''The Deserter'' is a British
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
poem, written in 1916 by
Winifred Mary Letts
Winifred Mary Letts (1882–1972) was an English-born writer who spent most of her life in Ireland. She was known for her novels, plays and poetry.
Biography
She was born on 10 February 1882 in Broughton, Salford, in what was then the County of ...
(1882–1972). It tells the story of a young British soldier who is shot for
desertion
Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ar ...
. It has been included in several anthologies of First World War poems. The poem is used as one of many in Opening Lines, a
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
book. It is written in iambic tetrameter.
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World War I poems
1916 poems