V .The Soldier Analysis

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

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Very good poem. Gives good interpretation of war. However, I think that its a bit exaggerated.

| Posted on 2009-11-12 | by a guest

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Anyone, espcially the 12 year old, who wants to pick this poem apart like they're enslaved to it, should really keep their oppinion to themselves. Say you can do better? then do it! I dont see your stuff published and read for over 50 years No one wants to here your hatred toward something you cant understand. I do not fully love this poem, to me, it's just decent. But I can appreciate the beauty in it, and am slowly understanding it with every read. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, Im going to go read it and try to make more sense of it.

| Posted on 2009-11-11 | by a guest

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Y would you want to read this rubbish its the most s**t poem i have ever read i hate reading and im only looking at this because i have to do an essay on this

| Posted on 2009-11-11 | by a guest

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wot is rupert brookes opinion of war?. tough question as he is dead. for defiate rupert must know that war is overall sinfull. everybody must think that? or they sound wordly and selfish. would there be war in heaven? no. only possibly previously between God and the fallen angel. bt prob not. people killing people is bad. conflict to the point of death and torture is bad. and war brings much sadness and crying.(obviously) however, i believe rupert was a believer and a admirer of loyalty to a home country. i think he felt it wos important and honourable. possible he looked up to people who had the courage to die for not their own desires but for the good of others. but also i think his opinion wos mangled and determined by prior propaganda to make his enlist with tha army. by not experiencing the horrors of war i think he did not fully understand the pain, loss, frustration, anguish, tiredness,and all the other feelings felt by soldiers hu have experianced that. maybe if he did his war would be different? i think so very much. however im not sure if he would still think that it is honourable to die for ones country or if he would reccommend it.

| Posted on 2009-11-09 | by a guest

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Whoever wrote "I really like this poem. coming from a different background I believe that it shows how english people are up themselves against all other human beings. Its like they are the superior race to others. the mention/repetition of "england" suggests this." is wrong. The poem is about the patriotic views that were and are the case in many wars. It does not show what all English people are like. That is the dumbest assumption ive ever read. And im not English and being "up" myself I just cant stand people assuming that whole groups of people can be something when they have only a few peoples point of view.

| Posted on 2009-11-06 | by a guest

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Im only 12 and i can write great. btw,i can write better than all of u losers!!

| Posted on 2009-11-01 | by a guest

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im doing this poem for my essay! this really helps! taa xx

| Posted on 2009-11-01 | by a guest

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freeecksss you who write in this blog dont you realize that everyone can reead you and you have some nerds tone dont you realize that your beahaviour is being inmature please!!!!.

| Posted on 2009-10-22 | by a guest

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i hAven't read much of rupert's poems but i love the ones i have read so far.

| Posted on 2009-09-28 | by a guest

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tbh nothing really matters the war was terrible millions died and in my eyes for no reason we should all get on and wars are a bi product of human greed
it doesnt matter how u interpuret it he was writing about what he believed in whether this is right or wrong.

| Posted on 2009-09-23 | by a guest

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tbh nothing really matters the war was terrible millions died and in my eyes for no reason we should all get on and wars are a bi product of human greed
it doesnt matter how u interpuret it he was writing about what he believed in whether this is right or wrong.

| Posted on 2009-09-23 | by a guest

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This is a shocking poem, he didnt even experience war, he pussied out and was killed by a bloody mosquito on the way to war instead of being blown up by a bomb.

| Posted on 2009-09-18 | by a guest

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This is one man purely using his talent within writing to influence people to sign up for the war, he has not gone about it to offend any other country he is simply being patriotic.
To suggest english men are 'up themselves' and think they are a 'superior race' is just ludicrous. The poem represented his pride in his country and using it to encourage other young men.
He died a tragic death and we should acknowledge him purely for his contribution within English Literature.
Im a sixteen year old girl and even I can see this!

| Posted on 2009-09-16 | by a guest

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as clever and creative as he may be, rupert brooke was exremely naive... he influenced so many in his generation to go to war uneducated about what was truly before them.
its great to contrast this idealism with the works of sassoon and wilfred owen.

| Posted on 2009-09-15 | by a guest

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hahaha and the person below me says that the other comment was written by a douchebag... they cant even spell 'piece' right..
if only you could all realise that the poem is actually famous and rupert is legendary, your all idiots who criticise one who is so noble in this world.

