Poetry: The Soldier Flashcards
Which themes are present in this poem?
Faith and worship
Death and loss
Effects of war
Nature
Sense of place
Which poems can be linked with this poem?
Dulce et decorum est
A wife in London
Ozymandias
Context Point 1
Rupert Brooke was a soldier during WW1 and died of blood poisoning. He was buried in ‘a foreign field’ in Cyprus
Context point 2
He was never involved in active service but this poem shows how patriotic he felt about England
Whys: 1
Brooke wrote the poem to express his deep love for his country, viewing war as a noble sacrifice that makes a soldier’s death meaningful
Whys: 2
He saw war as heroic and honourable, writing bfore experiencing its horrors, which led to his romanticised portrayal of a soldiers sacrifice
What is the form like in the poem?
It’s a sonnet, usually a sonnet is used for love about a person, but here the narrator refers to their love for England.
How does the form relate to the content of the poem?
Elevates his emotions and shows how strong it is by using England as the ‘love’ in the sonnet
What is the structure like in the poem?
The octave shows how the England has enriched the speakers plan
The setset talks about how after his death, he will return the ‘gifts’ given to him by England
What is the poem about?
The narrator, a soldier, is talking about the possibility of dying in a foreign country during war. He refers to england as a mother who raised and birthed him. He believes that death will be comforting.
What is the rhyming like in the poem?
Octave : ABABCDCD
Setset : EFEFGG, slightly differs from sonnet. The last 2 lines are different to draw attention to his final thoughts and leave a lasting impression on the reader. More reflective and significant
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Faith and Worship, Nature, Sense of Place:
“In that rich earth a richer dust concealed”
Metaphor - the soldiers body referred to as the ‘richer dust’, making it feel special, almost spiritual part of the land
Shows how his death adds value to the land, connecting him to England even after he dies
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Death and Loss:
“If i should die, think only this of me”
Direct address: the speaker is talking directly to the reader, making the idea of death more personal
If i should die shows the speaker accepting death as a possibility
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Sense of place, Death and Loss:
“A body of England’s, breathing English air”
Metaphor - described as a part of england
The word ‘england’ repeats to emphasise how connected the soldier is to his homeland
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of effects of war, nature:
“Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam”
Personification: england shown as if it can give flowers and freedom, representing its natural beauty and peace
Flowers represent the beauty and peace the soldier is leaving behind due to war
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of nature, sense of place:
“Her sights and sounds, dreams happy as her day”
Alliteration: the repeating s sounds makes englands description feel calm and peaceful
The imagery of sights and sounds help paint a beautiful peaceful England, glorification
Analyse this quote and how it’s significant to the poem with the theme of Sense of Place, Death and Loss:
“There’s some corner of a foreign field that is ever for England”
Metaphor: the soldiers death makes a foreign place, ‘forever england’. How connected he is to his homeland
Irony: even though the soldier dies far from home, his death makes that land part of england forever
