Like the other poems in the anthology, "Attack" was written by Sassoon as he became increasingly angry about the war. He had been an enthusiastic soldier at the start, believing that victory would ensure the regeneration of the world, and that the sacrifices he and other soldiers were being asked to make were worthwhile. After serving, he began to realize that the reality of the war did not align with this golden ideal. From Sassoon's perspective, the nation was sending an entire generation of hopeful young men to die at the hands of the enemy with no real benefit or regenerative result.
After Sassoon began to write poems that seemed to create dissent within the military he was committed to the Craiglockhart psychiatric military hospital for evaluation and treatment. It was at Craiglockhart that he met Wilfred Owen, a younger soldier who had considered Sassoon a mentor. Sassoon tried very hard to convince Owen not to return to the battlefield once recovered from his injuries, but Owen returned, leaving Craiglockhart without saying goodbye to Sassoon for fear that his decision would disappoint him.
Sassoon's work at the time was a stark contrast to the morale-boosting literature and propaganda being circulated by the military and the government. He was often criticized for being too honest and for being a "traitor to his class"—a member of the upper classes who had a duty to serve the British government and lead other men, not to question the status quo. Despite the criticism, Sassoon's work was greatly appreciated and respected by his comrades. His poems provided a voice for the soldiers who felt that their suffering and their stories had been ignored and forgotten by the people back home.