| Posted on 2009-08-12 | by a guest

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Yer, the dude 2 below me is dumb..
he probably loves himself anyway

| Posted on 2009-08-06 | by a guest

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that person below me is a douchebag, the poem is enlistment poetry trying to get people excited about going to war and saying that it is noble to die in war and should that happen the land they die on will be more valuable because it is a peice of england

| Posted on 2009-07-27 | by a guest

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Hey guys. I really like this poem. coming from a different background I believe that it shows how english people are up themselves against all other human beings. Its like they are the superior race to others. the mention/repetition of "england" suggests this. Can sum 1 give me thier view on this??
Cheers

| Posted on 2009-07-22 | by a guest

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Is it a requirement that to post here you have to be an idiot?

| Posted on 2009-07-02 | by a guest

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OK, Not bad analysis, some better than others, what does brooke actually think about war though?
PLEASE HELP ME!!

| Posted on 2009-06-25 | by a guest

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I agree with the person below. This poem was used by the government as propaganda but i believe that this was not Brooke's intention. When war is inevitable, perhaps it is better to remain positive on the subject of death. However, I must admit I prefer the grittier war poetry of Charles Sorely, Owen etc.
JM

| Posted on 2009-05-31 | by a guest

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This poem is symbolising this poet's pride for his country not a pursuation of trying to get people togo and get themselves killed if that was the case then I would not be writing this... This poet was proud to die for his country as he expressed emotion and channeled this into the patriotic poem that we know as "The Soldier". His loyalty and strong feelings toward England made this poem an enjoyable read. His thoughts expressed throughout the poem were clear. Even though "fighting for your country and ending up being killed in the end" is not everyone's piece of cake but he thought he was doing a good deed for his family, and his country. He is indeed a true fighter, even though he died of an illness before seeing any action on the battle field. This poet's feelings were well presented in this one stanza poem.

| Posted on 2009-05-30 | by a guest

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Political correctness often changes the original intended meaning. For example, the Australian national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, was written in the 19th century to support the White Australia policy. The "Fair" meant exactly that. To establish a part of England, that is, the white civilisation, in the south Pacific. It reflected the same views as Rupert Brooke expressed in his poem The Soldier. However, the politically correct pundits are now trying to suggest it means something else. Rupert Brooke reflected the patriotic views held by many at that time. Let's appreciate the poem in that light.

| Posted on 2009-05-27 | by a guest

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I think this poem is too patriotic as 'by a guest' suggested, it is propaganda, persuading people to kill themselves for the sake of england.It also states that “this heart, all evil shed away,” which says that if you go to war you will be purifyed and go to heaven. I think he is describing england in an nostalgic way as well. He has not gone into war yet which is why he might think war is good, wheras Wilfred owen has actually beed into war and described the horrible truth about the war
By Some student from 8.5 (''

| Posted on 2009-05-15 | by a guest

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I think this poem is too patriotic as 'by a guest' suggested, it is propaganda, persuading people to kill themselves for the sake of england.It also states that “this heart, all evil shed away,” which says that if you go to war you will be purifyed and go to heaven. I think he is describing england in an nostalgic way as well. He has not gone into war yet which is why he might think war is good, wheras Wilfred owen has actually beed into war and described the horrible truth about the war
By Some student from 8.5 (''

| Posted on 2009-05-15 | by a guest

.: :.

I think this poem is too patriotic as 'by a guest' suggested, it is propaganda, persuading people to kill themselves for the sake of england.It also states that “this heart, all evil shed away,” which says that if you go to war you will be purifyed and go to heaven. I think he is describing england in an nostalgic way as well. He has not gone into war yet which is why he might think war is good, wheras Wilfred owen has actually beed into war and described the horrible truth about the war
By Some student from 8.5 (''

| Posted on 2009-05-15 | by a guest

.: :.

I think this poem is too patriotic as 'by a guest' suggested, it is propaganda, persuading people to kill themselves for the sake of england.It also states that “this heart, all evil shed away,” which says that if you go to war you will be purifyed and go to heaven. I think he is describing england in an nostalgic way as well. He has not gone into war yet which is why he might think war is good, wheras Wilfred owen has actually beed into war and described the horrible truth about the war
By Some student (''

| Posted on 2009-05-15 | by a guest

.: :.

