Question

[25 POINTS] What does the “dust” mentioned in lines 4-5 likely represent? Cite evidence to support your answer.

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there’s some corner of a foreign field

That is forever 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, blessed 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.

Answer 1

The dust represents his body / his ashes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The dust in lines 4-5 probably represents the man's body or his "dust" buried in the ground. He describes it as a "richer" dust than the earth, meaning that it's of a higher quality, maybe, or made of a different material, which it is.

He later goes on to describe it as once having been "[a] body of England’s, breathing English air". This is pretty much a clear indication that the "dust" is his body, when he's dead.

Answer 2

The 'dust' in the poem symbolizes the remains of a soldier, imbuing the foreign soil with elements of England, his homeland, establishing a lasting connection between the two through his sacrifice.

In the context of the poem, the “dust” mentioned in lines 4-5 represents the remains of a soldier, which metaphorically conveys the idea that the soldier's body will enrich the foreign land where he died, linking it to England as a part of his homeland now lies there. The lines “In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware” suggest that the soldier was formed and nurtured by England, both physically from the earth and through the culture and experiences he had while alive. The use of the word “dust” to describe the soldier's remains is poignant, highlighting the transformation from an active, sentient being to something as elemental and humble as dust, yet it holds profound significance because it implies a return to the land that will become eternally connected to England through him.