the man he killed ( Thomas Hardy) Flashcards
Context
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy born in Dorset in 1840, died 1928
Was strongly against the 1988 Boer war between the British and the Boers in South Africa
Critical of Victorian society, especially declining status of rural communities.
Romantic era poet
what is the form, rhyme, rhythm and narrative of the poem?
ABAB rhyme scheme, creates a tone like a calm nursery rhyme which eerily contrasts with the violent nature of the poem
Iambic trimeter- regular rhythm contrasts with sudden and chaotic war
Dramatic monologue- provides an insight into the character of the soldier and immerses the reader.
“We should have sat us down to wet/right many a nipperkin”
Informal Dorset dialect which humanises the soldier and creates a sense of sympathy for his circumstances.
“But ranged as infantry,/and staring face to face/ I shot at him as he at me,/ And killed him in his place”
Immediately introduces theme of war in the second stanza.
Use of enjambment increases the pace of the poem and highlights the lack of time the speaker has to act, along with showing the unpredictable nature of war.
“I shot him dead because-/Because he was my foe,/Just so: my foe of course he was;”
Repetition of conjunction “because” and noun “foe” highlights the hesitation of the speaker and his inability to find a justification for shooting the man.
Shows mental toll that conflict has.
“That’s clear enough; although”
The stanza ends on the use of enjambment of the conjunction “although”, highlighting the speaker’s unresolved thoughts and lack of assurance.
“Off hand -just as I-/was out of work-/had sold his traps-/no other reason why.
Repeated use of dashes highlights the speakers highlights the users fragmented state of mind
“Yes; quaint and curious war is!”
Ironic line, the adjective “quaint” means pleasantly old fashioned, which shows how the speaker is looking at war from a more general point of view, as he is following the orders given to him.
lexical field of combat and war
“infantry”, “shot”, “killed”, “foe” are repeated throughout the poem to highlight the theme of conflict and to present how war has a lingering effect on the speakers mind.