I think this poem is too patriotic as 'by a guest' suggested, it is propaganda, persuading people to kill themselves for the sake of england.It also states that “this heart, all evil shed away,” which says that if you go to war you will be purifyed and go to heaven. I think he is describing england in an nostalgic way as well. He has not gone into war yet which is why he might think war is good, wheras Wilfred owen has actually beed into war and described the horrible truth about the war
By Some student (''

| Posted on 2009-05-15 | by a guest

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according to my opinion that, this poetry tells about a soldier who really his nation, in this case England as his nation. because of he was born at his lovely nation,educated him, had gave him pleasure he will do everything toward his nation. and even he became a soldier and later if he died, he want died in England. because England was his lovely nation.

| Posted on 2009-05-06 | by a guest

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I must say that I interpreted the poem quite differently from many on here. I feel that there is a profound arrogance in Brooke's portrayal of Englishmen, he implies that they are somehow a superior race of men - "in this rich earth a richer dust concealed" - suggesting foreign lands are enriched by the very remains of an Englishman. The phrase "foreign field" striked me as odd, he is the one aways from his homeland, does than not make him the foreigner? It seems to imply that the English have some kind of ownership over other lands. Indeed, the very purpose of his death seems to be to win land for england "That there's some corner of a foreign field. That is for ever England" -with the patch of land he falls on becomng the eternal property of England. Let's not forget what this war was about - land, greed, dominance, is that truly a noble purpose to die for? Religious references - "Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home." seem almost to suggest the sanctioning of murder by god, why does he assume that Englishmen are not accountable for their war crimes? "And think, this heart, all evil shed away" - there seem to be undertones of guilt, the idea of purity and forgiveness are very strongly conveyed, perhaps he cannot face the horror of taking other men's lives, so he tries to justify it with this idea of having a higher purpose. The ending phrase "under and English heaven" - could mean simply that his idea of heaven is his homeland. Or does it mean that even the heavens are property of Enlgland? And that all other nations are "under" them?

| Posted on 2009-05-03 | by a guest

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This poem is false.
P.S. this is what part of the alphabet wouldlook like if Q and R were missing

| Posted on 2009-04-21 | by a guest

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I found the idealistic sense of the poem to be rather unnerving - to the point where it annoyed me. I hope no one would take offence at this as it is purely my opinion.
I can imagine how he [referring to the poet] would find dying for the sake of his country - the country that "bore, shaped and made aware" the person he sees himself as now - an admirable cause, and I respect him for that. But I truly do not believe his idea that in death, "all evil shed away" and that he (and the other soldiers) would be at peace when they died. I find this very shady, and I see it as something that says, "Die for your country and whatever sins you may have will be atoned for". Maybe that's not what it meant, but this is what I get from it. I see this poem as bait for people to sacrifice their lives - not just for the greater good, as most people see it as, but for the possibility of a release, or for a chance for their slates to be wiped clean of past transgressions. I suppose the poet could hardly be at fault as this may not be the idea he was going for, but with the analysis of people from differing backgrounds, varying ideas are bound to be taken from the poem.
While most people see the strong sense of patriotism and the courage and honour of the poet, highlighting the idea of 'dying for your country' as a means of repaying her for what she has done for the people of England and for the greater good, I see the propaganda (that was used at a latter point) to entice the people to become soldiers, joining a futile battle that should have been sorted out without the need for a bloodbath. Most of the possible candidates may have been enticed by the poet's noble words, but there probably were a few that saw the war as a means of escape and a chance for atonement.

| Posted on 2009-04-15 | by a guest

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The Soldier, was written early in the war, before the true horrors were known. This is not Rupert Brooke's fault, as all he had been exposed to previously was propaganda, and he died from a mosquito bite on the way to war.
His view is idealistic, he is very faithful and loving towards England, and is prepared to fight for her which shows his bravery. This bravery may be misplaced as he does not actually know the reality of the frontline.
It is patriotic and highlights his love for England, though there is a hint that he believes England to be superior in the line, 'English Heaven'. This also suggests that Rupert Brooke hopes heaven will be as good as his life on earth, which is filled with 'laughter,friends and gentleness'.
There is also a lot of religious imagery in this poem.
Themes: patriotism, nature, nationalism and the idea that it is right to die in battle for ones country and the heroes should be forever remembered and honoured.

