Robert Graves was born on July 24, 1895 in Wimbledon. He was educated in the British preparatory school system and first began to write poetry during his days at school. Despite his dislike of his teachers and the other students, Graves excelled in his studies and was eventually awarded a scholarship to St. Johns College of Oxford University in 1914. When World War I began later that year, however, Graves decided to forgo his scholarship to college and instead enlisted as an officer with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. In May 1915, Graves traveled to France as a captain and became close friends with the poet Siegfried Sassoon, who was also a member of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
While fighting...
