the soldier Flashcards
who wrote the soldier?
Rupert Brooke
what are the main themes of the poem?
- the effects of war
- nature
- death and loss
- sense of place
- patriotism
- pride
did rupert brooke ever actually fight in the war?
no, he was bitten by a mosquito and died before he had the chance
what war is the poem about?
world war one
what is the poem about?
the narrator (poet-speaker) is discussing the possibility of dying in a foreign country, and believes his death will be comforting and will allow him to give back to England
what form is the poem written in?
written in the layout of a Petrarchan sonnet, but with (mostly) the rhyme scheme of a shakespearean sonnet
why is the poem written as a sonnet?
sonnets are typically used in love poetry, so the poem acts as a love poem to England - shows how strong his feelings are
what is the rhyme scheme in the poem?
abab cdcd efgefg
what does Brooke focus on in the octave?
he shows how England has enriched his life
what does Brooke focus on in the sestet?
he considers how he will return the ‘gifts’ given to him to by his country
what is the extended metaphor in the poem?
England as a mother - reflects how the speaker feels that his country has shaped him as a person, mothers are often associated with comfort which might explain why thinking about his country during a war is reassuring
what kind of language does Brooke use?
language of nature and religious language
why is the title ‘the soldier’?
the title suggests an anonymous soldier and perhaps reflects the number of soldiers who were to lose their lives in battle, also ‘the’ so its about a specific soldier
what sort of narrator is it?
it is first-person, but that is only apparent in the first line so it suggests that the poem could be about any soldier
what is the first half of the octave?
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;
what are the annotations of ‘if i should die, think only this of me:’ ?
- the soldier accepts the possibility of his death (uses the conditional)
- the narrator addresses the reader of the poem directly and uses an imperative which makes the reader feel responsible for carrying out the soldier’s request
what are the annotations of ‘a foreign field’?
- adjective suggests how far away from home he is
- (my own) alliteration/fricatives - harsh sound which shows how much better England is
- (my own) not specified where - could suggest that it doesn’t matter where he dies as the English dust will over power every other country
what are the annotations of ‘that is for ever England’?
- could mean that he represents England so because his body is there, a part of England is literally there
- he represents England even in death, sense of pride
- could also mean the land is literally English because of a victory in war
what are the annotations of ‘a richer dust’?
- richer because of the body that is there
- dust could be reminiscent of a funeral service as he returns to dust upon his death (reference to book of common prayer which is spoken at English burials)
- the soldier’s body will remain there
what is the second half of the octave?
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 the suns of home.
what are the annotations of ‘whom England bore, shaped, made aware’?
England is personified as a mother (extended metaphor), shows England as nurturing
what are the annotations of the nature imagery (‘flowers’, ‘air’, ‘rivers’, ‘suns’)?
- suggests the beauty of england
- shows nature as a positive force, gives the soldiers a sense of wellbeing
- reflects on where he’s grown up in the countryside
what does the repetition of the word ‘england’ and similar words do?
makes the narrator’s love for his country seem overwhelming
what are the annotations of ‘washed by the rivers’?
it is a reference to baptism
