Understanding patriotism in Rupert Brooke’s ‘The Soldier’
I can explain how Rupert Brooke presents the experience of dying at war.
Understanding patriotism in Rupert Brooke’s ‘The Soldier’
I can explain how Rupert Brooke presents the experience of dying at war.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Brooke's poem is arguably patriotic - the soldier loves his homeland
- The poem is also quite idealistic - the soldier believes that England is paradise
- The soldier arguably believes that dying for his country will cleanse his soul of evil
- The poem was popular at the time of writing, before the realities of war where known
- Modern readers may find the poem very naive
Common misconception
That a poet had to experience actual fighting to write war poetry.
Though part of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, Brooke saw no military action.
Keywords
Idealistic - Idealistic means unrealistically believing in or pursuing perfection.
Naive - Naive means showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement.
Sacrifice - Sacrifice means to give up something valued for the sake of other considerations.
Optimism - Optimism means hopefulness or confidence about the future or the success of something.
Patriotic - Patriotic means having or expressing devotion to and support for one's country.
Equipment
There is a copy of Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier' in the additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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