Bihar Board Class 12th English : प्रिय विद्याथियों, “Mindbloom Study” (#1 Online Study Portal For Bihar Board Exams) आपके लिए लाया है बिहार बोर्ड कक्षा 12th अंग्रेजी के THE SOLDIER
Introduction (परिचय)
RUPERT BROOKE (1887-1915) was born in a well-to-do academic family. His father was a housemaster at Rugby School, where Rupert was educated before going to King’s College, Cambridge. W.B. Yeats, the famous poet described him as ‘the handsomest young man in England.” He assumed a symbolic role that eventually turned into the myth of a young and beautiful fallen warrior. He died of septicaemia on April 23, 1915, off the island of Lemnos in the Aegean on his way to a battle at Gavipoli. Brooke is remembered as a ‘war poet’ who inspired patriotism in the early phase of the First World War. His reputation chiefly rests on five war sonnets of which ‘The soldier’is undoubtedly the best and the most anthologised.
रूपर्ट ब्रूक (1887-1915) का जन्म एक संपन्न शैक्षणिक परिवार में हुआ था। उनके पिता रग्बी स्कूल में हाउसमास्टर थे, जहाँ रूपर्ट ने किंग्स कॉलेज, कैम्ब्रिज जाने से पहले शिक्षा प्राप्त की थी। प्रसिद्ध कवि डब्ल्यू.बी. येट्स ने उन्हें ‘इंग्लैंड का सबसे सुंदर युवक’ बताया था। उन्होंने एक प्रतीकात्मक भूमिका निभाई जो अंततः एक युवा और सुंदर शहीद योद्धा के मिथक में बदल गई। 23 अप्रैल, 1915 को गैविपोली में युद्ध के लिए जाते समय एजियन सागर में लेमनोस द्वीप के पास सेप्टीसीमिया से उनकी मृत्यु हो गई। ब्रूक को एक ‘युद्ध कवि’ के रूप में याद किया जाता है, जिन्होंने प्रथम विश्व युद्ध के शुरुआती चरण में देशभक्ति की भावना को प्रेरित किया। उनकी प्रतिष्ठा मुख्य रूप से पाँच युद्ध सॉनेट्स पर टिकी हुई है, जिनमें से ‘द सोल्जर’ निस्संदेह सबसे अच्छा और सबसे अधिक संकलित है।
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. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives, somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
“The Soldier” कविता का हिन्दी में भावार्थ
यह कविता एक ऐसे सैनिक की भावनाओं को व्यक्त करती है जो अपने देश, इंग्लैंड, के लिए मरने को तैयार है। वह कहता है कि यदि उसकी मृत्यु किसी परदेश की धरती पर हो जाए, तो लोग यह सोचें कि उस विदेशी भूमि का एक कोना सदा के लिए इंग्लैंड बन गया है, क्योंकि वहां एक अंग्रेज़ सैनिक की मिट्टी (शरीर) दफ़न है।
वह शरीर इंग्लैंड की ही देन है—इंग्लैंड ने उसे जन्म दिया, पाला-पोसा, सुंदरता, प्रेम और स्वतंत्रता दी। वह अंग्रेज़ मिट्टी में पला, वहाँ की नदियों में नहाया और सूरज की गर्मी से आशीर्वादित हुआ।
सैनिक यह भी मानता है कि मृत्यु के बाद उसका हृदय सभी बुराइयों से मुक्त होकर शुद्ध आत्मा बन जाएगा, और वह अपनी मातृभूमि से मिले विचार, सपने, खुशियाँ, मित्रों से मिली हँसी, और कोमलता को किसी रूप में लौटाएगा। अंततः, वह अपने आपको एक शांतिपूर्ण और पवित्र स्थान – “एक अंग्रेज़ स्वर्ग” – में अनुभव करता है।
भाव:
यह कविता मातृभूमि से गहरे प्रेम, त्याग, और देशभक्ति की भावना को दर्शाती है। सैनिक को गर्व है कि उसकी मृत्यु भी उसके देश का गौरव बन जाएगी।
Summary
The Soldier is a war poem written by Rupert Brooke. According to him, a soldier lives and dies for his country. The poet wants to die in battle (युद्ध) for his country. He says that if he dies in a foreign land (विदेशी भूमि) fighting (लड़ते-लड़ते) for his motherland, he will be buried (दफन) in that land. He wants the plot of land (भूमि का टुकड़ा), where his dead body will be buried. He remembers his country with fondness (ममता, शौक), because he was born and brought up there. He says that his country has given him flowers to love, ways to walk and the air to breathe. All these things show the poet’s deep love for his motherland. Thus, in his poem, he shows his patriotism (देशभक्ति) for his country.
