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Galina International
School Tours





The Poetry of the Ypres Salient
 
Themes covered include:
  • Patriotism and Jingoism
  • The End of Chivalry and Reality of War
  • Disillusionment and Cynicism
  • Aftermath and "The Pity of War"
Whilst travelling the route taken by British troops as they approached the Western Front in the early days of the war, initially in a spirit of optimism, patriotism and jingoism, the poetry of Binyon, Sorley, Hodgson, Gibson and Brooke will be considered.
 
 

Locations Visited
 
In Flanders Fields - four major battles were fought around the small Flemish town of Ypres during the Great War. Many perceptions of that war; gas, the mud of Flanders, the poppy as symbol of sacrifice and remembrance are intimately linked to the nightmare of Ypres. The men who fought here wrote of their experiences in stanzas and verse that have become a part of our literary heritage. Amongst those considered will be Grenfell, Ledwidge, Thomas, Rosenberg, Owen, Gurney, McCrae and Asquith.
 
Salvation Corner - the location of a Salvation Army soup kitchen for troops going up the line. It serves as a backdrop to "Going up the Line" where reference will be made to the poetry of Armstrong, Blunden and Plowman.
 
Essex Farm - while working here as a Canadian Army surgeon John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields". Originally the site of an Advanced Dressing Station, the surgeons' dug-outs near the cemetery can still be visited.
 
Pilckem Ridge - the scene of the first German gas attack in April 1915 during the opening phase of the Second Battle of Ypres, "Dulce et Decorum est" has never had a more potent backcloth.
 
Artillery Wood - site of the cemetery containing both the remains of Francis Ledwidge and the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn, and the start line for the Passchendaele Offensive; the location is ideal to ponder on soldier poets' contemplations of what lay ahead.
 
Tyne Cot Cemetery - the largest British War Cemetery in the world containing nearly 12,000 casualties and recording the names of 35,000 missing. The poems directly concerned with death and the results of battle are appropriate here.
 
Sanctuary Wood & Hill 62 - this location has both a museum containing many fascinating artefacts and preserved trenches. The poetry of Sassoon, Gibson and Asquith will be highlighted.
 
The Menin Gate - commemorating the missing of the Ypres Salient; 55,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in this region and who have no known grave. Sassoon's "Aftermath" is featured here. The Last Post is sounded every evening at 8.00 pm in a short ceremony commemorating those who fell in this region of Flanders.
 
Messines - the battle of Messines was a necessary pre-requisite to the battle of Passchendaele. The focus will be the preparation and execution of the asssault on the Wytchaete Ridge and the dominating Messines. The Pool of Peace will be visited as will the New Zealand Memorial and the Island of Ireland Peace Tower.
 
The poetry of the First World War provides an ideal subject for a Combined Tour for English and History. The poetry is allied to and placed in the context of significant dates and events. The change in intent, tone, style, language and form that characterized a change in attitudes to the war is highlighted.
 
Recommended Anthologies - "Men Who March Away" edited by I. M. Parsons, "Up The Line To Death" edited by B. Gardner, "The Poems of Wilfred Owen" edited by J. Stallworthy and "The Lost Voices of World War 1" edited by T. Cross.
 
 

A typical 3-day itinerary
 
Day 1:   Pick-up from school, travel by executive coach and cross-channel ferry to Calais. Travel to hotel for evening meal.
 
Day 2:   Breakfast in hotel and tour of the Ypres Salient including:
  • Salvation Corner
  • Essex Farm
  • Pilckem Ridge
  • Artillery Wood
  • Tyne Cot Cemetery
  • Sanctuary Wood
Evening meal at hotel, attendance at Last Post at the Menin Gate at 8.00 pm and return to hotel.
 
Day 3:   Breakfast in hotel, visits to Messines and Pool of Peace followed by return to UK.
 
Bespoke tours - if you have a specific anthology or specific poems that you would like incorporating into a tour, please ring to enable design of a poetry tour for your school. Itineraries can be tailored to your requirements. Contact us now by clicking here.
 
 
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