against the continuation of the war in his "Soldier's Declaration" of 1917, culminating in his admission to a military psychiatric hospital; this resulted in his forming a friendship with Wilfred Owen, who was greatly influenced by him. Sassoon later won acclaim for his prose work, notably his three-volume fictionalised autobiography, collectively known as the "Sherston trilogy".

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