Poet Laureate Carol Anne Duffy has written a new poem to mark the death of Henry Allingham ahead of today's funeral.

Entitled Last Post, the poem recalls lines from Wildred Owen's well known war poem Dulce et Decorum est.

The poet said: "These poets who were also soldiers did not glorify war but responded to it.

"In the 21st Century, whether we are women or men, soldiers or non-soldiers, we should all contribute a voice to the tragedy that is war."

The Last Post, by Carol Ann Duffy

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking droning.

If poetry could tell it backwards, true, begin

that moment shrapnel scythed you to the stinking mud...

but you get up amazed, watch bled bad blood

run upwards from the slime into its wounds;

see lines and lines of British boys rewind

back to their trenches, kiss the photographs from home -

mothers, sweethearts, sisters, younger brothers

not entering the story now

to die and die and die

Dulce - No - Decorum - No - Pro patria mori

You walk away.

You walk away; drop your gun (fixed bayonet)

like all your mates do too -

Harry, Tommy, Wilfred, Bert -

and light a cigarette.

There's coffee in the square,

warm French bread

and all those thousands dead

are shaking dried mud from their hair

and queuing up for home. Freshly alive,

a lad plays Tipperary to the crowd, released

from History; the glistening, healthy horses fit for heroes, kings.

You lean against a wall,

your several million lives still possible

and crammed with love, work, children talent, English beer, good food.

You see the poet tuck away his pocket-book and smile.

If poetry could truly write it backwards,

then it would.