Rupert Brooke

(1887-1915 / Warwickshire / England)

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1914 V: The Soldier

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
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  • Rookie - 294 Points Ramesh T A (9/20/2010 8:11:00 AM)

    'Somewhere back the thoughts by England given' could have perhaps given a sense of peace to one who had died and one about to die sooner! (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Terence George Craddock (9/20/2010 4:33:00 AM)

    Rupert Brooke as the narrator is stating in the octave, that (if) he should die in a foreign land, then that corner of a foreign field where he would be buried, would forever after be a part of England. His body decaying into dust, which ‘England bore, shaped made aware, ’ would be the ‘richer dust concealed; ’ in that grave where he was buried.
    England had given him during his life, ‘her flowers to love, her ways to roam’ and having breathed ‘English air, ’ he remains even in dead, ever a body and part of England. He had been washed by English ‘rivers, blest by suns of home’.
    In the sestet the narrator concludes that from the somewhere, where he is buried, he gives back the thoughts England has given him. England’s “sights and sounds; dreams... laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.” A beautiful sonnet proclaiming pride in his English heritage. (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Joey Valenzuela (9/20/2010 2:17:00 AM)

    i think the narrator is speaking about his death....
    a soldier has his life he might be thinking he could die anytime....

    If I should die, think only this of me:
    That there's some corner of a foreign field>>>>>>>>>>>>>>this is obviously not England (not nationalistic) just
    That is for ever England. There shall be>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>England-like place in somewhere else

    In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; ...........................can dust mean downfall? ? thus richer dust (richer
    A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, ...............downfall....decay)

    Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, >>>>>>gave, ONCE...she probably had fled...she just
    A body of England's, breathing English air, >>>>>>>>>>>>passed (or died) . she means his girl that he missed
    Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.>>>>>>>>>who's from some corner of a foreign land.... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>or, maybe, is the one who's in the foreign land
    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>washed by rivers, ect...(means forgotten)

    And think, this heart, all evil shed away, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>HEART (more emotional......)
    A pulse in the eternal mind, no less>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>a pulse (memories bout her) in his mind....

    Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given; .......the thoughts....memories flashback of England (her......................................................................................girl)

    Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; >>>>>>>her look and voice

    And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, ...................her laughter

    In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.>>>>>>>>>>>in hearts at peace (death) ..under english heaven(her >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>memories)

    hope to make at least a sense.......
    JOeY (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Sylva Portoian (3/29/2010 4:45:00 AM)

    Rupert Brooke “1914, The Soldier”
    New millennial cohorts criticized him for nationalism.
    Why some people enjoy criticizing
    Without understanding,
    What the Homeland means.

    Your Land, is the Mother of all
    The place where you touch the ground
    And feel it belongs…
    ‘It's Yours’,
    The place you smell flowers and trees.

    Where scavengers can’t throw you out,
    Somewhere you feel an orphan.
    Struggle to earn just a piece of bread.
    If are able to earn more
    Every evil soul will get jealous.

    Who tried that life can understand
    What the young Poet,
    Rupert Brooke meant.

    My Parents been hurled
    To an arid desert...Three times
    Leaving their civilization behind
    Still expecting the forth! (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Jean Dament (9/20/2009 7:13:00 PM)

    A beautiful poem written with much devotion for his homeland, England & it describes well his life as a soldier.
    Ravensong (Report) Reply

  • Rookie - 13 Points Ravi A (9/20/2009 1:49:00 PM)

    As an English man, he had all the loyalty for England. This is really understandable. During his days, England was naturally ruling the land and if he had thought in this way, there is ample justification from his point of view. As a patriot, he couldn't think ill of his country and sincerely thought that the country men of those lands that were under the rule of England would actually show the loyalty for England. I consider that while the poet wrote this poem, he was not one sided in his thought. There is temperance towards the end (recall the line...with all evils shed away..) of the poem that is suggestive of softness of thought rather than a one sided over powering thought. (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Kees Popinga (9/20/2009 2:21:00 AM)

    There's too much nationalism in Brooke's verse. The immense tragedy of WWI is best expressed by the Italian Giuseppe Ungaretti or the French Julien Vocance. (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Robert Quilter (9/22/2008 12:12:00 PM)

    Not all war poems, have to be about legs being blown off or the horrors of trench warfare during WW1.
    Context; Having spent my first 27 or so years in England, and having a Grandfather involved in WW1, this takes on a strong personal meaning to me.
    The sentiment is not a currently popular attitude to take in the United Kingdom (Re: British troops in Iraq) , but to me and my rose colored glasses it does hit home.
    Brooke died aged 27, having made quite a mark, in the legacy of World War 1 poets.
    'some corner of a foreign field that is forever England....'is an immortal me, anyway.I encourage further reading (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Dick Goddard (10/20/2007 3:52:00 PM)

    He wrote the poem during WW1. During that war and WWII soldiers who died were usually buried in the country where they died. Some may consider that he was predicting his own death because he was killed during WW and buried in a foreign country. (Report) Reply

  • Rookie Christie Nair (6/17/2007 11:06:00 AM)

    didn't understandgddgdfgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg (Report) Reply

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