Analysis of "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke

Authors Avatar

Yasmin Gillett                16.09.08

Analysis of “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke

“The Soldier” was written by Rupert Brooke in 1914, as the last piece in a series of sonnets. It is written in traditional sonnet form, consisting of two stanzas (the octave – which holds 8 lines - and the sestet, which holds six). The key themes of the poem are death and love. Death, as he is a soldier going into battle, and love in the sense of the love he feels for his country. The poem is written in the first person; the soldier talks of his life and the possibility of death.

        In order to fully understand the poem, the reader must take into account the time it was written and the implications of that information. Composed in 1914, “The Soldier” was one of many poems written at the time in support of the war, expressing love for the mother country and portraying the war in an ostensibly positive light. At the onset of the war, such patriotic poetry was widely used to encourage men to sign up and fight. However, initial enthusiasm soon diminished as people became aware of the horrors of the trenches. By the end of the war, any patriotic ideals had been shattered; soldiers returning from the trenches spoke of the reality of the situation and attitudes towards the war shifted dramatically. This change in people’s perception of the war is obvious when comparing poetry of the period. Brooke’s poem “The Soldier” is often referred to as the antithesis of Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est.” Written in 1917, just before the end of the war, “Dulce et Decorum Est” shows just how dramatically the views of those young soldiers were changed by the experience of war.

Join now!

        Brooke writes in a romantic and idealistic manner. He does not view the war as a traumatic event; he sees it as an opportunity to express one’s love for their country. His traditional viewpoint and optimistic tone evokes positive feeling towards the war. Although death is a main theme in the poem, Brooke skims over the gruesome details of dying in combat and simply acknowledges the fact that it is a great honor to die in the process of defending one’s nation; “The Soldier” is essentially glorifying the concept of war.

        The first stanza deals with the physical aspects of ...

This is a preview of the whole essay