the soldier

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

The poem ‘ was originally called ‘the recruit’ which shows how this is a propaganda poem. The author starts the poem by describing how he is willing to die fighting for England because he is loyal to his country. The mood of this poem is very patriotic as he talks about war in a positive light and talks about sacrificing himself. In the second half, Brooke talks about how he will be rewarded with a heaven after his death. This sonnet was read as part of a sermon which shows how he believed God was on their side. Rupert Brooke wrote the poem early in the war and died in 1915. This is significant as he never got to experience the horrors and brutality of war.

Question 2

beginning

Answer 2

• The poet begins by saying ‘if I should die think only this of me.’ Brooke is talking about how he died on English soil which suggests how he wants people to remember that he sacrificed his life for England. This suggests his devotion to England. The word ‘only’ is significant because it suggests how he doesn’t care about any other accomplishments he may have had as he only wants people to remember how much he cared about England.

Question 3

middle

Answer 3

• He then says that England ‘bore, shaped and made him aware.’ England is personified to sound like a mother which suggests how he feels he owes England because it has sacrificed everything for him like your mother would. Therefore, he owes England his loyalty.
• The soldier says how he is a ‘body of England’s’ which suggests how he belongs to England even in his death.

Question 4

end

Answer 4

• In the second stanza Brooke calls the dead soldiers a ‘pulse in the eternal mind.’ Through the metaphor of the soldiers being like a heartbeat it creates a sense of unity by suggesting that they are all contributing to England even after death. This metaphor also suggests that the soldiers are like a heartbeat and that they will always stay alive when they are remembered.
• Finally, the author says he will go to an ‘English heaven’ which suggests how he believes England is superior because for him heaven is exactly like England.

Question 5

form & structure

Answer 5

• The poem is written as a traditional sonnet. Sonnets are about love and this links to how the author is writing about his love for England. The sonnet is traditional which shows how he’s writing about traditional ideas such as self sacrifice
• Sheer uses iambic pentameter to create the sound of a heartbeat when the poem is read. This links to how the soldiers continue living when they are remembered.
• Lots of positive vocabulary is used like ‘love’ and ‘laughter’ to suggest how death is a positive thing when you’re dying for your country.
• Uses regular but complex rhyme scheme to suggest that what he’s saying is important and thought-provoking.