The Man He Killed

"Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin! "But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place. "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. "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."

The poem the man he killed by Thomas hardy is a dramatic monologue about a man who was involved in war and Is telling other people about his experience. The message the poem is trying to get across is that in war the enemy is like you and they are just as scared and confused as you are. He thought hed list perhaps, Off-hand like just as I Was out of work had sold his traps No other reason why. This stanza says that the man in the poem who was killed was out of money and sold his trappings (stuff) and joined the army because he didnt know what to do. Off hand like- just as I this line suggests that the man who did the killing also was having trouble with money and joined the army off hand like meaning he didnt think of what he was doing I shot him dead becauseBecause he was my foe, Just so my foe of course he was; Thats clear enough; although This stanza makes you think that the man was thinking of why he shot the man and trying to convince himself that is was the right thing to do. my foe of course he was; Thats clear enough the tone of the poem is sad and Thomas hardy has used broken English E.G. off hand like to make it seem more like a man from the 1900s was talking so the audience would feel more like they were there. Thomas hardy also uses rhyming lines to make the poem have more feeling and depth. Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin! In this stanza the man says that if he and the man he killed had met under different circumstances they might have had a drink together since the dead man was just a normal guy just like the shooter. We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin! this line suggests that the shooter felt bad for killing the dead man saying that they should have sat down to many nipper kins (drink) and he feels the mans life was wasted. Overall the man he killed is a good poem and is well written.