What did Thomas hardy think about war?

Answer 1

Thomas Hardy's views on war are best articulated in the poem "The man he Killed" where Hardy articulated his views as a narrator in a light-hearted, however morally challenging way.

The man he killed - Thomas Hardy

In the poem Thomas Hardy tries to outline the morality of war, he puts forward many of his personal and controversial views on war. The poem is presented in the style of a dramatic monologue- where the narrator ponders as to weather the man he killed could have been his friend if they had met under alternative circumstances.

The first thing to note about the poem is that it is arranged in rhyming couplets, the writer has done this to indicate that the narrator is confused and therefore is trying to possess his thoughts in a light hearted way. Further evidence to support the view that the narrator is confused, is the use of dashes in the fourth stanza. The use of dashes indicates the hesitation of the narrator's thoughts.

The writer makes an effort to highlight the similarities between the narrator and the man he killed for example “he’d ‘list, perhaps Off-hand --just as I” another example of this can be seen in the stanza after this quotation. “Staring face to face” and ``I shot at him as he at me” are both examples of paired actions that are used to highlight the similarities between them. This makes it all the more confusing for the narrator to see the man he killed as a foe.

In the fourth stanza the writer uses repetition to further show the narrator's hesitance. The writer repeats the word “foe” this shows that the narrator is hesitant and he know that he killed the man because he was told he was the enemy but he doesn't really know why he killed the man “he was my foe, of course he was” in this instance it is almost like the narrator is trying to persuade himself that what he's done was right . The narrator is exploring a morally grey area in his monologue. The argument to weather it was right or wrong seems like it could go on forever.

In fact for the narrator it does seem to go on forever, this is suggested in the use of the word “nipperkin” (an old fashioned colloquial word for a drink at a pub) at the start of the poem and the use of the word “bar”. Both of these words relate to being in a pub therefore this could be considered as cyclical structure- which could further insinuate that the thoughts inside his head are going round and round and he is trapped in his own winding thoughts.

The third stanza ends in enjabament “although” because it doesn't end in punctuation this leads the reader to assume that the narrator continues thinking about it. Which he does. Throughout the poem the narrator tries to convince himself that what he has done is right though he knows not why he did it. This poses a moral question about how people act in war and about war itself and whether it is right. This very much reflects the moral question war poses to Hardy.

Answer 2

Thomas Hardy was critical of war and its destructive consequences on individuals and society. His works, such as "The Man He Killed" and "In Time of 'The Breaking of Nations'", reflect his anti-war sentiments and portray the futility and senselessness of conflicts. Hardy's experiences during the Boer War also influenced his views on war as a tragic and brutal affair.