The Roselle Park Museum will be marking the centennial of the start of World War I – also known as The Great War – by having a reading of the poetry written by soldier poets of that war. The reading will take place on Monday, November 24th, at 7:30 in the evening.
The event will start with a tour of the museum, then Leona M Seufert will read her original poem “Their Words Not Forgotten”, followed by Charlene Storey reading the poems written by World War I soldier poets. Time permitting, the audience will also be invited to select and read some of those poems. Refreshments will be available and admission is free.
“One might not think that soldiers could be poets,” Ms. Seuffert said, “However, in the days of WWI men were not hesitant to take pen to paper and write out their innermost thoughts and emotions. These soldier poets came from a surprising range of backgrounds and served at all levels in the armed forces. A number were already established poets, other made a reputation from their wartime writings. However, most of these men were just ordinary persons caught in a horrific situation, who used poetry as a means of sharing their experiences and feelings about the ‘War To End All Wars’. The subject matter of their poems ranged from the terrible acts of war to the banal events of everyday life, painting very personal pictures of life in the trenches.”
In addition to the poetry reading to commemorate the start of World War I in 1914, Roselle Park has also posted poetry of the soldier poets in store windows around the downtown.
The Roselle Park Museum, located at 9 West Grant Avenue, is open Wednesdays from 10 a.m. till 1 in the afternoon as well as by appointment. Anyone interested in more information can call (908) 245-1776.