| Posted on 2009-04-08 | by a guest

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The analysis of Rupert Brooke's The Soldier is very concise and to the point, there is a sound judgment of all the relevant areas that are required to be looked at. A mature and sophisticated deconstruction of the stlye,form and devices that Brooke's uses.

| Posted on 2009-04-01 | by a guest

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'The soldier'
Rupert Brooke is an English poet known for his idealistic was sonnets written during the World War 1. “The soldier” is his most famous poem and is part of a set of sonnets called “1914” that are all about war.
Rupert was deemed to be “the most handsome man in England” by Irish poet W.B Yeats. The sweet, charming and richly sentimented poetry of the early war years, of which “The soldier” is a prime example, would soon take a brutal turn in the works of Owen and Sassoon.
Brooke is generally remembered as a war poet who inspired patriotism in the early moments of the Great War however, he never experienced combat first hand. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteers but developed Sepols from a mosquito bite and died on his way to his first battle to Gallipoli.
The sonnet was read by Dean Inge on the 4th of April 1915 at St. Paul’s Cathedral as part of his Sunday sermon. The poem came to hold a symbolic position in the national preparation for war yet critics also observe that his poems were not simply “propaganda” due to all the personal elements in them which seems to sum up the spirit of the age.
Critics doubt whether the same idealism would have remained as part of his poetry had he lived on. The sonnet sequence (14 lines- Octet (Shakespearean ababcded) & Sestet (efgefg)) shows on idealism that most soldiers and poets eventually lost, but which was largely present in the early years of the war.
In ‘The soldier’ Brooke evokes images of spiritual cleansing, the inviolable, never to be forgotten memories of those who die fighting for their country and a hero’s immoral legacy. He talks about these ideas with specific reference to an English heritage and personal loyalty to it. The sonnet form of this poem suits Brooke’s idealistic patriotism and sentimentalism because of its inherent neat and regular structure.
Rupert Brooke opens ‘the soldier’ with “if”. This directs the reader to the imaginary situation the persona describes. It highlights the idea of a dreamlike vision of glorious death that is evoked in the poem. The poet uses “I” as the persona which immediately gives the poem a personal edge although the title given to the poem also brings certain universality to its theme and subject. So the reader is encouraged to apply the heroism of Falling in battle not only to the poet but to all the soldiers who have fought for their country.
The heroism and intense patriotism emerges as there is no trace of regret in the poet’s tone as he talks about his imagined death when he says
“If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.”
Here he is saying how his death with enrich another land with English spirit and how self-sacrifice such as dying for your country is celebrated. Rupert also describes the English soldiers as having richer dust that soldiers from other countries as he says “In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;”. This shows how great he thinks the English people are but since the poem is placed in the first person singular it brings out a sense of vainness that the poet probably has to be saying that he has richer dust which means richer ashes.
The poet seems to personify his native land, England, as a mother figure when he says “A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,”. Thus England is portrayed as a carrying, nurturing force and we are led to think that in fighting for your country, you would simply be repaying a mother’s love.
England is presented as a beautiful woman who has given a great deal to her child; she has given “her flowers to love, her ways to roam,”
Brooke’s love for his country and the extreme patriotic mood of the poem can be seen in the constant repetition of “England”/”English”. This reinforces the main idea of the poem; that the soldier is blessed to be fighting for his country. This encourages soldiers to go to war and fight for their country and if they should die or when they die, they should not die in sorrow because wherever they are, they will always remain a part of England. England is emphasized as the focal point of the poem and the main receptor of the persona is love. England is also personified as Nature (unspoiled, pure, and not evil). This brings out the theme of Honors, Nationalism, Patriotism and also, happy to die (for ones county).
A feeling of peace, perfection, tranquility and unity with nature is evoked by the idyllic image conjured by the lines
“A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.”
These lines also bring out a spiritual element to the image of England in how it reminds us of baptism.
In the sestet, death is presented as resulting in the soldier’s heart gaining a certain purity and freedom from evil “this heart, all evil shed away,”. These are the words of a man who truly believes that his land is the greatest of good. He is spiritually cleansed and his heart, which beats no more, will instead become a “pulse in the eternal mind”. This emphasizes the value of the soldier’s sacrifice and how it will forever be remembered and alive in the English spirit.
A sense of repayment is created in the final four lines of the poem; that sacrificing one’s life for ones country allows us to give “somewhere back the thoughts by England given”
A final idyllic picture of England is painted as full of “laughter”, good company and “gentleness”. In going to fight, a soldier can repay his country for those great gifts received and discover true “heart at peace”.
He evokes positive feelings toward the war and describes optimistically the soldiers’ thoughts once the war has finished by using words like “happy dreams” and “laughter”. Brooke says that they should not be afraid of combat but content because they will have wonderful memories. He glorifies the comradeship of the soldiers and with this sentimental and optimistic tone he exhorts young people to join the army and fight for England. He wants every young adult to imitate those that are already recruited in order to defend the nation. He says those words as it will be a great experience in which the soldiers will fight and will comeback home with incredible stories to tell their friends.
I believe that Rupert Brooke was merely referring to his ideal version of war in this poem and was unaware of the true horror of war. This can be deduced from the date of the poem which shows that it is generally from before the war and therefore before the casualty figures were known. But, some poets such as Wilfred Owen wrote most of their poetry after the war and therefore were able to report on the suffering of them and their comrades. Brooke’s poetry represents the idealistic stage of World War 1 and thought the tide of opinion about the was changed shortly after his death in 1915, we can still appreciate his poetry as an example of its time, expressing a sentiment shared by many who, for that short time, believed it to be truly sweet and fit to die for one’s country.

