Throughout the poem is a strong sense of patriotism with the first stanza showing sacrifice and personifying England as a motherly figure and the second stanza presenting after war peace will come.
Brooke uses personal pronouns of 'If I should die, think only this of me' to make the whole poem more personal to him. It also shows him worrying about death and the acceptance of it as there is a strong possibility of it being the outcome. Also presenting as if it's his last words, as though it's his will giving people a last impression. 'Some corner of a foreign field' implies he will remain only a small part, but he brings the essence of England as he is buried there as if it's his conquest. Reinforced by 'richer dust concealed' 'dust' presenting religious imagery of the ashes of the men. The repetition of 'rich' implies the earth is wealthy and that he is more important than the earth. It also presents the beauty of the nature. The personification of England is shown as 'England bore, shaped, made aware' of England being a mother having the intimacy in the 'dust'. Religious imagery is also shown through 'washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home' as 'washed by the rivers' portrays a baptism and shows blessing, presenting war as holy. Also, 'suns of home' reinforces the idea of England being its mother.
The second stanza also presents religious imagery of 'all evil sins shed away' as again, war being holy and purifying the soldiers souls. The 'pulse in the eternal mind' could present God's mind pushing the men into war. 'The thoughts by England given' shows England made the soldier, as if he is a product of England. Lastly, 'under an English heaven' presents how peace will come after sacrifice and the superiority of England being 'heaven'.
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