Rupert Brooke
1887-1915
On August 3, 1887, Rupert Brooke was born to a
housemaster at Rugby School in England. In 1906,
he won a scholarship to King's College in Cambridge.
He joined the socialist Fabian Society (which was
begun by Edith Nesbit and Hubert Bland, and ended
up with many members, eg H.G. Wells, although
many other academics and writers joined). Other
members based in Cambridge at this time included:
Hugh Dalton, Clifford Allen and Amber Reeves. Rupert
Brooke also met several Fabian Society leaders,
such as George Bernard Shaw, Beatrice Webb and Sidney
Webb.
Over the next few years, Rupert Brooke began writing
the poetry for he is remembered. He had two collections
published, the first being Poems (1911), the latter
book being Georgian Poetry (1913). Following
the publishing of 'Georgian Poetry', Brooke had a
mental breakdown, and later in the same year decided
to tour Canada, the Pacific and the US.
When World War I broke out, Rupert Brooke joined
the Royal Naval Division. In October, 1914, he took
part in the Antwerp expedition. Following this
experience, he wrote several famous poems, including
Peace, Safety and The Soldier.
In February, 1915, Brooke sailed for the Dardanelles
on the ship Grantully Castle. While on board
the ship, he developed acute blood poisoning (assumed
to be from an insect bite), and although he was
transferred to a hospital ship, he died, on April 23,
1915. Rupert Brooke was buried on the Greek island
of Skyros.
Rupert Brooke was a romantic war poet, unlike others
such as Wilfred Owen, and his writings were very
patriotic.
An exerpt from 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.
Source:
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk | 
