The Soldier (poem)
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The Soldier is a poem written by Rupert Brooke. The poem is actually the fifth of a series of poems entitled 1914.
It is often contrasted with Wilfred Owen's 1917 anti-war poem Dulce Et Decorum Est
[edit] References to The Soldier
Part of The Soldier was adapted for the contingency television address that would have been read by President Richard Nixon in the event the [[
[edit] Analysis of Poem
This poem was written as the First World War broke out in 1914, as part of a series of many sonnets written by Rupert Brooke. Brooke himself, being predominantly a pre-World War poet, died the year after “The Soldier” was published. “The Soldier”, being the conclusion and the finale to Brooke’s ‘1914’ war sonnet series, deals with the significant commitment a soldier makes to his country upon enlisting in the army hence this poem's original name "the Recruit". There is a hint of heroism as the author describes the selflessness of a man who gives something as invaluable as his life towards his devoted cause. Written in fourteen line Petrarchan / Italian sonnet form, the poem is divided into an opening octave, and then followed by a concluding sestet. As far as rhyme scheme, the octave is rhymed after the Shakespearean / Elizabethan (abab cdcd) form, while the sestet follows the Petrarchan / Italian (cde cde) form. The volta, the shift or point of dramatic change, occurs after the fourth line where Brooke goes from describing the death of the soldier, to his life accomplishments. This sonnet encompasses the memoirs of a fallen soldier who declares his patriotism to his homeland by declaring that his sacrifice shall be the eternal ownership of England, of a small portion of land he has died upon. The poem appears to not follow the normal purpose of a Petrarchan / Italian sonnet either. It does not truly go into detail about a predicament/resolution, as is customary with this form; rather, the atmosphere remains constantly in the blissful state of the English soldier.
