the man he killed analysis essay

The Man He Killed

By Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy wrote poems such as ‘The Man He Killed’ as a way to express his feelings about the Boer wars which were going on during his time.

Thomas Hardy

Nationality: English

After the death of his wife, Emma, in 1912, Hardy's subsequent volumes were marked by personal grief.

Poem Analyzed by Allisa Corfman

Degree in Secondary Education/English and Teacher of World Literature and Composition

Thomas Hardy wrote poems such as  ‘The Man He Killed’ as a way to express his feelings about the Boer wars that were going on during his time. Most of Great Britain supported this war, so his words about it mark him as one who was willing to go against the tide, think through what was happening, and form his own opinions about this war. With this poem, Hardy makes war personal, and that is what allows his readers to relate with ‘The Man He Killed ,’ whether or not they have personally been to war. He is able to help readers to identify with his feelings by bringing the war down to a personal, one on one level. The way in which he does this helps the readers to understand the realities of war.

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Explore The Man He Killed

• 1 Rhythm and Rhyme
• 2 Structure and Form
• 3 Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
• 4 Thomas Hardy Background

Rhythm and Rhyme

This poem follows a pretty simple scheme. “Met” and “wet” rhyme , as do “inn” and “nipperkin”, giving this poem an ABAB rhyme scheme . The result is a lulling, nursery rhyme kind of feeling. The subject of ‘The Man He Killed,’ however, is clearly not nursery rhyme material, and the rhyme and rhythm paired with the ideas presented create a sense of irony .

Structure and Form

‘ The Man he Killed ‘ uses iambic meter throughout, with some variation. Generally, the first, second, and fourth lines of each stanza are in iambic trimeter (three metrical feet), while the third line is in iambic tetrameter (four metrical feet). This regular metrical pattern contributes to the poem’s sing-song quality, which sounds almost like a nursery rhyme. This lightness in meter contrasts with the poem’s heavy subject matter , highlighting the casual and conversational tone of the speaker .

This poem is composed of five quatrains , following a structure reminiscent of the ballad stanza format. The steady stanza length, combined with the bouncy iambic meter, lends the poem a rhythm akin to a nursery rhyme. Again, just like with the meter, this creates an uneasy tension between the lightness of the form and the gravity of the subject matter. The poem is also a dramatic monologue , indicated by the quotation marks enclosing the entire text. This framing suggests the poem is overheard speech , possibly in a casual setting like a pub.

Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

“Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin!

This poem begins with the hypothetical that the speaker and a man meet up in “some old ancient inn”. Because the title is, “the man he killed” the readers can assume that the speaker is referring to the man he killed. He is giving a hypothetical to help the readers to understand the humanity of each of them. Immediately, the readers can picture two men meeting up by chance and sitting down for a drink together. A “nipperkin” refers to a type of container that held a certain amount of liquid.

This stanza makes it clear that the speaker wishes that he had met this man under different circumstances. The reader does not yet know what the circumstances were that led to the speaker shooting the man. It does not sound like the speaker had any hateful feelings toward the man, and it certainly does not seem like the speaker had any reason to kill the man. In fact, it rather sounds like he wishes he hadn’t.

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

The word “but” jolts the reader out of the hypothetical and back to reality. In real life, as a part of the infantry, the speaker stared a man in the face and shot him. The man also shot at the speaker. The speaker “killed him in his place”. This stanza also reveals to the reader that the speaker had a near-death experience. The speaker, being so focused on the man he shot, does not give any insight into what he felt at having been the man to walk away. The fact that the two men were face to face shows that either one could have died. It was only by chance that the speaker walked away and the other man fell. Perhaps this near-death experience was what caused the speaker to think about the other man rather than himself. Whatever the reason, the speaker seems to grow very contemplative after this experience.

Stanza Three

“I shot him dead because — Because he was my foe, Just so: my foe of course he was; That’s clear enough; although

The first two lines of this stanza of ‘The Man He Killed’ reveal that the speaker does not really know why he shot the man. He says “I shot him dead because-” and then he pauses. The reader can imagine what he is thinking, for he does not know why he killed him. Then he finally gives the reason. He says he killed him because he was a foe. Then, he asserts, “my foe of course he was; that’s clear enough;” as if to try to justify what he did when he shot the man. It is clear that the speaker is quite uncomfortable with what he has done, and is trying to reason with himself to convince himself that he had done the right thing in shooting the man. The fact that he was at war was not reason enough for the speaker. He felt that he must have a deeper reason, but he could not find one.

