Testament of Youth

Rupert Brooke was one of the first World War I poets to die, so he never experienced the horrors of trench warfare like many other WWI poets who lived longer than he. Select one of Brooke’s sonnets and discuss the poet’s attitude towards war and heroism; then, compare his attitude to that of Wilfred Owen, a poet who did fight in the trenches.

Brittain’s husband, George Catlin, once said: “The hardest rival you can have is a ‘ghost’ because your inclination is to idealise someone who died a long time ago.” Based on Brittain’s descriptions of Roland Leighton, what qualities of his might she have idealized the most?

Each chapter of Testament of Youth begins with a poem. Which poem is the most evocative of emotion in your opinion? Discuss your choice with specific examples of imagery.