| Posted on 2009-03-30 | by a guest

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and i thought this site really has the analysis of the said poem. pfft.

| Posted on 2009-02-12 | by a guest

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this does not explain what he thinks of war and i don't want to read that much

| Posted on 2009-01-27 | by a guest

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this does not explain what he thinks of war and i don't want to read that much

| Posted on 2009-01-27 | by a guest

.: :.

'The soldier'
Rupert Brooke is an English poet known for his idealistic was sonnets written during the World War 1. “The soldier” is his most famous poem and is part of a set of sonnets called “1914” that are all about war.
Rupert was deemed to be “the most handsome man in England” by Irish poet W.B Yeats. The sweet, charming and richly sentimented poetry of the early war years, of which “The soldier” is a prime example, would soon take a brutal turn in the works of Owen and Sassoon.
Brooke is generally remembered as a war poet who inspired patriotism in the early moments of the Great War however, he never experienced combat first hand. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteers but developed Sepols from a mosquito bite and died on his way to his first battle to Gallipoli.
The sonnet was read by Dean Inge on the 4th of April 1915 at St. Paul’s Cathedral as part of his Sunday sermon. The poem came to hold a symbolic position in the national preparation for war yet critics also observe that his poems were not simply “propaganda” due to all the personal elements in them which seems to sum up the spirit of the age.
Critics doubt whether the same idealism would have remained as part of his poetry had he lived on. The sonnet sequence (14 lines- Octet (Shakespearean ababcded) & Sestet (efgefg)) shows on idealism that most soldiers and poets eventually lost, but which was largely present in the early years of the war.
In ‘The soldier’ Brooke evokes images of spiritual cleansing, the inviolable, never to be forgotten memories of those who die fighting for their country and a hero’s immoral legacy. He talks about these ideas with specific reference to an English heritage and personal loyalty to it. The sonnet form of this poem suits Brooke’s idealistic patriotism and sentimentalism because of its inherent neat and regular structure.
Rupert Brooke opens ‘the soldier’ with “if”. This directs the reader to the imaginary situation the persona describes. It highlights the idea of a dreamlike vision of glorious death that is evoked in the poem. The poet uses “I” as the persona which immediately gives the poem a personal edge although the title given to the poem also brings certain universality to its theme and subject. So the reader is encouraged to apply the heroism of Falling in battle not only to the poet but to all the soldiers who have fought for their country.
The heroism and intense patriotism emerges as there is no trace of regret in the poet’s tone as he talks about his imagined death when he says
“If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.”
Here he is saying how his death with enrich another land with English spirit and how self-sacrifice such as dying for your country is celebrated. Rupert also describes the English soldiers as having richer dust that soldiers from other countries as he says “In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;”. This shows how great he thinks the English people are but since the poem is placed in the first person singular it brings out a sense of vainness that the poet probably has to be saying that he has richer dust which means richer ashes.
