Analysis of 'the Soldier' by Robert Brooke
'The Soldier' by Rupert Brooke is an Italian sonnet that plays with the idea of war being romantic. The whole poem is a metaphor for what he believed the war meant to him.
In the first verse, he is saying that if he died in battle, even in some corner of a foreign field, he will forever belong to England. He then uses a series of metaphors to state that England is what raised him, gave him an identity and that his soul will be immortal because he died fighting for his country. In the second verse, he elaborates on how dying for England was a noble thing, and how his passing will bring good to England and her next generation of soldiers. The last two lines express his happiness that England has given him and how he will forever be at peace because he fought for England. The most important metaphor however, is 'England', which he uses to refer to his mother as well. he has given England a double meaning.
The poem does not contain any similes or has not used onomatopoeia. Brooke personifies England repeatedly, referring to his country as a woman, mentioning the word 'her' in the place of 'England' (lines 6, 12). The repetition of the 'I' sounds (lines 1, 11), the 'A' sounds (lines 4, 5, 12) and the 'E' sounds (line 3) are good examples of assonance, and the 'T' sounds (lines 2, 9), the 'F' sounds (line 2), the 'S' sounds (lines 2, 12), and the 'L' sounds (line 13) are good examples of alliteration found in this poem. The repetition of the words 'England' (lines 3, 5, 7, 11), 'her' (lines 6, 12), 'rich' (line 5), 'dust' (lines 5, 6) and 'English' (lines 7, 14) are found in most of the poem and the use of oxymoron is also evident in line 10 ("...eternal mind..."). The poet uses some imagery on the second line ("... some corner of a foreign field...") and the eight line ("... blest by suns of home.."). The use of enjambment is visible in lines 2, 3, 10 and 13. The rhyme pattern of this poem is ABABCDCD (1st stanza) EFGEFG (2nd stanza). This poem is in the iambic
In the first verse, he is saying that if he died in battle, even in some corner of a foreign field, he will forever belong to England. He then uses a series of metaphors to state that England is what raised him, gave him an identity and that his soul will be immortal because he died fighting for his country. In the second verse, he elaborates on how dying for England was a noble thing, and how his passing will bring good to England and her next generation of soldiers. The last two lines express his happiness that England has given him and how he will forever be at peace because he fought for England. The most important metaphor however, is 'England', which he uses to refer to his mother as well. he has given England a double meaning.
The poem does not contain any similes or has not used onomatopoeia. Brooke personifies England repeatedly, referring to his country as a woman, mentioning the word 'her' in the place of 'England' (lines 6, 12). The repetition of the 'I' sounds (lines 1, 11), the 'A' sounds (lines 4, 5, 12) and the 'E' sounds (line 3) are good examples of assonance, and the 'T' sounds (lines 2, 9), the 'F' sounds (line 2), the 'S' sounds (lines 2, 12), and the 'L' sounds (line 13) are good examples of alliteration found in this poem. The repetition of the words 'England' (lines 3, 5, 7, 11), 'her' (lines 6, 12), 'rich' (line 5), 'dust' (lines 5, 6) and 'English' (lines 7, 14) are found in most of the poem and the use of oxymoron is also evident in line 10 ("...eternal mind..."). The poet uses some imagery on the second line ("... some corner of a foreign field...") and the eight line ("... blest by suns of home.."). The use of enjambment is visible in lines 2, 3, 10 and 13. The rhyme pattern of this poem is ABABCDCD (1st stanza) EFGEFG (2nd stanza). This poem is in the iambic