The man he killed Flashcards
Who was Thomas Hardy?
Victorian poet Realism and romanticism
Hardy was openly against the Second Boer War, which Britain was fighting at the time the poem was written.
how does this poem link to conflict?
Conflict in wartime, Reality of conflict, Memories of conflict
What are the two themes thomas hardy explores?
The Futility of War, a strong anti-war message and colloquialisms
What are the two themes Thomas hardy explores?
Dehumanisation
Neither the speaker nor the man that he killed are given a name – their identity has been removed.
How is the poem structured?
Dramatic monologue
Friendly idea of two men drinking together in an Inn, to brutally killing each other on a battlefield.
What quote can be used to show this?
“Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down” ‘Quaint’ and ‘curious’ are not two words used to describe war, but they do allude to the unusual experience of being violent towards someone he does not know
What are the terms used to describe how punctuation is used in the poems?
Enjambment/ Caesura
Enjambment and caesura are used to affect the rhythm and pace of the poem, and to emphasise meanings.
What quote could I use to show this?
“Was out of work — had sold his traps — No other reason why.”
Why is repetition and fillers used in the poem?
Words are repeated, and fillers are inserted, to show the speaker struggling to think about why he had to kill the man.
In stanza 3, ‘because’ is repeated over a line break, buying the speaker thinking time.
‘although’ and ‘perhaps’ show his hesitancy – he is clearly unsure about why he must kill.
Why does Hardy use colloqualism ? what quotes show this?
Enables the reader to view the speaker and his foe as ordinary men.
‘Wet/ Right many a nipperkin’, implying that in a different situation they may well drink together - ‘Nipperkin’ was a term most used in the West Country.
Much of the poem uses simple and matter of fact language - why?
This reflects the speaker’s background and character: a working class, ‘everyday’ man.
It is important that these common features of the speaker and the man he killed are understood by the reader, in order to get across the message that regular people are being placed into these horrific situations.
What quote shows this?
“I shot at him as he was at me, And killed him in his place.”
