The Man He Killed Flashcards
Who was Thomas Hardy
(1840-1928) Victorian Poet. Realism and Romanticism. Was against the Second Boer that Britain was fighting,when poem was written.
How Does poem relate to conflict?
Explores conflict in wartime, reality of conflict and memories of conflict.
What was the 2 themes Hardy explores?
Futility(pointless) of War. Speaker knows that he was his foe but doesn’t know why, demonstrating the stupidity of war.
The second theme that Hardy explores.
Theme 2 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 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 (idea of internal conflict)
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
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 terms are used to describe how punctuation is used in poems?
Enjambment and Caesura used to create a feeling of little there is to kill each other.
What quote could I use to show this?
“Was out of work — had sold his traps — No other reason why.” Dashes create stuttering effect. Endstopping.
Why is repetiton and fillers used in the poem?
To show that the speaker why did he kill the man? Fillers are used to buy him time and to think about the answer why he killed.
Why does hardy use collouquialism?
This enables to say that his enemies are normal and common men. Helped contextualise as foes as common men.
Why does poem use simple and matter of fact language?
Reflects speaker’s background as working class. To get a message that regular men are put in a normal situation.
What quote shows this?
“I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place.” Internal rhyme.
