It is often forgotten that the Second World War encompassed the poetic careers of many serious combatant scribblers. Among the poets Britain put in the field from 1939-1945, none are as associated with the events of the war and its influences on literature as Keith Douglas.
By the time of his death, aged only twenty-four, Douglas was deemed one of the most accomplished and promising poets of his generation. His mastery over the fundamentals of poetic structures and traditional styles is discernible in his output as a student at Christ’s Hospital School and Oxford University. Though regarded as an unorthodox and independent-minded soldier, due to a lack of officers, Douglas was appointed junior tank commander during the sweep through North Africa after the battle of Alamein. He fought courageously and garnered some praise. After enjoying leave in London, Douglas was dispatched to Normandy for the D-Day landing, where he was killed by a German mortar.