Stanza Four

“He thought he’d ‘list, perhaps, Off-hand like — just as I — Was out of work — had sold his traps — No other reason why.

At first, the speaker tries to justify shooting the man. Then, he begins to think about that man’s life. He supposes that the man enlisted in the military “off-hand” because he was out of work. The speaker thinks about the man as being somewhat like himself. He himself enlisted because he knew not what else to do. He did not go to war with the desire to kill a man, and now that he has killed a man, he cannot explain to himself why he has done it.

Stanza Five

“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 speaker, after trying at first to justify his shooting of the man, and then thinking about the man’s life, ends ‘The Man He Killed’ by concluding that war is a very strange thing. He calls it “quaint and curious” because, in war, you might shoot the very same man whom you would treat to a pint of liquor had you met him in a bar rather than on the battlefield.

Thomas Hardy Background

Thomas Hardy began his writing career with novels , but when many of them received negative reviews, he seemed to abandon fiction in favor of poetry. The time period in which Hardy lived was such that he experienced war first hand. He also had a keen interest in history and studied many of the wars that had happened much before his time. This knowledge of the effects of war, and his first-hand experience of war, brought Hardy to write poems that expressed a desire for peace. This particular poem makes war very personal and causes the reader to think about war in terms of one man killing another even though neither man hated the other.

Hardy’s poems are often described as dark and gloomy. The experiences that Hardy had throughout his life did not give him a very optimistic view of mankind. Thus, his poetry reflects his feelings toward humanity, giving them a rather dark and cynical feel. However, the rhyme and rhythm that he uses are light and musical, giving ‘The Man He Killed’ a feeling of irony that makes the dark images all the more powerful. As in this poem, many of Hardy’s poems cause the readers to think about humanity and to question why people do the things they do.

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half life tho dust do tho much?

truth does not lie in falseness but rather in a cold bed of flowers

umm…true!

The war might be a strength of power to a victory side but eliminate the joyous victory of humanity to support life.

Sorry – i’m not sure I understand what you mean here.

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Corfman, Allisa. "The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/thomas-hardy/the-man-he-killed/ . Accessed 27 August 2024.

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The Man He Killed Summary & Analysis by Thomas Hardy

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"The Man He Killed" was written by the British Victorian poet and novelist Thomas Hardy and first published in 1902. A dramatic monologue, the poem's speaker recounts having to kill a man in war with whom he had found himself "face to face." Talking casually throughout, the speaker discusses how this man could easily have been his friend, someone he might have, under different circumstances, had a drink with in an "ancient inn." Struggling to find a good reason for shooting the man, the speaker says it was "just so"—it was just what happens during war. The poem thus highlights the senselessness and wasteful tragedy of human conflict and is specifically thought to have been inspired by the events of the Boer War in South Africa.

• Read the full text of “The Man He Killed”

The Full Text of “The Man He Killed”

1 "Had he and I but met

2             By some old ancient inn,

3 We should have sat us down to wet

4             Right many a nipperkin!

5             "But ranged as infantry,

6             And staring face to face,

7 I shot at him as he at me,

8             And killed him in his place.

9             "I shot him dead because —

10             Because he was my foe,

11 Just so: my foe of course he was;

12             That's clear enough; although

13             "He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,

14             Off-hand like — just as I —

15 Was out of work — had sold his traps —

16             No other reason why.

17             "Yes; quaint and curious war is!

18             You shoot a fellow down

19 You'd treat if met where any bar is,

20             Or help to half-a-crown."

“The Man He Killed” Summary

“the man he killed” themes.

The Senselessness of War

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “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

Lines 13-16

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

Lines 17-20

            "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 Man He Killed” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Juxtaposition

“the man he killed” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Half-a-crown
• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Man He Killed”

Rhyme scheme, “the man he killed” speaker, “the man he killed” setting, literary and historical context of “the man he killed”, more “the man he killed” resources, external resources.

Radio Documentary — A radio documentary about Hardy's life and work. 

Boer War Explanation — A BBC article that gives a clear account of the Boer War. 

Boer War Poetry — Further poetry related to the Boer War. 

Commentaries on Hardy Poems — A valuable resource of Hardy poems and analyses, provided by The Thomas Hardy Society.

