University of Essex

LT137-4-SP-CO:
The First World War in Literature

The details

Year: 2025/26

Department: Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Spring

Level: Undergraduate: Level 4

Status: Current

Start date: Monday 12 January 2026

End date: Friday 20 March 2026

Credits: 15

Last updated: 22 September 2025

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

MLITQ391 Literature

Module description

Some of the most emotional and powerful literature of the 20th century was written by combatants and non-combatants during the First World War. Looking at writings in English and translation, as well as subsequent literary representations of the conflict, we will examine the unseen side of conflict.

In this module you will investigate the lost voices of war, the writings of women and civilians as well as soldiers; you will explore the formation of poetic canons of the First World War; and you will critically analyse images of homecoming, shellshock and memories of war in drama, poetry and narrative.

This module includes material on such topics as war, trauma, and bereavement.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

To explore literary engagements with the First World War in different genres

To analyse ways in which literary texts mediate traumatic events

To examine the process of memory and memorialization

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

Read and analysed one collection of poetry, and studied at least four other texts relating to the First World War.

Produced a critique of an anthology of poetry demonstrating an understanding of canon formation.

Developed arguments concerning the literary representations of the diverse experiences of war.

Developed research skills by means of independent study and bibliographical searches.

Developed IT skills by means of the virtual learning environment, Moodle and developed writing skills.

Module information

Please see Talis for a detailed reading list for this module.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

A weekly 1-hour lecture and 1-hour seminar.

Bibliography

Omissi, D.E. (1999) Indian voices of the Great War: soldiers' letters, 1914-18. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Mamillan Press.
Essex Record office blog about Kate Luard's letters and diaries (no date). Available at: http://www.essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk/tag/kate-luard/.
Nursing at the Front: Edie Appleton's War Diary | Gateways to the First World War (no date). Available at: https://www.gatewaysfww.org.uk/projects/edies-war.
BBC - History - World Wars: India and the Western Front (no date). Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/india_wwone_01.shtml.
Private Edward Roe | Europeana (no date). Available at: https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2020601/https___1914_1918_europeana_eu_contributions_3393.
Kimber, G., Sousa Correa, D. da and Martin, W.T. (eds) (2014) Katherine Mansfield and World War One. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Das, S. (2018) India, Empire, and First World War Culture. Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139963244.
Welcome | First World War Poetry Digital Archive (no date). Available at: https://oxford.omeka.net/s/ww1lit/page/home.
Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson | Poetry Foundation (no date). Available at: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/alice-moore-dunbar-nelson.
Jessie Pope's War Poems | The British Library (2022). Available at: https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/jessie-popes-war-poems.
James Campbell (1999) 'Combat Gnosticism: The Ideology of First World War Poetry Criticism', New Literary History, 30, pp. 203–215. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20057530.
David Olusoga (2015) The world's war?: forgotten soldiers of empire. Head of Zeus. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1643315.
Nurse Kathleen Morleys's albums (no date). Available at: http://www.essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk/tag/first-world-war/.
A Diary Without Dates (1918). John W. Luce and Company, Boston. Available at: https://archive.org/details/bagnold_enid_diary_without_dates.
Bagnold, E. (1978) A diary without dates. Facsilmile ed.; with a new introduction by Monica Dickens. London: Virago. Available at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31124.
Manning, F. (2014) The middle parts of fortune. London: Vintage Digital. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/2443580.
Jünger, E. and Hofmann, M. (2016) Storm of steel. London: Penguin Books. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/2452232.
Chilton, C., Littlewood, J., and Theatre Workshop (London, England) (2000) Oh what a lovely war. London: Methuen. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472584670.00000004?locatt=label:secondary_dramaOnline.
Tylee, C.M., Turner, E. and Cardinal, A. (1999b) War plays by women: an international anthology. London: Routledge. Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=650949.
Box, M. (1999) 'Angels of war', in War plays by women: an international anthology. London: Routledge. Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=650949&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_115.
West, R. (1918) The return of the soldier. London: Nisbet. Available at: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37189.
Great War Theatre (no date). Available at: https://www.greatwartheatre.org.uk/.
Kate Atkinson (2022) Shrines of Gaiety. Transworld Publishers Limited.
Lee, V. (1920) Satan, the waster, a philosophic war trilogy with notes & introduction. [London]?: John Lane; New York, John Lane company. Available at: https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/9200143/BibliographicResource_2000069298798.
ENVISIONING DISEASE, GENDER, AND WAR: WOMEN'S NARRATIVES OF THE 1918 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC/FRONT LINES OF MODERNISM: REMAPPING THE GREAT WAR IN BRITISH FICTION (no date) 'ENVISIONING DISEASE, GENDER, AND WAR: WOMEN'S NARRATIVES OF THE 1918 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC/FRONT LINES OF MODERNISM: REMAPPING THE GREAT WAR IN BRITISH FICTION', (84). Available at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1491962834?parentSessionId=grDpEmJJjf294wwcEjCTvUScVPEPGbPlrPYMj%2FYh%2FoI%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=10766.
Modernist Journals Project (no date). Available at: https://modjourn.org/about/.
Links to resources on The Gatesway to the First World War project website (no date). Available at: https://www.gatewaysfww.org.uk/useful-links.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Formative: writing exercise	26/01/2026	0%
Coursework	Essay 1 (1,000 words)	20/02/2026	25%
Coursework	Essay 2 (2,000 words)	27/04/2026	55%
Coursework	Reflective Log (submit to FASer)	07/05/2026	15%
Practical	Participation		5%

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Prof Katharine Cockin, email: k.m.cockin@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff:

Contact details: LiFTS General Office - email liftstt@essex.ac.uk Telephone 01206 872626

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Matthew Leggatt

Institution: University of Winchester

Academic role: Senior Lecturer in English and American Literature

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 20 hours, 20 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

Further information

Department website: Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies

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Module Directory

LT137-4-SP-CO:The First World War in Literature