Poets of the first world war

Born in 1893, Wilfred Owen signed up for the Artists' Rifles in 1915. He was killed in action on November 4 1918, just a week before the war ended Photograph: The English Faculty Library, University of Oxford / The Wilfred Owen Literary Estate

This early draft of Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" was dedicated to Jessie Pope, who published a series of poems supporting the war in the Daily Mail Photograph: The English Faculty Library, University of Oxford / The Wilfred Owen Literary Estate

The dedication to Jessie Pope is crossed out in this later version, becoming only "a certain poetess", while in the third line the flares are now described as "haunting" Photograph: The British Library / The Wilfred Owen Literary Estate

This later version is not dedicated at all, and shows how Owen stripped out detail from the opening of the second stanza Photograph: The British Library / The Wilfred Owen Literary Estate

This early version of "Anthem for Doomed Youth" bears the title "Anthem for Dead Youth". The second line ends with a dramatic exclamation mark Photograph: The British Library / The Wilfred Owen Literary Estate

The title "Anthem for Doomed Youth" finds its final form here in this later version, which also arrives at the image of men dying "as cattle". Pencil markings, including the addition of the word "now" in the fifth line were made by Siegfried Sassoon at the Craiglockhart military hospital in 1917 Photograph: The British Library / The Wilfred Owen Literary Estate

Born in 1895, Robert Graves joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at the outbreak of the war in 1914. He was reported officially dead from wounds sustained in the battle of the Somme, but survived the war, dying in 1985 Photograph: . The Robert Graves Copyright Trust

This notebook version of "The First Funeral" includes a description in prose of a scene near Annequin: "Two officers from each company had to go to visit the Givinchy trenches, in case they needed our support. There had been a bomb attack the night before + there were dead men still lying about in the mud. This recalled the poem." Photograph: The Poetry Collection. The University at Buffalo / The Robert Graves Copyright Trust

This later, typed version shifts the action to Good Friday, and smooths out some of the earlier version's ragged syntax Photograph: The Poetry Collection. The University at Buffalo / The Robert Graves Copyright Trust

The painter and poet Isaac Rosenberg was born in 1890 and enlisted in October 1915. He died on the Western Front in April 1918. This self-portrait was done in pencil on the back of a letter to Edward Marsh, and entitled "Isaac Rosenberg his outer semblance?" Photograph: The Imperial War Museum Department of Documents / The Isaac Rosenberg Literary Estate

This self-portrait by Isaac Rosenberg is inscribed "IR July France 19[17]", and "This is a better phiz then my last. Hope you will like it" Photograph: The Imperial War Museum Department of Documents / The Isaac Rosenberg Literary Estate

This image is of a handmade presentation copy of a draft of the poem "Daughters of War", made for Gordon Bottomley in France in May 1917. The cover is cut from the soft cardboard cover of a notepad. Pages are numbered in pencil and stitched with thick white thread. Photograph: The Imperial War Museum Department of Documents / The Isaac Rosenberg Literary Estate

This typescript on pink paper has ink corrections of typing errors. No complete manuscript of "Daughters of War" has been found Photograph: The Imperial War Museum Department of Documents / The Isaac Rosenberg Literary Estate

Born in 1893, Vera Brittain delayed her degree to work as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse, a period of her life made famous in her 1933 memoir Testament of Youth. She died in 1970 Photograph: The Vera Brittain Fonds, McMaster University Library / The Vera Brittain Literary Estate

Vera Brittain wrote the poem "Perhaps" on hearing of the death of her fiancé, Roland Leighton Photograph: The Vera Brittain Fonds, McMaster University Library / The Vera Brittain Literary Estate

Vera Brittain's fiancé, Roland Leighton, was posted to France in early 1915, and died later that year after being shot by a sniper Photograph: The Vera Brittain Fonds, McMaster University Library / The Roland Leighton Literary Estate

Edward Thomas was born in 1878, and enlisted with the Artists' Rifles in 1915. He was killed at the battle of Arras in 1917 Photograph: Cardiff University Library Archive / The Edward Thomas Literary Estate

These pages from Edward Thomas's diary, written shortly before his death, show notes (left) and a poem dated January 13 1917 Photograph: The Edward Thomas Literary Estate

Initially posted to Essex, Thomas decided to give up his job as a map reading instructor, and volunteered for overseas service. "As the team’s head-brass" charts the poet's struggles with the issue of whether to serve in France Photograph: The national Library of Wales / The Edward Thomas Literary Estate

This fair copy is dated May 27 1916, just a few months before Thomas began his training in the Royal Garrison Artillery Photograph: The Bodleian Library, University of Oxford / The Edward Thomas Literary Estate

The Hydra was the magazine produced by the patients resident at Craiglockhart military hospital during the first world war. This is the cover of the first edition, dated April 28 1917. Sassoon and Owen both published work in the magazine, the latter eventually editing it Photograph: The English Faculty Library, University of Oxford