A Reading — The poem read by Jordan Harling.  

LitCharts on Other Poems by Thomas Hardy

A Broken Appointment

At Castle Boterel

A Wife in London

Channel Firing

Drummer Hodge

He Never Expected Much

Neutral Tones

The Convergence of the Twain

The Darkling Thrush

The Ruined Maid

Where the Picnic Was

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The Man He Killed

Introduction.

Thomas Hardy, the world’s predominating novelist and poet, was born on June 2, 1948, in Dorset, England. He inherited the love for reading and books from his mother. He spent his early life in a rural atmosphere that has an influence on the subject matters of his novels. Living in London, during the period of his early career, he was quit predisposed by the works of Robert Browning, Charles Swinburne, and Charles Darwin. His first novel was The Poor Man and the Lady. Other important works include Jude the obscure (novel), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (novel). The Dynast and the Winter Words are the two volumes of his poetry and short stories appeared in 1903-08 and 1928, respective. He died on 11 January 1928 and was buried in Westminster Abbey in the poet’s corner.

The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy Summary

The speaker in the poem begins by memorizing a time when he shot a man in a war for the safety of his country or infantry. He, then, imagine a situation and realizes that what if they had encountered each other in an inn instead of on the front line? The speaker says that they could have had an impressive old time.

Themes of The Man he Killed

After returning from the war, the speaker is hunted by the thought of the war especially killing of the innocent people who came on the front line just to earn some money for their family. In the poem, the guilt seems to be evident when the speaker tries to explain why he killed a man. The speaker didn’t satisfy with the explanation claims in more guilt that he killed a man who is just like himself.

Class Difference and Society:

The man he killed literary analysis.

The speaker begins the stanza with exclamation “yes” which shows that he has gained some insight into the events that led him to kill another man. He realizes that it is the war that makes you an enemy of an unknown person who, in other place and time, would be friends that one would ‘treat’ or ‘help’. The speaker appears to have engrossed the guilt when he realizes that war is a real killer. The speech becomes again more rhythmic and regular in this stanza.

Rhyming Scheme:

Structure analysis:.

This poem is a dramatic monologue written in ballad form in the speech of a returned soldier. The poem consists of 5 stanzas each having four lines with regular rhyme. There are six syllables in every line of each stanza except the 3 rd  line of stanza which consists of eight syllables.

Figures of Speeches:

The poet uses simile in the following line to draw an explicit comparison:

More From Thomas Hardy

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“The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy: A Critical Analysis

“The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy, first appeared in 1902 in Harper’s Weekly, was included in his collection Time’s Laughingstocks and Other Verses.

Introduction: “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

Table of Contents

“The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy, first appeared in 1902 in Harper’s Weekly , was included in his collection Time’s Laughingstocks and Other Verses , the poem is a powerful exploration of the absurdity of war. Its concise and conversational tone, coupled with its stark contrast between the mundane and the deadly, make it particularly suitable for school texts. Hardy’s masterful use of irony and understatement invites critical analysis, encouraging students to delve into complex themes such as the dehumanizing effects of conflict and the fragility of human life.

Text: “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

“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.”

Annotations: “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

Phrases explained:

• “nipperkin”: a small cup or container for liquor
• “foe”: enemy
• “‘list”: enlisted (in the military)
• “traps”: belongings or equipment
• “half-a-crown”: a small amount of money
• “quaint and curious war is”: war is strange and ironic

Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

Themes: “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

• The Futility of War: Hardy’s “The Man He Killed” is a scathing indictment of the senselessness of conflict. Through the speaker’s detached and matter-of-fact tone, Hardy highlights the absurd contradiction between the camaraderie imagined in a civilian context and the deadly reality of the battlefield. The lines “Had he and I but met / By some old ancient inn” contrast sharply with “I shot at him as he at me,” emphasizing the tragic irony of killing a potential friend. The poem ultimately questions the rationale behind war, suggesting it is driven by arbitrary forces rather than meaningful cause.
• The Dehumanizing Effects of War: Hardy masterfully depicts the dehumanizing impact of war on the individual. The speaker’s reduction of the enemy to a mere “foe,” devoid of personal identity or shared humanity, underscores the erosion of empathy in conflict. The lines “You shoot a fellow down / You’d treat if met where any bar is” highlight the stark contrast between human connection in civilian life and the cold indifference of warfare. The poem suggests that war transforms individuals into mere instruments of violence, stripping them of their compassion and sense of self.
• The Economic Roots of Conflict: Hardy implicitly suggests that economic factors can drive individuals into war. The speaker’s revelation that both he and his enemy “were out of work” points to the potential of economic desperation as a catalyst for conflict. The poem implies that war can be a consequence of social inequality and lack of opportunity, as individuals are compelled to enlist for survival. This theme highlights the complex interplay between societal structures and individual choices in the context of war.
• The Anti-War Sentiment: Hardy’s poem is a powerful anti-war statement that challenges the glorification of conflict. Through its understated and matter-of-fact tone, the poem avoids melodrama and instead focuses on the stark realities of war. By presenting the enemy as a potentially sympathetic figure, Hardy invites readers to question the morality of violence. The poem ultimately serves as a call for peace and understanding, urging readers to consider the human cost of war.

Literary Theories and “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

• Marxist Theory: The poem “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy can be analyzed through the lens of Marxist theory, which highlights the economic and class-based motivations behind human actions. The speaker’s musings on the circumstances that led the other man to enlist, “He thought he’d ‘list, perhaps, / Off-hand like — just as I — / Was out of work — had sold his traps — / No other reason why” (lines 13-16), suggest that poverty and lack of opportunities drove them both to fight. This echoes Marx’s idea that economic conditions shape human behavior and relationships (Marx, 1848). The speaker’s killing of the other man can be seen as a result of the capitalist system’s exploitation of the working class, forcing them to fight each other for survival. The poem critiques the notion that war is fought for noble causes, instead revealing the underlying economic interests that drive conflict.
• Psychoanalytic Theory : Through the lens of psychoanalytic theory, the poem can be seen as an exploration of the speaker’s psyche and the repressed emotions that arise from killing another human being. The speaker’s repetition of “I shot him dead because — / Because he was my foe” (lines 9-10) can be seen as an attempt to rationalize and justify their actions, but ultimately reveals a sense of guilt and unease. The speaker’s imagination of an alternate scenario where they meet the other man in a peaceful setting, “Had he and I but met / By some old ancient inn” (lines 1-2), suggests a desire for human connection and empathy, repressed by the demands of war. This echoes Freud’s idea that human behavior is shaped by the struggle between conscious and unconscious desires (Freud, 1915).
• Poststructuralist Theory: The poem can also be analyzed through the lens of poststructuralist theory, which highlights the instability and fragmentation of meaning in language. The speaker’s use of irony and contradiction, “Yes; quaint and curious war is! / You shoot a fellow down / You’d treat if met where any bar is” (lines 17-19), subverts the traditional notions of war and enemy, revealing the arbitrariness of these concepts. The poem’s use of language and form can be seen as a reflection of the chaos and disorder of war, challenging the idea of a coherent and objective truth. This echoes Derrida’s idea that language is inherently unstable and subject to multiple interpretations (Derrida, 1967).

Critical Questions about “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

• Question 1: How does Hardy use form and structure to convey the poem’s message?
• Hardy’s choice of form and structure in “The Man He Killed” is integral to its impact. The poem’s regular rhyme scheme and meter create a deceptively simple and conversational tone, mirroring the casual nature of the speaker’s reflections. This apparent ease belies the poem’s profound exploration of complex themes. The ballad-like structure, with its repetitive refrain-like qualities, emphasizes the cyclical and futile nature of war. The short, declarative sentences contribute to the sense of detachment and irony, as the speaker casually discusses the act of killing another human being.
• Question 2: What is the role of irony in conveying the poem’s message?
• Irony is a central device in “The Man He Killed.” The stark contrast between the imagined camaraderie in a civilian setting and the grim reality of the battlefield creates a powerful ironic effect. The speaker’s casual tone as he describes killing his enemy is deeply ironic, as it highlights the absurdity and senselessness of war. The suggestion that they might have been friends in different circumstances intensifies the tragic irony of their situation. Hardy’s use of irony serves to underscore the poem’s anti-war message and to provoke critical reflection on the nature of conflict.
• Question 3: How does the poem explore the complexities of human nature in the context of war?
• “The Man He Killed” delves into the psychological impact of war on the individual. The speaker’s detached and matter-of-fact tone suggests a dissociation from the act of killing, revealing the dehumanizing effects of conflict. The poem implies that war can suppress empathy and compassion, reducing individuals to mere combatants. At the same time, the underlying sense of regret and confusion suggests a lingering humanity within the speaker. Hardy explores the tension between the inherent capacity for kindness and the destructive forces of war, revealing the psychological complexities experienced by those caught in conflict.
• Question 4: What is the significance of the poem’s ending, and how does it contribute to the overall message?
• The final stanza of “The Man He Killed” offers a poignant reflection on the absurdity of war. The line “quaint and curious war is!” encapsulates the speaker’s bewilderment at the senselessness of the conflict. The image of treating the enemy as a friend in a bar underscores the tragic irony of their situation and highlights the potential for human connection outside the realm of war. The poem concludes on a note of disillusionment, suggesting that war is ultimately a futile and destructive force that undermines human relationships.

