Wilfred Owen was a great influence on twentieth century poetry. Owen started writing most of his poetry during World War I. His goal was to portray the effects of war on everyday people.

His early influence was also seen through his ability to connect war with other aspects of human suffering, which made him much more than just a war poet. Many 20th centuries writers were influenced by his poetry long after he had passed being that he had only published five poems before his untimely death.