ENGLIT POETRY the soldier

Question 1

What is the poem about?

Answer 1

• the narrator, a soldier, is talking about the possibly of dying in a foreign country during war, he says that wherever he dies that location will be “forever England”
• he describes England as a mother who gave birth to him and raised him
• he believes that death will be comforting, and that England will give back the things that it gave him, his thoughts and memories won’t be lost

Question 2

What is the context of the poem?

Answer 2

• when war was declared, many men were eager to sign up and to fight for their country, the poem reflects this eager early war enthusiasm
• as the war progressed, optimism began to fade and poems which depicted the true harsh realities of war became more popular
• Brooke never saw active combat
• his early death adds poignancy to the poem and could explain the lasting popularity of it

Question 3

What is the form of the poem?

Answer 3

-written in the form of a sonnet, having England be the subject of the sonnet elevates his emotions and shows how strong they are for his country
-narrator appeals directly to the reader, his voice is confident but becomes slightly more reflective in the second stanza
-thematically patriotic and offers a sentimental image of the soldier dying in war
-comprises a traditional rhyme scheme
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