Literary Works Similar to “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

• “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen : Both poems critique the horrors of war and challenge the glorification of combat.
• “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke: Explores the personal impact of war, though Brooke presents a more romanticized view compared to Hardy’s ironic tone.
• “Strange Meeting” by Wilfred Owen: Reflects on the tragic irony of killing a potential friend in war, similar to the themes in Hardy’s poem.
• “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” by Randall Jarrell: Both poems depict the senselessness and tragic consequences of war through the eyes of individual soldiers.
• “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy: Another of Hardy’s own works, this poem similarly questions the purpose and futility of war, reflecting on its relentless nature.

Suggested Readings: “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

• Armstrong, Tim. Modernism, Technology, and the Body: A Cultural Study . Cambridge University Press, 1998.
• Seymour-Smith, Martin. Hardy: A Biography . St. Martin’s Press, 1994.
• Cox, R. G. “ The Poetry of Thomas Hardy: A Revaluation .” Critical Quarterly , vol. 4, no. 2, 1962, pp. 97-110.
• “Thomas Hardy’s Poetry.” The Victorian Web , www.victorianweb.org/authors/hardy/hardyov.html. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024 .
• GHOSH, OINDRILA. “‘QUAINT AND CURIOUS WAR IS’: HARDY AND THE POETS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR.” The Thomas Hardy Journal , vol. 31, 2015, pp. 130–39. JSTOR , https://www.jstor.org/stable/48568832 . Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
• Fischer, Jeffrey. “Killing at Close Range: A Study in Intertextuality.” The English Journal , vol. 95, no. 3, 2006, pp. 27–31. JSTOR , https://doi.org/10.2307/30047040 . Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.

Representative Quotations of “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

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The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy

The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy poignantly explores the senseless brutality of war, portraying the tragic irony of two potential friends turned foes. The speaker of the poem grapples to justify the inexplicable act of killing a fellow man in the midst of conflict.

This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Conflict Anthology and Pearson Edexcel’a GCSE English Literature Conflict Anthology . For more study guides from this anthology, check out the lists of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide.

The Man He Killed

What is 'the man he killed' about, summary of stanza 1:.

The poem opens with the speaker, a soldier, reflecting on a missed opportunity for friendship with a soldier from the opposing army. He imagines a chance meeting with the man he later kills in war at an old inn. The tone is regretful, emphasising the missed opportunity for friendship and understanding.

Summary of stanza 2:

The poem shifts abruptly to the harsh reality of war, describing how the two men, instead of sharing a drink, find themselves as soldiers facing each other. The symmetry in their actions is highlighted, with both shooting at each other.

Summary of stanza 3:

The speaker, grappling with the justification for the killing, asserts that it happened because the other man was considered a foe. The repetition and the matter-of-fact tone underscore the lack of a clear rationale for viewing the other man as an enemy.

Summary of stanza 4:

The soldier speculates on the reasons the other man enlisted, suggesting impulsive decisions and lack of full consideration. It is clear in his hesitations that he cannot find substantial motives for their enlistment. The are almost mirror images of each other, just wearing different uniforms.

Summary of stanza 5:

The concluding quatrain reflects on the oddity of war, emphasising the irony of killing a fellow man whom one might have treated to a drink in different circumstances. The repetition of the missed friendship and the contrast between killing and buying each other a drink accentuates the senselessness of war.

Context of 'The Man He Killed'

Thomas hardy's life, education and career.

