Who was Rupert Brooke? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In August

Also Known As: Брук, Руперт ru

Died At Age: 27

Family:

siblings: William Alfred Cotterill Brooke

Poets British Men

Died on: April 23, 1915

place of death: Aegean Sea

More Facts

education: King's College, Cambridge, Rugby School, University of Cambridge

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1

What is Rupert Brooke best known for?

Rupert Brooke is best known for his poetry, particularly his war sonnets that captured the patriotic fervor of World War I.
2

Where did Rupert Brooke serve during World War I?

Rupert Brooke served as an officer in the Royal Naval Division during World War I, seeing action in the Mediterranean and the Gallipoli Campaign.
3

What impact did Rupert Brooke's poetry have on the war effort?

Rupert Brooke's poetry, with its themes of patriotism and sacrifice, inspired a sense of duty and nationalism among those who read it during World War I.
4

How did Rupert Brooke's style of poetry differ from other war poets?

Rupert Brooke's poetry was characterized by its idealized and romanticized portrayal of war, in contrast to the gritty and realistic depictions of other war poets like Wilfred Owen.
5

What was the significance of Rupert Brooke's death during World War I?

Rupert Brooke's death from sepsis in 1915 elevated him to a symbol of the lost youth and potential of his generation, further immortalizing his legacy as a war poet.

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Childhood & Early Life

Rupert Brooke was born on August 3, 1887 in Rugby, Warwickshire to William Parker Brooke and Ruth Mary Brooke. He had two brothers, one elder and one younger.

He received his schooling from Hillbrow School and Rugby School. He then won a scholarship to King’s college, Cambridge. Handsome and charming, he also excelled in sports and studies and became quite a popular character in the college.

In college he became a visible figure in English intellectual circles and established friendships with E M Forster, Virginia Woolf and the likes. He was the president of the Cambridge University Fabian Society and helped found the Marlowe Society drama club.

In 1910, he replaced his recently deceased father at Rugby School for a term before coming back to Cambridge. For the next three years, he travelled and wrote poems extensively.

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Career

After Cambridge, Rupert Brooke moved to Grantchester to work on his thesis and poems. His first book was titled ‘Poems’ and it was released in 1911. As a tribute to this city he penned the poem ‘The Old Vicarage, Grantchester’, in 1912.

Through his writings he along with several other poets of that era, shunned Victorianism in favor of realism, as they believed it was more descriptive and painted a better portrait of real-life incidents.

He was a member of the Dymock Poets, along with Robert Frost, Edward Thomas, Wifrid Gibson, John Drinkwater and Lascelles Abercrombie. The group lived near the village of Dymock in Gloucestershire in the time period between 1911 and 1914.

In 1912, he along with Edward Marsh, Walter Mare, John Masefield, and others compiled an anthology of the works of his peers titled ‘Georgian Poetry, 1911-1912’.

The year 1912 ended on a turbulent note as his mind was preoccupied with sexual confusion, followed by the rejection of his lady-love. He suffered a nervous breakdown and spent several months in rehabilitation trips to Germany.

In between May 1913 and June 1914 he wrote 15 articles for Westminster Gazette. The articles were about his trips to Canada, America, various Pacific Islands and New Zealand.

After returning to England he found more fame and acknowledgement. He campaigned in support of Poor Law reform and his social circle now included Henry James, Bernard Shaw, Cathleen Nesbitt and Violet Asquith.

Within a few months, World War I began and he wished to volunteer in the war. He applied for a commission in the Royal Navy Division and got it easily as Edward Marsh, his financer and friend, was the secretary to Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty.

Commissioned with the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as a temporary Sub-Lieutenant, he sailed with the group to Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp saw no major military action during the stay of the battalion and Brooke made the most of this peaceful time and penned his most famous work – a group of five war sonnets titled ‘1914 & Other Poems’.

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In February 1915 he headed out for Dardanelles with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force but the course of the expedition was changed mid-route. The unit landed in Egypt where he contracted dysentery.

By April the unit was on move again and Brooke still hadn’t recovered well enough. A mosquito bite developed into blood poisoning and his already ailing body couldn’t handle the strain.

Major Works

Rupert Brooke’s most famous works are the five war-sonnets titled ‘1914 & Other Poems’. In the sonnets he tries to convey to his readers how this oncoming war is a good sign for the changes to come, which wouldn’t be possible without it. He believes the people who live to see the days after the war would be very fortunate as they would see the birth of a new generation; but the ones who might not be so lucky have nothing to fear as the war would bring an end to their ever-prevailing sufferings and conditions. Further on he goes to the extent of imagining his own death but isn’t sad about dying for his country and thinks of it as a noble sacrifice for his brethren.

Awards & Achievements

Rupert Brooke was awarded a fellowship from King’s College in 1913 for his dissertation on Webster.

Personal Life & Legacy

Rupert Brooke had many lady-loves but he was married to none. He was engaged to Noel Olivier once. After her he had brief relationships with Bloomsbury group-member Virginia Woolf, a Tahitian woman named Taatamata and actress Cathleen Nesbitt.

He died of sepsis on 23 April 1915, at the age of 27.

Facts About Rupert Brooke

Rupert Brooke was known for his charismatic personality and good looks, earning him the nickname "the handsomest young man in England" during his time.

Despite his reputation as a poet, Brooke also had a strong interest in acting and was involved in several theatrical productions during his time at Cambridge University.

Brooke had a deep love for nature and often found inspiration for his poetry during his travels through the English countryside and abroad.

He was a passionate traveler and visited several countries including the United States, Canada, and New Zealand, which provided him with a diverse range of experiences to draw upon in his writing.

Brooke was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of influential artists, writers, and intellectuals in early 20th-century London, further showcasing his vibrant and social nature.

Rupert Brooke Biography

You wanted to know

What is Rupert Brooke best known for?

Where did Rupert Brooke serve during World War I?

What impact did Rupert Brooke's poetry have on the war effort?

How did Rupert Brooke's style of poetry differ from other war poets?

What was the significance of Rupert Brooke's death during World War I?