Peace - Rupert Brooke

• "Now, God be thanked Who has matched us with His hour" - God has blessed this war. Capitalisation of "His" presents God as a saviour and he is truly respected here, despite how some argue why god would have declared the war given the brutality of it.
• "And caught our youth and wakened us from sleeping" - Speaker believes that God is opening our eyes to conflict to explore it's value.
• Elevation of christianity and being English.
• "With hand made sure, clear eye and sharpened power" - God has made the right decision and he is in his right mind.
• "To turn, as swimmers into cleanness leaping" - Cleansing, like a christening. The war is bringing solider's closer to God by rebirthing them into religion.
• "Glad from a world grown old and cold and weary" - People saw war as an oppurtunity to change the world positively. Flow of assonance mimics the flow to which this idea was circulated and believed in.
• "Leave the sick hearts that honour could not move" - Those who disgagreed with conflict (eg, conscientious objectors) were labelled "sick" Scapegoated.
• "And all the little emptiness of love!" - Those who opposed the war were heartless as opposed to pacifists who loved humanity too much to see it suffer.
• Volta: "Oh! we, who have known shame, we have found release there" - a relief is found is sticking up for your nation no matter the decisions it may take.
• "But sleep has mending" Sleep hailed as a healing power. But also death, if you die you will become a hero.
• "Nothing to shake the laughing heart's long peace there" - Upon death, there is peace, in knowing you have done society proud by serving your country.
• "And the worst friend and enemy is but Death" Brooke believes it's not death we should fear, although it's the ultimate fear factor. We should fer outcast in society more.
• Sonnet - Love poem for his nation and those who are part of war. The poem is a preach - to honour religion and to honour your country.
• Themes are: Religion, Death, Honour, Patriotism.