The Soldier

By Rupert Brooke

Comprehension
1. Why would the corner of some foreign field become England if Brooke
should die?
Because it represents where the soldier will be buried, so this place will
always be part of England, even if the soldiers sacrifice will be not
remembered.
2. Why is the concealed dust richer than the surrounding earth?
Because the dust (the soldiers body) returns to the earth changing it
into a fertile one.
3. What gifts has England given Brooke, according to line 6?
England has given Brooke flowers to give meaning to the soldiers death.
4. Which expressions in lines 7-8 suggest that even death cannot sever the
poets ties with England?
A body of Englands
5. What thoughts will Brookes heart give back if he should die?
The sights and sounds, laughter, learnt of friends and gentleness.
Memories and experiences the soldier has gained from England during
his life.
Analysis
Consider line 5-6. Who or what does the possessive adjective her refer to?
What poetic device is used by Brooke? What is England compared to?
*A lover
other

* a friend

* a leader

* a mother

The possessive adjective her refers to England (a mother).

Brooke uses the personification as a poetic device.
In lines 7-8 Brooke describes the life he has known in England. What kind of life
does he portray?

A busy life spent in the hustle of bustle of the city.

A pure and innocent life spent in close contact with nature.

In line 10 Brooke says that if he should die his heart will become a pulse in the
eternal mind. What association does this image suggest?
Life
other

Brevity

Constancy

Spirituality

immortality

Count the number of the lines in the poem and work out the rhyming scheme.
Identify the poetic form.

The poetic form identified in the soldier is the sonnet form.

14 lines of iambic pentameter.

The musicality of the poem is created by the regular rhythm and the repetition
of sounds. Identify the metrical pattern of the poem. Find examples of
alliteration.

The octave is rhymed after the Shakespearean/Elizabethan

(ababcdcd) rhyme scheme, the sestet follows the Petrarchan (efgefg).
Example of alliteration:
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
What is the tone of the poem?
Bitter

triumphant

nostalgic

patriotic

ironic

despairing

Would you consider this poem to be primarily:

A patriotic celebration of England and English values?

An exploration of the ideals that send men to war?
A realistic description of the horror of war?
Other?

INGELORE HEITMANN

other