The Soldier Flashcards
What is the poem about?
Blake is talking about the possibility of dying in a foreign country during war and it will be forever England.
He describes England as a moth r who gave birth to him and raised him.
What is the form?
The poem is a sonnet which is a love poem about England. This elevates his emotions and shows how strong they are.
The narrator appeals directly to the reader his voice is confident but comes reflective in the 2nd stanza,
What is the structure?
The octave the speakers shows how England has enriched his life.
The sestet he considers how after his death he will return the gifts given to him by his country.
What is the personification?
It has extended metaphor of England as a mother. Mothers are often associated with comfort and reassurance which he feels from after being in war for his country.
What is the language of nature?
Has England idyllic nature and landscape in the poem including its flowers and rivers. The love of the countryside is part of his devotion to his country.
What is the religious language?
He feels blest by England and refers to the external mind. The thought of heaven gives him comfort when he reflects on his death.
