The Effects of the Great War of 1914 on Gender Politics as Exemplified in Jessie Pope's "War Girls".

The Great War of 1914 heralded a new era of gender awareness among British women. As men from every nook and corner of England were picked and sent to the war, there was a shortage of manpower to carry out day to day works. This was the time when women came out of the houses to break their stereotypical image. This social awakening which war brought is explicitly captured in Jessie Pope's well known poem "War Girls". Pope is one of the pioneers of war poetry capturing the essence of the Great War. Prior to the war women were "caged and penned up". The patriarchal constraints expected them to follow their natural roles as wife, mother, and housekeeper. The war offered women a pleasant change from pent up and meaningless chores and this relief is celebrated in Pope's poetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]