Thomas Hardy, born on 2nd June 1840, in Dorset, England, was a Victorian novelist and poet, known for his depictions of rural life and his exploration of the complexities of human relationships.

Hardy was educated in a local school in Bockhampton, then at Mr. Last’s Academy in Dorchester. His love of literature emerged at an early age, but his family’s lack of means meant Hardy did not attend university. Instead, he began to work as an architect’s assistant in 1856. His understanding of settings and structures added integrity to his poetry and novels, lending authenticity to his storytelling.

In the early 1860s, Hardy moved to London where he continued to study literature and began to write poetry, although his first book of poetry, ‘Wessex Poems,’ was not published until 1898.

In 1874, Hardy married Emma Gifford, a well-educated woman who shared his love for literature. Their marriage faced challenges, with Emma struggling with mental health issues. The strained relationship between Thomas and Emma Hardy profoundly influenced his later novels, with themes of love, marriage, and societal expectations prevalent throughout his work.

In 1895, Thomas Hardy published ‘Jude the Obscure,’ a novel that faced harsh criticism for its controversial themes and critiques of societal norms. The negative reception, coupled with personal tragedies, including Emma’s death in 1912, led Hardy to abandon novel writing. He turned his focus to poetry, publishing several collections, including ‘Poems 1912-13’ and ‘Satires of Circumstance.’ 

Thomas Hardy passed away on 11th January 1928, in Dorchester.

‘The Man He Killed’ was first published in 1902. The poem reflects the grim reality of war, specifically the Boer War, which occurred between the British Empire and the Boer Republics (the South African Republic and the Orange Free State) from 1899 to 1902. 

You can read more about the Boer War here .

Another poem written around the same time, and in the same context of the Boer War, is Sir Henry Newbolt’s poem Vitaï Lampada . ‘ Vitaï Lampada’ is also part of the CCEA Conflict Anthology , and so provides an excellent comparison poem for ‘The Man He Killed.’

Analysis of 'The Man He Killed'

'the man he killed' title.

The title is factual in tone. The use of the third person pronoun ‘he’ sits in contrast to the first line, which is first person. The clue to understanding this disparity is in the use of the speech marks: the poem is a conversation between a speaker and another, third person. The ‘I’ of the poem is a soldier who shot another enemy soldier at war, and then returns home and discusses the event. The title uses ‘he’ in reference to this speaker, and therefore makes the poem an overheard conversation. Taking a step back from the first person in the title creates a critical position in which the reader can listen and consider the question of the morality of war for themselves.

'The Man He Killed' line-by-line analysis

"had he and i but met.

• The opening line introduces the element of a chance meeting, highlighting the potential for camaraderie between the speaker and the killed man.
• Alliteratio is used softly and subtly in the opening two words ‘Had he’, creating a reflective tone.

By some old ancient inn,

• The setting, an old inn, adds a touch of nostalgia, suggesting a place of warmth and conviviality. The setting in stanza one is hypothetical: the reality is that the speaker and the man did not meet in an inn, but rather on the battlefield.

We should have set us down to wet

• The anticipation of a shared drink, ‘nipperkin,’ emphasises the camaraderie that could have been. 
• This missed opportunity of friendship is further emphasised by the plural pronoun ‘we’.

Right many a nipperkin!

• The colloquial term ‘nipperkin’ sets this poem firmly in England. In some parts of the UK, a ‘nip’ is a small drink.
• The usage of ‘right’ here as an intensifier is also colloquial, grounding the poem firmly on home soil rather than at war.

But ranged as infantry,

• The abrupt shift from the hypothetical scenario to the harsh reality of war underscores the randomness of the soldier’s fate.
• The stanza and sentence open with ‘But’ emphasising the shift in setting and in time, jolting the speaker from a hypothetical scene to this recollection of a real situation.

And staring face to face,

• The repetition of ‘face’ emphasises the direct confrontation and shared humanity between the two soldiers.
• Repetition is highlighted by alliteration, creating a gentle rhythm, almost sing-songy in effect.

I shot at him as he at me,

• The symmetry in their actions underscores the absurdity of killing someone who, in different circumstances, would have been a friend.
• The alternate rhyme of infantry/me and face/place creates a child-like rhyme which is in direct contrast to the matter-of-fact brutality of ‘I shot at him as he at me’. Hardy opposes the rhyme with the content to force the reader to think about the senselessness of war.

