'the soldier' - rupert brooke

Question 1

describe the context of ‘the soldier’:

Answer 1

• Brooke was enlisted to fight when WW1 broke out in 1914. he was 27.
• before the war, travelled widely, completed journalistic work, but sometimes felt homesick, indicating his strong connection to England.
• Brooke died in April 1915, before he fought in battle: died on a ship from sepsis (mosquito bite).
• he never actively fought on the front line of war.

Question 2

analyse the title, ‘the soldier’:

Answer 2

definite article ‘the’ suggests the soldier represents all soldiers.
- he’s either important or significant, or he’s simply a generic soldier.

Question 3

analyse the use of language:

Answer 3

• ‘that there’s some corner of a foreign field’: determiners ‘some’ ‘a’ are unspecific. persona cares less about these spaces, as they’re part of a ‘foreign field’ are not naturally English.
• soldier may feel daunted by task ahead of him: will be fighting across many fields and countries, and that death could pounce on them at any moment. shows chaos and uncertainty of war.
• ‘that is for ever England’. imperialistic, soldier will ‘conquer’ foreign soil by being buried in it. this could be the cause of WW1, as the Germans were particularly aggravated by the English’s imperialism.
• ‘peace’, on the final line, contrasts with the chaos of war. describes sights and sounds, happy dreams, and laughter - these are positive things, presenting England as idyllic.

Question 4

describe the imagery throughout the poem:

Answer 4

• ‘a richer dust concealed’ euphemism. softens the blow of potential death - suggests the persona may not be ready to accept this. ‘dust’ makes death sound insignificant, so softens the emotional impact on the reader.
• ‘her’, ‘England bore, shaped, made aware’ personifies England as a woman and a mother. highlights the persona’s loyalty to England, as well as his desire to defend and protect her - men encouraged to enlist to protect women left at home.
• ‘english heaven’ is a positive, and euphemistic image to end the poem. image of death. suggests dying for England as glory and righteousness.

Question 5

describe the close-up structure in the poem:

Answer 5

• repetition of ‘England’ shows deep admiration, and near obsession.
• ‘and think, this heart , all evil shed away’ use of caesurae slows down the pace of the poem, creating reflective tone.

Question 6

to what extent is this poem a sonnet? why has the sonnet form been used?

Answer 6

• definitely love poem: expresses admiration and adoration for England.
• is 14 lines long, generally written in iambic pentameter.
• this is an almost perfect sonnet, reflecting how perfect the persona believes England is.

Question 7

describe the meaning and the mood of the poem:

Answer 7

• soldier reassures reader that if they are to die in war, they are doing it for England, showing patriotic views characteristic of pre-war England.
• almost jingoistic.
• celebratory mood is prevalent, lists all the positive qualities of England.
• could also be seen as a patriotic mood.

Question 8

describe the writer’s motivation for writing the poem:

Answer 8

• as a would-be soldier, Brooke glorifies his fellow soldiers for their selflessness and willingness to die for their country - he elevates this to an Eden-like status.
• may have done this to appease any concerns by the British public, whilst simultaneously encouraging more young men to enlist to fight.
• piece of propaganda?

Question 9

what are the themes of ‘the soldier’?

Answer 9

• love (for England, is a sonnet)
• war
• place (mentions England often).
• man/a group of men (and their relationship with their country).