Notes from the Inkpot

Writing, teaching, creating - one ink-stained idea at a time.

Jessie Pope's WW1 Poetry: Patriotism, Propaganda & Why We Should Teach Her

Explore Jessie Pope's First World War poetry, including Who's for the Game?, The Call and War Girls, in this comprehensive guide for teachers. Discover how her writing reflects wartime patriotism, recruitment propaganda, gender expectations and the changing roles of women during WW1. Examine the key themes, literary techniques and historical context of her poetry, alongside comparisons with Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est. Find out why Jessie Pope deserves to be taught beyond her reputation as a propaganda poet, with links to detailed poem analyses, classroom activities and ready-to-use teaching resources.

Read More

War Girls by Jessie Pope: Summary, Themes & Analysis

Jessie Pope’s War Girls explores how the First World War transformed women’s roles on the British Home Front. Through energetic imagery of female workers, changing gender expectations and the striking contrast between being “caged and penned up” and entering public life, the poem celebrates women’s independence while questioning whether these new freedoms can survive the soldiers’ return.

Read More