The poet seems to personify his native land, England, as a mother figure when he says “A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,”. Thus England is portrayed as a carrying, nurturing force and we are led to think that in fighting for your country, you would simply be repaying a mother’s love.
England is presented as a beautiful woman who has given a great deal to her child; she has given “her flowers to love, her ways to roam,”
Brooke’s love for his country and the extreme patriotic mood of the poem can be seen in the constant repetition of “England”/”English”. This reinforces the main idea of the poem; that the soldier is blessed to be fighting for his country. This encourages soldiers to go to war and fight for their country and if they should die or when they die, they should not die in sorrow because wherever they are, they will always remain a part of England. England is emphasized as the focal point of the poem and the main receptor of the persona is love. England is also personified as Nature (unspoiled, pure, and not evil). This brings out the theme of Honors, Nationalism, Patriotism and also, happy to die (for ones county).
A feeling of peace, perfection, tranquility and unity with nature is evoked by the idyllic image conjured by the lines
“A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.”
These lines also bring out a spiritual element to the image of England in how it reminds us of baptism.
In the sestet, death is presented as resulting in the soldier’s heart gaining a certain purity and freedom from evil “this heart, all evil shed away,”. These are the words of a man who truly believes that his land is the greatest of good. He is spiritually cleansed and his heart, which beats no more, will instead become a “pulse in the eternal mind”. This emphasizes the value of the soldier’s sacrifice and how it will forever be remembered and alive in the English spirit.
A sense of repayment is created in the final four lines of the poem; that sacrificing one’s life for ones country allows us to give “somewhere back the thoughts by England given”
A final idyllic picture of England is painted as full of “laughter”, good company and “gentleness”. In going to fight, a soldier can repay his country for those great gifts received and discover true “heart at peace”.
He evokes positive feelings toward the war and describes optimistically the soldiers’ thoughts once the war has finished by using words like “happy dreams” and “laughter”. Brooke says that they should not be afraid of combat but content because they will have wonderful memories. He glorifies the comradeship of the soldiers and with this sentimental and optimistic tone he exhorts young people to join the army and fight for England. He wants every young adult to imitate those that are already recruited in order to defend the nation. He says those words as it will be a great experience in which the soldiers will fight and will comeback home with incredible stories to tell their friends.
I believe that Rupert Brooke was merely referring to his ideal version of war in this poem and was unaware of the true horror of war. This can be deduced from the date of the poem which shows that it is generally from before the war and therefore before the casualty figures were known. But, some poets such as Wilfred Owen wrote most of their poetry after the war and therefore were able to report on the suffering of them and their comrades. Brooke’s poetry represents the idealistic stage of World War 1 and thought the tide of opinion about the was changed shortly after his death in 1915, we can still appreciate his poetry as an example of its time, expressing a sentiment shared by many who, for that short time, believed it to be truly sweet and fit to die for one’s country.

| Posted on 2008-12-08 | by a guest

.: :.

