Year 9 - English
Understanding patriotism in Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier'
Comparing poetry from the First World War
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore how poets responded to the horrors of the First World War. They first explore Brooke's 'The Soldier', before looking at McCrae's 'In Flanders Fields' and Naidu's 'The Gift of India'. They finally write a comparative response on perspectives of war and sacrifice.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how Rupert Brooke presents the experience of dying at war.
Key Notes
- 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
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That a poet had to experience actual fighting to write war poetry.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key 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.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'idealistic'
Idealistic means unrealistically believing in or pursuing perfection.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: That a poet had to experience actual fighting to write war poetry. Correction: Though part of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, Brooke saw no military action.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing John McCrae's call to arms in 'In Flanders Fields' Study Guide
- Analysing the humanity and fragility of soldiers in Naidu's 'The Gift of India' Study Guide
- Analysing the presentation of patriotism in Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier' Study Guide
- Comparing views in 'The Soldier', 'In Flanders Fields' and 'The Gift of India' Study Guide
- Considering the relationship between the poetry of WW1 and the context Study Guide
- Understanding ideas of Empire and colonialism in Naidu's 'The Gift of India' Study Guide
- Understanding the concept of remembrance in John McCrae's 'In Flanders Fields' Study Guide
- Writing a comparative response on perspectives of war and sacrifice in WW1 poems Study Guide
- Writing about John McCrae's 'In Flanders Fields' as a call to arms Study Guide
- Writing about patriotism in Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier' Study Guide
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