The Man He KilledThomas Hardy

(1840-1928)

Title

Almost as if placing the blame on someone

Seems like the start of a story

Paraphrase

"Had he and I but metBy some old ancient inn,We should have sat us down to wetRight many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry,And staring face to face,I shot at him and he at me,And killed him in his place.

Paraphrase

If him and that man had met at a bar, they could have been friends and even had a few drinks together.

But they were placed as soldiers standing face to face shooting at one another. He killed the man on the spot.

Paraphrase

“I shot him dead because –

Because he was my foe, Just so – my foe of course he was; That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list perhaps, Off-hand like – just as I – Was out of work – had sold his traps – No other reason why.

Paraphrase

He killed him because they are supposedly enemies, that is for certain, or is it?

What if he had joined the army for the same reasons as me, because he had no other options. He was out of work even after selling all his belongings still had no choice.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down You'd treat if met where any bar is, Or help to half-a-crown."

Paraphrase

War is strange in a sense where you would kill any man although you could be friends with these same men you label your enemies, so much so they’d treat you to a drink or split it 50/50

Connotation

I had a lot of trouble finding any literary terms that were involved in this poem. I believe the main term focus on is irony but even then the whole thing is written in a more straightforward, sophisticated manner.

Attitude

Speaker + Poet’s attitude: Ironic, uncertain, compromising, conversational

Shifts

Shifts in Pace: "I shot him dead because – (justifying the situation) "Yes; quaint and curious war is! (pondering, a

sense of irony)

Shifts in Attitude: "I shot him dead because – (justifying) "He thought he'd 'list perhaps (imagining the other

man’s life, a sense of empathy, assuming) "Yes; quaint and curious war is! (somewhat more

up beat)

Title

Still seems to begin a story type of curiosity, as if you know the title is about to go somewhere

Very upfront and straightforward

Curiosity of the man killed

Theme

War is a strange phenomenonWar has no point at all

You are more like your enemy than you would think

Desperate times call for desperate measuresWith war nobody wins