Edward Thomas

One of the best-known British poets of World War I, Edward Thomas was of Welsh extracton but was born in London in 1878. He was already a seasoned writer before the outbreak of war, and had worked as a journalist before becoming a poet, with the encouragement of Robert Frost. He also wrote a novel and some works of non-fiction.

When war broke out, Thomas joined the Artists' Rifles, despite being a mature married man who could have avoided enlisting. In fact, few of his poems deal directly with his war experiences. He was killed in action at Arras on April 9, 1917.