* Personal Experience: Owen's direct experience on the Western Front had a profound impact on him. Witnessing the horrors of trench warfare, the senseless loss of life, and the psychological toll it took on soldiers, ignited a deep-seated need to express the reality of war. He saw the inadequacy of romantic portrayals and felt compelled to depict the true, brutal nature of conflict.
* Exposure to Literature: Owen's early love of literature, particularly the works of poets like Tennyson and Rupert Brooke, who glorified war, instilled in him a sense of poetic ambition. However, his time at the front shattered these idealized visions, leading him to seek a more authentic voice.
* Influence of Siegfried Sassoon: Sassoon, a fellow soldier and poet, had a significant impact on Owen. Sassoon's scathing anti-war poetry challenged the prevailing sentiment of patriotic heroism and served as a model for Owen's own work. Owen considered Sassoon a mentor and shared his disillusionment with the war.
* Desire for Change: Owen believed that poetry could serve as a powerful tool for social change. He hoped that by exposing the truth of war through his writing, he could help end the conflict and prevent future generations from suffering the same fate.
* Personal Struggle: Owen's own mental and emotional struggles during the war further fueled his desire to express his experiences. His poetry became a way to process his trauma, anguish, and the moral dilemmas he faced.
In short, Owen's inspiration stemmed from a combination of personal experience, literary influence, a desire to expose the truth of war, and his own inner turmoil. His poetry emerged from a deep sense of responsibility to document the reality of the conflict and to challenge the romanticized narratives that prevailed at the time.