Analysis:
The theme of the poem Back written by Wilfred Gibson, is that any war can dramatically
change a soldier.
The poet is a changed man who has returned from war, he was forced to kill a man and
he recognizes his guilt for deeds he has done, but at the same time he is aware he is
not THAT man, indeed that's another person and not the one who now writes.
He writes that when asked what he has done and seen in the war, he doesn't know what
to say, as "it wasn't I, But someone just like me". He writes: "Though I must bear the
blame, Because he bore my name." The poet seems schizophrenic.
Wilfred Gibson was a British Georgian poet,
associated with World War 1
He was born October 2nd 1878 in Hexham and died
on May 26 1962.
He had been publishing poems in magazines since
1895.
He wrote several poems about World War 1 for
instance “Back” written in 1915 which is the poem
that we will present.