Rupert Brooke and Georgian Poetry
Rupert Brooke (1887-1915) was an English writer who engaged in Georgian poetry and wrote several texts that were celebratory of England. Although, he entered World War I in 1914, his time as a soldier soon expired when he died of dysentery in 1915.1 Below is his poem, "The Soldier," which was written at the start of World War I.
The Soldier 1 If I should die, think only this of me: And think, this heart, all evil shed away, |
 Rupert Brooke, 1887-1915 |
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Brooke's "The Soldier"
Rupert Brooke's "The Soldier," serves as an example of Georgian poetry in its glorification of war. In this poem, the soldier praises the idea of dying in battle for England and upholds the ideal of celebrating the nation rather than focusing on the physical horror of being killed in combat.
In the first stanza of this poem, the soldier declares that if he dies, there will be "some corner of a foreign field / That is forever England" (lines 2-3). These lines demonstrate Brooke's use of positive imagery to describe death during warfare. As is common in Georgian poetry, the soldier is primarily concerned with celebrating England, rather than the gruesome aspects involved with dying in warfare. This is perceived when he discusses the "foreign" grounds on which he may die and declares this soil as English territory "forever." Instead of focusing on the disenchanting aspect of his rotting corpse, Brooke treats the death of this soldier as though his body is a flag that is meant to mark the field as being conquered by England. Brooke does not describe the torturous nature of death in war and only acknowledges how the soldier honors England by dying in the process of defending the nation.
In subsequent lines of the first stanza, Brooke further focuses on praising war in honor of defending England, rather than on the physical death and destruction that results. In lines three through eight, the soldier declares, "There shall be / In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; / A dust whom England bore, ... / A body of England's, breathing English air, / Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home." By using optimistic words such as "rich," "blest," and "suns of home," Brooke pleasantly portrays death. These words convey positive connotations and provide a brighter outlook for death in warfare, which is later depicted as a negative experience by the World War I poets. The soldier mentions the "richer dust concealed" in the earth from his dying body that was once "washed by the rivers...of home" (4, 8). This exemplifies how Brooke does not illustrate the pain endured in such a death, nor the actual decay of the corpse, since it is only "dust," but rather portrays the soldier's body as being a symbol of England's natural landscape, such as its "rivers." This further demonstrates how fighting for one's nation in war is glorified, since the soldier's death only serves to honor England.
Brooke continues to use positive words in the second stanza, such as "happy," "laughter," "peace," and "heaven" in describing the soldiers death and continues to focus on praising England as the soldier contemplates his death during warfare, rather than on the harshness involved in being killed in battle. "The Soldier" serves as a superior example of Georgian poetry, since Brooke glorifies fighting to the death in war and depicts positive images of England rather than illustrating the gory details endured by individual soldiers.
Note: You can click on the highlighted words within "The Soldier" to visually see the positive imagery Brooke conveys through his word.
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Reference:
1. Abrams, M. H. & Stephen Greenblatt. "Voices from the First World War." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th ed. Vol. 2. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1999. pg. 2049-2050.