The man he killed poem explanation. Critical Analysis of The Man he Killed by Thomas Hardy: 2022 2022-10-24
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"The Man He Killed" is a poem by Thomas Hardy that reflects on the absurdity and tragedy of war. The speaker of the poem is a soldier who has killed an enemy soldier in battle, and he reflects on the fact that, had circumstances been different, the two men might have been friends.
The poem begins with the speaker stating that the man he killed was someone "who would have lived a glad and good life." This line highlights the tragedy of war, as it suggests that the man who was killed was a person with his own hopes, dreams, and potential. The speaker goes on to say that the two men might have been friends, had they "met where any bar is," suggesting that their encounter on the battlefield was purely a matter of chance.
The speaker's reflections on the man he killed continue throughout the poem. He wonders if the man had a sweetheart or a wife, and if his death was mourned by his loved ones. These lines convey a sense of loss and grief, as the speaker recognizes the humanity of the man he killed.
The final stanza of the poem brings the absurdity of war to the forefront. The speaker states that the man he killed was "just as dead as if [he] had been slain by [his] own brother." This line suggests that the man's death was meaningless, as it was caused by a random encounter with an enemy rather than by any personal animosity between the two men.
In conclusion, "The Man He Killed" is a powerful reflection on the tragedy and absurdity of war. It highlights the fact that war takes the lives of people who might have been friends, and it suggests that these deaths are often meaningless and arbitrary. This poem serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of conflict and the need for peace.
Line by Line Meaning of The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy: 2022
Killing, injuring, fighting must not have been in the minds of both these people. We see the change of rhythm in the poem. The last stanza shifts its focus from the two men towards the bigger picture and the bigger evil of war. Soldiers are required to shoot at an opponent without any justified reason. Class Difference and Society: It is often thought that everyone on the battlefield is equal; everyone has to face the same consequences, but this is not a fact. The poem concentrates on the negative aspects of war. On another level, it is an example of the entire mechanism of war.
But the scenario might have changed if the two enemies met each other in the friendly surroundings of a pub. Stanza 2: The speaker unveils the unnamed person that he killed in this stanza. They were forced to kill each other without knowing or understanding why, just because they stood on opposite sides of a battlefield. In the poem, Hardy puts himself in the perspective of a common people and asks bigger questions regarding the purpose of the war in general except destruction and loss. Perhaps he had seen others join and enrolled. Including Masterclass and Coursera, here are our recommendations for the best online learning platforms you can sign up for today.
He sees the man as his enemy, the image establishes by the battlefield, looking at each other from opposite sides. Written by people who wish to remainanonymous War The poem is a criticism of war, and it shows the senselessness of war, where people kill each other for simple reasons or no reason at all. The poem beautifully and implicitly illustrates the class difference in the society. No one could predict who would die and who would survive. In another place or time, they would have behaved differently.
Although the poet killed the stranger it was due to unavoidable circumstances, he would have embraced him as kin which implies that there is no point, in war. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. As a result, the empathy and interest of the audience are aroused since they are involved in the conversation. The reason for killing the man is that it was a part of his job, something he was told to do. Most of his works dealt with the problems of rural culture and the Victorian obsession with morality, purity and other social constraints, hence, hardy became an extremely controversial writer. Hardy is using the voice of the narrator to make his point that ordinary, simple men do not want to fight and kill; they only do it because they are told to. Upon reading the entire poem, the audience realizes that it is the speaker that shot the person.
Stanza 2 ranged as infantry: The soldiers arranged in troops in their camp, ready for battle. The poet did not believe in the Victorian faith in benevolent God. The adults announce the war, and it is youth who suffers. The same fellow, whom you would have otherwise befriended and offered a drink, becomes your enemy on the battlefield. A simile is used at the beginning of the second stanza, which unveils that the speaker is a soldier who met a stranger on a fierce battlefield. However, they had not met in the inn first but as soldiers part of the infantry of their respective armies, they were forced to fight each other.
You can also complete courses quickly and save money choosing virtual classes over in-person ones. The speaker, in the first stanza, wonders what would be the condition if they met in different, normal circumstances. Answer: The narrator is not convinced that the man he killed was his enemy because he believes that it was fate that made the other man stand against him as his enemy. Stanza 4: In this stanza, the narrator mentions the reason what would make his victim fight on the frontline. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating thissection. He justifies his action by calling him his enemy, an enemy created by a battlefield; however, he is not confident in explaining that why the man was his enemy. Some online learning platforms provide certifications, while others are designed to simply grow your skills in your personal and professional life.
The speaker, after a long thought, mentions one reason for killing the man. In addition, emphasis on the death of an innocent man is created. On the whole, the poem is acutely ironic. The unnamed person is a soldier of the opposite camp in a war that they fought against. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. His adversary sold his traps and equipment in order to satisfy his hunger. He chose to embrace the traditional technique while introducing an original style to write poems that combines colloquial diction and rough-hewn rhythms with a variety of unique stanzaic and meter forms.
Their aim was to strengthen the British Empire. The speaker in the poem begins by memorizing a time when he shot a man in a war for the safety of his country or infantry. Historicism Knowing the time and geographical context of a literary work helps to understand the themes, plot, and other literary elements. War takes the most toil on those who lose everything and are in a desperate need to provide for their existence. The tone is somber since meeting in a bar would have allowed the speaker to have a nice moment but it is obvious, they encountered each other in a different setting. The poem stands as a great example of the senselessness of war because the speaker himself admits of its strange nature. The Man he Killed Literary Analysis Stanza 1: The speaker in the poem, The Man He Killed, begin by narrating the story of an unnamed man that he killed on the frontline during in face to face encounter.