B.1. 1. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements :
a) The speaker of the poem is a soldier. → T
b) He is a French soldier. → F
c) The soldier is very sad. → F
d) He praises England. → T
e) He talks about his friends. → T
f) It is a love poem. → F
g) The poet is depicting the miseries of war. → F
h) The poet expresses his indebtedness to England. → T
i) The poem is a sonnet. → T
B.1. 2. Answer the following questions briefly :
1) Is the speaker afraid of death?
Ans :- No, the speaker is not afraid of death. He accepts it with peace and pride, considering it an honorable sacrifice for his country.
2) If at all he dies in the battle, how would he like to be remembered?
Ans :- He wants to be remembered as someone who enriched a foreign land with the essence of England and served his nation even in death.
3) How can ‘some corner of a foreign field’ be ‘for ever England’?
Ans :- Because if an English soldier dies and is buried there, that piece of land holds his remains and becomes a symbolic extension of England.
4) ‘In that rich earth a richer dust concealed.’ What does ‘dust’ stand for?
Ans :- ‘Dust’ stands for the soldier’s dead body, which is considered ‘richer’ because it contains the spirit and values of England.
5) What is meant by the phrase ‘A pulse in the eternal mind’?
Ans :- It means the soldier’s soul will live on forever, as part of something eternal and divine—like the everlasting spirit of goodness and England’s values.
C.1. Long Answer Questions
1. Do you think that the title of the poem is appropriate? Give reasons.
Ans :- Yes, the title “The Soldier” is appropriate because the poem reflects a soldier’s personal thoughts about life, death, and patriotism. It represents the mindset of a soldier who is ready to die for his nation and finds spiritual peace in that sacrifice.
2. Discuss the main ideas contained in the first eight lines, i.e., octave.
Ans :- The octave focuses on the soldier’s willingness to die for England. He says that even if he dies in a foreign land, a part of England will remain there through his body. He describes how his body is shaped by England—its air, rivers, sunlight, and traditions—and how it will return to the earth, enriching it.
3. What do you understand by patriotism? Is this a patriotic poem? Discuss.
Ans :- Patriotism means deep love and devotion for one’s country. Yes, this is a patriotic poem because the soldier expresses pride in his homeland and shows a willingness to sacrifice his life for England. He sees dying for his country as an honor.
4. Summarise the poem in your own words.
Ans :- The poem is a soldier’s reflection on dying in war. He says if he dies in a foreign land, that land will forever hold a piece of England through him. His body, shaped by English life and culture, will enrich the soil. He believes his soul will be at peace, carrying memories of England’s beauty, friendships, and love.
5. How many times does the poet use ‘England’ or ‘English’ in the poem? What does it show?
Ans :- The poet uses the words ‘England’ 5 times and ‘English’ 2 times (total 7 times). This frequent repetition shows the poet’s deep love, pride, and strong emotional connection to his homeland.
6. How can you show that you love your country?
Ans :- We can show our love for our country by
• Respecting its laws and constitution
• Serving it with honesty and integrity
• Helping fellow citizens
• Preserving its culture, heritage, and environment
• Standing up for truth and justice
• Being ready to make sacrifices for its welfare
7. What is a sonnet? Comment on the language of the prescribed poem. Also, mention its rhyme-scheme.
Ans :- A sonnet is a 14-line poem, usually written in iambic pentameter, often about love, nature, or deep emotions.
The language of “The Soldier” is formal, emotional, and poetic, filled with patriotic feeling and idealism.
The rhyme scheme is: ABAB CDCD EFG EFG, which is a variation of the Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet.
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