The Man He Killed Flashcards
Who was Thomas Hardy?
(1840-1928) Victorian poet
Realism and romanticism
critical of Victorian society
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 that Thomas Hardy explores?
Theme 1 - The Futility (pointless) of War
The poem has a strong anti-war message
The speaker knows that he is the man’s ‘foe’ but he cannot
fathom why.
This demonstrates the stupidity of war in which men kill because
they are told to
‘Everyday’ ideas and colloquialisms (inn, nipperkin) show that this it is ordinary people who are affected.
Theme Dehumanisation
Neither the speaker nor the man that he killed are given a name – their identity has
been removed.
This represents the idea that they do not matter to those in
power.
The fourth stanza suggests that the men are working class; they have more in common with each other than with those who command them.
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.
Slow realisation (marked by the caesura) throughout stanza 3 and 4 that the man killed was in fact
not an enemy.
Stanza 5 sums up the futility of war and its effect on those doing the fighting
What quote could you use 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
“quaint” (adjective - unusual or old-fashioned) the implication seems to be that war is like an outdated, irrelevant tradition.
in 1902, when the poem was written, Hardy expected the human race to have come up with a better, more humane, and more rational way to resolve disputes.
Hardy concludes his poem in an incredulous /disbelieving tone, questioning why a more modern solution has not yet been found.
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.
At the end of stanza 4 in order to slow the pace of the poem, and leave the reader paused on the idea of there being little reason for the two men to kill one another both are used
What quote could we use to show this?
“Was out of work
had sold his traps
No other reason why.”
Why is repetition and filler 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 quote shows 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.
Stanza 4, where the speaker suggests that the man he killed may have, like he, ‘sold his traps’ (his belongings).
These colloquialisms helps to contextualise the speaker and foe as common men, and emphasises Hardy’s message to his reader’s.
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.
Simple language is perhaps most evident in the short description of the killing – no emotive language is used or details given as the man has to do in his role.
What quote shows this?
“I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place.”