'The soldier' by Rupert Brooks
Rupert Brooke is an English poet known for his idealistic was sonnets written during the World War 1. “The soldier” is his most famous poem and is part of a set of sonnets called “1914” that are all about war.
Rupert was deemed to be “the most handsome man in England” by Irish poet W.B Yeats. The sweet, charming and richly sentimented poetry of the early war years, of which “The soldier” is a prime example, would soon take a brutal turn in the works of Owen and Sassoon.
Brooke is generally remembered as a war poet who inspired patriotism in the early moments of the Great War however, he never experienced combat first hand. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteers but developed Sepols from a mosquito bite and died on his way to his first battle to Gallipoli.
The sonnet was read by Dean Inge on the 4th of April 1915 at St. Paul’s Cathedral as part of his Sunday sermon. The poem came to hold a symbolic position in the national preparation for war yet critics also observe that his poems were not simply “propaganda” due to all the personal elements in them which seems to sum up the spirit of the age.
Critics doubt whether the same idealism would have remained as part of his poetry had he lived on. The sonnet sequence (14 lines- Octet (Shakespearean ababcded) & Sestet (efgefg)) shows on idealism that most soldiers and poets eventually lost, but which was largely present in the early years of the war.
In ‘The soldier’ Brooke evokes images of spiritual cleansing, the inviolable, never to be forgotten memories of those who die fighting for their country and a hero’s immoral legacy. He talks about these ideas with specific reference to an English heritage and personal loyalty to it. The sonnet form of this poem suits Brooke’s idealistic patriotism and sentimentalism because of its inherent neat and regular structure.
Rupert Brooke opens ‘the soldier’ with “if”. This directs the reader to the imaginary situation the persona describes. It highlights the idea of a dreamlike vision of glorious death that is evoked in the poem. The poet uses “I” as the persona which immediately gives the poem a personal edge although the title given to the poem also brings certain universality to its theme and subject. So the reader is encouraged to apply the heroism of Falling in battle not only to the poet but to all the soldiers who have fought for their country.
The heroism and intense patriotism emerges as there is no trace of regret in the poet’s tone as he talks about his imagined death when he says
“If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.”
Here he is saying how his death with enrich another land with English spirit and how self-sacrifice such as dying for your country is celebrated. Rupert also describes the English soldiers as having richer dust that soldiers from other countries as he says “In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;”. This shows how great he thinks the English people are but since the poem is placed in the first person singular it brings out a sense of vainness that the poet probably has to be saying that he has richer dust which means richer ashes.
The poet seems to personify his native land, England, as a mother figure when he says “A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,”. Thus England is portrayed as a carrying, nurturing force and we are led to think that in fighting for your country, you would simply be repaying a mother’s love.
England is presented as a beautiful woman who has given a great deal to her child; she has given “her flowers to love, her ways to roam,”
Brooke’s love for his country and the extreme patriotic mood of the poem can be seen in the constant repetition of “England”/”English”. This reinforces the main idea of the poem; that the soldier is blessed to be fighting for his country. This encourages soldiers to go to war and fight for their country and if they should die or when they die, they should not die in sorrow because wherever they are, they will always remain a part of England. England is emphasized as the focal point of the poem and the main receptor of the persona is love. England is also personified as Nature (unspoiled, pure, and not evil). This brings out the theme of Honors, Nationalism, Patriotism and also, happy to die (for ones county).
A feeling of peace, perfection, tranquility and unity with nature is evoked by the idyllic image conjured by the lines
“A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.”
These lines also bring out a spiritual element to the image of England in how it reminds us of baptism.
In the sestet, death is presented as resulting in the soldier’s heart gaining a certain purity and freedom from evil “this heart, all evil shed away,”. These are the words of a man who truly believes that his land is the greatest of good. He is spiritually cleansed and his heart, which beats no more, will instead become a “pulse in the eternal mind”. This emphasizes the value of the soldier’s sacrifice and how it will forever be remembered and alive in the English spirit.
A sense of repayment is created in the final four lines of the poem; that sacrificing one’s life for ones country allows us to give “somewhere back the thoughts by England given”
A final idyllic picture of England is painted as full of “laughter”, good company and “gentleness”. In going to fight, a soldier can repay his country for those great gifts received and discover true “heart at peace”.
He evokes positive feelings toward the war and describes optimistically the soldiers’ thoughts once the war has finished by using words like “happy dreams” and “laughter”. Brooke says that they should not be afraid of combat but content because they will have wonderful memories. He glorifies the comradeship of the soldiers and with this sentimental and optimistic tone he exhorts young people to join the army and fight for England. He wants every young adult to imitate those that are already recruited in order to defend the nation. He says those words as it will be a great experience in which the soldiers will fight and will comeback home with incredible stories to tell their friends.
I believe that Rupert Brooke was merely referring to his ideal version of war in this poem and was unaware of the true horror of war. This can be deduced from the date of the poem which shows that it is generally from before the war and therefore before the casualty figures were known. But, some poets such as Wilfred Owen wrote most of their poetry after the war and therefore were able to report on the suffering of them and their comrades. Brooke’s poetry represents the idealistic stage of World War 1 and thought the tide of opinion about the was changed shortly after his death in 1915, we can still appreciate his poetry as an example of its time, expressing a sentiment shared by many who, for that short time, believed it to be truly sweet and fit to die for one’s country.
I.D

| Posted on 2008-12-08 | by a guest