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by Liz Allen Thomas Hardy's poem 'The Man He Killed' focuses on the senselessness and futility of war, where a man has killed another quite simply because they were fighting on opposing sides in a war. Written in the first person from the standpoint of one of the soldiers, the first stanza expresses the idea that the two men who fought would, had they in other circumstances met each other outside a pub, have enjoyed a few drinks ('right many a nipperkin') together. Yet it becomes clear in the second stanza that they in fact met as foot soldiers on opposing sides in a battle, and being confronted with each other, one had to die. The two men shot at each other, and the narrator's shot fatally injured the other man. The writer falters at the end of the opening line of the third stanza as he tries to justifies his action. Repeating the word 'because', he states that he had to kill the other soldier since he was his enemy. The third line of this stanza features more repetition, this time of the word 'foe' (enemy); the use of phrases such as 'Just so' and 'of course' suggest that the narrator is trying to convince himself that his action was inevitable. The stanza, however, ends with the word 'although', telling us that the writer is not in fact at ease with the idea that he has killed his enemy. Using enjambment to link to the fourth stanza, the narrator reflects on the fact that the soldier he killed probably decided to join the army ('list is short for enlist) because he had no work and had sold his belongings. The narrator understands this, having been in a similar situation himself and having found himself with no alternative but to join the army. It was not a positive decision, but a last resort when there were no other options. The final stanza reiterates the main theme of the poem, that war is a strange phenomenon because a soldier finds himself forced to kill a man that he would otherwise have bought a drink for or lent money to, had they met in times of peace. 'Half-a-crown' is the old British money, worth about twelve and a half pence in today's currency. In 1902 that would of course have had considerably more value than it does just over one hundred years later. The poem is written in a conversational tone, with speech marks included, making us feel that the soldier is addressing us personally in an informal way, and pleading with us to understand his action in killing his enemy. The language is very straightforward and easy to comprehend with the exception of two or three words. There are five stanzas, each of four lines, all of which are inset to a certain degree other than the third in each stanza, creating a regular pattern on the page. The rhyme scheme and rhythm are also regular and give the poem quite a fast pace. It is easy to appreciate this poem and to identify with the soldier and his feelings, sympathizing with his predicament and sensing that he regrets having had to kill his enemy. We understand that individual soldiers do not necessarily nurture hatred for those they are fighting against, but see them as human beings in circumstances similar to their own, enlisting in order to earn money and support a family. But when facing each other at close range, the reality of war kicks in and one of them must kill the other. The narrator here knows that he could easily have been the one to die. The idea that war is nonsensical when seen at the level of ordinary human beings who are obliged to carry out orders is evident throughout the poem.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoThere is only one theme - the stupidity of war. In war men kill each other because they have to, because they are told to, because if they don't the enemy will kill them first. But the same men in peacetime would share a pint together as best mates. I myself have sat in the Hofbrauhaus in Munich in Germany just after the war drinking and chatting with men who had been in uniform as the hated enemy only a few years before. And we never forget that first Christmas on the Wester Front in WWI when the English and German soldiers put down their guns and played football together in No Man's Land.
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The Man He Killed' is a poem written by the famous author Thomas Hardy, during the Boer War in 1902. Written from a soldiers point of view, this poem talks about the uselessness of the war.
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In "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy, the imagery revolves around the contrasting themes of camaraderie and violence. The poet uses vivid descriptions of the soldier he kills as a potential friend to highlight the senseless nature of war and the loss of human connection. Hardy's imagery evokes a feeling of regret and introspection in the reader.
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In "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy, the poet uses irony to convey the senselessness of war, as the speaker reflects on the absurdity of killing someone with whom they could have shared a drink. The poem also employs repetition for emphasis, with the phrase "Because" repeated to highlight the speaker's attempt to rationalize his actions. Hardy's use of conversational language and a straightforward narrative style adds to the poem's impact and helps create a sense of intimacy with the reader.
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Assonance in The Man He Killed?
The poem "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy exhibits assonance in the repetition of vowel sounds within words, creating a musical and rhythmic effect. For example, in the line "I shot him dead because—," the short "i" sound is repeated. This technique helps emphasize the speaker's conflicted emotions towards killing his enemy in war.
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