Rupert Brooke
The English poet whose death at the start of World War One was mourned by millions
Witness History · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
In April 1915, Britain mourned when poet and national hero Rupert Brooke died on a troopship in the Dardanelles during World War One. Often compared to a Greek god because of his blond good looks, Brooke had written a series of famous sonnets that reflected the optimistic mood at the beginning of a conflict that would claim tens of millions of lives. Simon Watts introduces the memories of three of Brooke's friends, as recorded in the BBC archives.
(Photo: Rupert Brooke. Credit: Culture Club/Getty Images)