Wilfred Owen, arguably the most important anti-war poet, born in Oswestry on 18 March 1893, had his recent birthday anniversary marked by Oswestry School pupils.
This humble tribute to the WW1 poet, to his powerful anti-war poems and his name Wilfred (Saxon for desiring peace), took the form of planting a flowering Cherry Tree.
Oswestry School pupils read Owen’s poem Written In A Wood from September 1910 during the planting and were among schools from Edinburgh, County Armagh, Ors in France and Hannover in Germany who also planted a flowering cherry tree on the anniversary.
Full ninety autumn hath this ancient beech
Helped with its myriad leafy tongues to swell
The dirges of the deep-toned western gale,
And ninety times hath all its power of speech
Been stricken dumb, at sound of winter’s yell,
Since Adonais, no more strong and hale,
Might have rejoiced to linger here and teach
His thoughts in sonnets to the listening dell;
Or glide in fancy through those leafy grots
And bird-pavilions hung with arras green,
To hear the sonnets of its minstrel choir.
Ah, ninety times again, when autumn rots
Shall birds and leaves be mute and all unseen,
Yet shall I see fair Keats, and hear his lyre.
Pictured: James Law reads Written in a Wood at the planting of the Wilfred Owen Poet-Tree, Desiring Peace.
