The poem “1914 Peace” is written by Rupert I in a classical, uplifting and lofty tone and Rupert throughout the poem is offering thanks to God because God gave him the perfect opportunity to fight as a soldier for the British Empire. The poet is a dedicated lover of his country and he is even ready to sacrifice his life for his motherland. He is not among the citizens who do not care about their motherland and are busy in their personal lives.
It is true that the state has called upon the soldiers to fight on behalf of their country but it is only because of God that the soldiers are physically, emotionally and mentally fit to fight for their motherland. The poet feels that he is one among the lucky individuals who has an opportunity to protect the people of his motherland. He is very happy with the thought of being able to serve his country.
The British youth as described by the poet had sharp understanding of what is right and what is wrong as a result of which they were able to fight in a good physical form and also with precision. The youth who were fighting for the British Empire were stable and steady inside out and were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their motherland. Rupert I has beautifully portrayed an individual’s love for his country.
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The young soldier does have a family to support but still he loves his motherland more than his family and is not bothered to sacrifice his life for the sake of his motherland. The young soldier has his whole life lying ahead of him but still, all he cares is about security, safety and freedom of his country. If all the citizens of any nation become as selfless as the soldier portrayed in the poem, any nation will progress by leaps and bounds. When the poet says “to turn as swimmers into cleanliness leaping” he means that when the soldiers fight for their country, they actually purify their own selves in the process, as a result of which peace and harmony prevails in their lives both inside and outside.
The poet also feels guilty about the citizens who are selfish to such an extent that they are not bothered about their motherland. All they care about is the fulfillment of their selfish interests. When the poet says “And half-men and their dirty songs and dreary” he is very sad and feels pity for the citizens who instead of supporting their motherland are only interested in living their unimportant and dreary lives and singing dirty sons all day along. The poet terms these men as half- men who are only interested in girls and sex and says that despite the soldiers have committed a few sins, still they are pure as compared to these half- men. Rupert I by means of his poem is stressing on the fact that all the citizens of any country should be ready to sacrifice their lives for their motherland when the situation demands so.