1. Analyse the poem ‘The soldier’
Personification, Alliteration,personal pronouns, metaphor, simile
At the beginning of the poem, personal pronouns are used to show the reader that the author is speaking about himself and how the consequences of dying gloriously in battle would effect himself. An example of personal pronouns in the poem is ‘IF I die, think only this of me.’ This shows the reader immediately that the whole poem is about him and his perspective on the idea of dying in battle.
Alliteration is another language feature used in the poem and expresses the beauty of England in a descriptive twist in words, ‘Her sights and sounds,’ is an example of alliteration and shows the reader the highly patriotic appreciation towards his home country England.
Personification is used throughout ‘The soldier’ to make England seem like an actual being calling it, ‘her’ as if a loving mother is watching over him as he fights for her freedom in war.
The language feature Allusion is used in the poem when it states ‘In that rich earth, a richer dust concealed.’ Referring to the traditional funeral saying Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Usually this would mean they would be returning to dust from which they born from in terms of God but in this case it means their richer dust they become comes from England and that the richness in their dust even richer than the earth they died in will grow good things. This shows a perfect example of idealism as the poem convinces men that in their death good things will come for their country.
2. Research the Author.
Rupert Brooke (8.3.1887 – 4.23.1915) Born in England, died at sea.
Known for his idealistic poems
The second of three sons from William and Ruth Brooke
Suffered a severe emotional crisis in 1912 caused by sexual confusion and paranoia
Education: Rugby school, Kings college, university of Cambridge.
Died of sepsis (infected mosquito bite).
3. Write a short biography on the author.
Rupert Chawner Brooke, born 8th April 1887 in England was one of the most popular wartime poets during the era of world war 1. He was the second of three sons, Father- William Brooke, Mother- Ruth Brooke. Rupert came from a wealthy family therefore attended privileged private schools, Rugby school and Kings college. Rupert was offered a scholarship at the University of Cambridge of which accepted that led him to writing some of the most popular poems in history. Rupert’s poetry gained many enthusiasts and caught the attention or Winston Churchill and was recruited as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer reserve. Whilst sailing with the British Mediterranean expeditionary force he was diagnosed with Sepsis from an infected mosquito bite and died on the 23rd of April 1915 in a French hospital ship off the coast of Skyros in the Aegean on his way to the landing of Gallipoli.
4. Identify the ideas that the author is expressing.
Rupert Brooke expressed idealism through ‘The Soldier’ and a lot of other poems that he wrote, along with idealism he wrote about heroism and loyalty through patriotism towards his country.
5. Explain why the author would express these ideas.
He expressed the ideas or idealism and heroism through ‘The soldier’ to show that dying in battle for their country was a good thing and that sacrifice had to be made in order to help England. He also showed that in their death, England would be advantaged no matter what and that their deaths were not in vain.
6. Explain how the author has expressed these ideas.
Rupert Brooke expressed these ideas through language techniques in ‘The soldier’ e.g. Allusion was used to refer to the traditional funeral saying ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’ by saying in the poem, ‘In that rich earth, a richer dust concealed.’ This expressed idealism by saying that where they die I’ll return to their homeland England in glory.
7. Justify the validity of these ideas.
Although his poem was very convincing back in the day before the war, it did not actually show realistic death in battle but instead showed an idealistic and glorious death. His opinion on dying in war was only based on idealism and didn’t show the realism of how tragic and horrible it would be to die in the midst of a war.
8. Evaluate the significance and relevance of these ideas to us today.
Rupert Brooke’s view on war and his idealistic opinion on death during battle is relevant to today as people are still being convinced war is a good thing and will advantage their country or beliefs. An example of this ignorance to the horrors and realism of war is I.S.I.S and their sacrifices towards their own belief and provoking war. Every day people are dying in battle fighting for what they believe in but can’t see that dying in battle isn’t doing anything.
Harry Cooper, Blog 