Snaith//The Soldier, Sample Analysis

The poem 'The Soldier' by Rupert Brooke explores the idealistic attitudes of pre-war in 1914 before the carnage of the war had been made apparant to people during this time, it wasn't relative to the harsh realities of what it was really like and at this point, nobody understood the true horrors. The poem was originally titled, 'The Recruit' which actually makes much more sense as it was designed as a way to get young boys to sign up and fight for this country during the first world war. 

Unlike other poems, such as Dulce et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen, the poet of 'The Soldier' had never actually been in the war to experience the real hardships. Instead he was a young man who held a strong belief that this is what the war would be like.

The poem appeals to the British character and is beautifully constructed in doing so. For example, in the opening line it states, "if i should die, think only this of me." The way it says, "if," shows irony as we know that it was more a matter of when rather than if because most of these men did die at war. On the other hand, it can also mean, if i am to die, I am dying for my country, I am dying for my country and therefore my death will no be a waste. This strong view was very popular and helped encourage people to join the army for the glorification of their county, England. 

As we move further on the poem goes on to speak about how if this soldier dies whilst away at war, there will always be a part of England left behind. "some corner of a foreign field, that s forever England." This simply means, if I die, all I want you to…