I named this blog after the first line of the poem ‘Futility’ by Wilfred Owen.
It was on a purely personal note that I named this teaching blog, ‘Move Him Into the Sun’. ‘Futility’ is a favourite poem of mine.
Ironically, I haven’t analysed the poem for the site yet; the red-hot, nuclear fire of my stellar enlightenment has yet to touch it.
‘Go figure’, as our American cousins say.
Move Him Into The Sun 
Hi folks.
I’m an American, now of a certain age, who was completely mesmerized/captivated, appalled/enthralled, at an early age, by the poetry of WW I. I taught English for many years. When I wanted students to understand the grace, power and rigor of their native language, I would have them read Shakespeare, of course, but also poems like Dulce et Decorum Est. It’s all there.
The suffering of that time, transcended poetry, of course. Suffering always does. The poets are those who refuse to yield meekly to that heartless imperative.
Our summer home is in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia. Lunenburg has its own monument to the slaughtered young men. One sees those monuments, I suppose, throughout what used to be called The Empire. “Lest we forget Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele…” But of course we do forget, don’t we? And the price we pay for forgetting is having to repeat the horror.
I’ve just discovered your excellent blog having recommended Edward Thomas’ ‘Rain’ to somebody who then asked for help with analysing it. I’m currently teaching Wilfred Owen’s poetry for OCR and blogged about ‘Futility’ and various other poems on my blog today, Armistice Day. If you’re interested, it’s at http://literascribe.blogspot.com – ‘Futility’ is one of my favourites, as it is for you.
I too am fascinated by WW1 poetry = and often wondered why there was such association of WW1 poems rather than WW2 – I think I have the answer now.
Here is a poem I wrote which seeks to ‘belong’ to the school of WW1 poems
All The Boys
On back a bedroom door
A hook, a cap, untouched
This many year. The head
That wore it laughing
Lies in Messines
Under the green grass
Cut short back and sides
Like all the boys
Martin Swords
May 2008
I also have a direct link to WW1 – an uncle of mine -‘William Byrne’
was killed at Ypres – he is named on the Menin Gate
Martin Swords ( google me )
Tiglin Wicklow Ireland
swords.martin@gmail.com
Beautiful in its simplicity.
Same.