And killed him in his place.

• The bluntness of this line starkly contrasts with the earlier envisaged camaraderie, highlighting the brutality of war.
• The end-stop forces the reader to stop reading and take a pause to reflect on the story that has been told so far.

I shot him dead because-

• The hyphen at the end of this line creates a moment of hesitation, showing the questioning tone the speaker’s own understanding of why he committed the act.

Because he was my foe,

• The soldier attempts to justify his actions with a straightforward reason, but the repetition of ‘because’ suggests an attempt to convince himself as much as anyone else.
• This line seems almost said from rote learning due to its factual tone: the soldier repeats a well rehearsed line from his memory to justify his actions.

Just so: my foe of course he was;

• The rhyme of ‘so’ early on this line and the final sound in ‘foe’ of the previous line further adds to the sing-song rhythm of the poem. This casual, lighthearted rhythm sits at odds with the very serious and questioning tone of the subject matter.
• The repetition and the matter-of-fact tone emphasise the lack of a clear rationale for viewing the other man as an enemy.
• The phrase ‘of course he was’ adds to the uncertainty; the speaker is talking himself into his actions and is trying to quell the doubt in his mind.

That's clear enough; although

• The semi-colon in the middle of the line is a caesura, forcing the reader to pause along with the speaker, and highlights the contrast between the thoughts on either side of the semi-colon.
• Enjambment in this line creates a conversational tone, highlighting the nature of this interaction. Although we only hear one side, it is clear the soldier is speaking to someone.
• The juxtaposition of ‘that’s clear enough’ and the conjunction ‘although’ shows the conflicted nature of the speaker’s thought process.

He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,

• The soldier speculates on the reasons the other man enlisted, introducing the notion of impulsive decisions.
• The abbreviation of ‘enlist’ to ”list’ further adds lightness and informality to the conversation, despite the very heavy and serious subject matter.

Off-hand like-just as I-

• The comparison between their decisions highlights the randomness and lack of deep consideration behind their choices.
• ‘just as I’ reminds both the speaker and the reader that these two opposing soldiers are likely very similar people. The symmetry of their actions and choices is made clear throughout the poem.
• The broken syntax and the disruptive punctuation in this line and the next highlights the confusion in the speaker’s thinking. 

Was out of work-had sold his traps-

• Possible reasons for enlistment, such as unemployment and selling belongings, underscore the haphazard nature of their decisions. Perhaps these were the speaker’s own reasons for enlisting which he projects onto the life of his ‘enemy’.
• This line is slightly longer than most others, with two different reasons included in the line. This length underscores the speaker’s desire to find a rational reason for war.

No other reason why.

• The concluding line of the soldier’s rationalisation emphasises the lack of a substantial motive, revealing the arbitrary nature of war. 
• The sing-song rhythm is apt here, as there is no reason more substantial to be found: the reasons for all of the killing seems to be as light and empty as the rhythm itself.

Yes; quaint and curious war is!

• The concluding quatrain reflects on the oddity of war, circling back to the initial idea of the missed camaraderie.
• The opening utterance ‘Yes’ is conversational.
• The caesura after ‘Yes’ makes it clear that this is a conclusion to the questioning and hypotheticals of the previous stanzas.
• ‘Quaint’ and ‘curious’ are ironic adjectives to use in a conclusion to the previous stanzas.
• Bathos is used here (an anticlimax created by moving from the sublime to the trivial) highlighting the senselessness of war.

You shoot a fellow down

• The harsh bluntness underscores the ‘normality’ of taking a life in war.
• ‘You shoot’ uses the simple present tense, as if to imply this is an every day occurrence, familiar to all. 

You'd treat, if met where any bar is,

• The contrast between killing and the hypothetical scenario of sharing a drink in a bar emphasizes the irony and senselessness of war.
• The final lines of the poem return to the thought developed in the opening stanza: the imagined drink at an ancient inn.

Or help to half a crown."

• The concluding line echoes the beginning, emphasising the lost opportunity for friendship and mutual understanding. Perhaps war could be avoided altogether, had individual soldiers anything to do with it.
• The reference to ‘half a crown’ is another feature of British culture, setting the poem very much in an English setting.

Analysis of form and structure

Verse structure.

The poem has a regular structure, written in five equal quatrains (four-line verses). Due to the nature of a one-sided conversation, this poem is a dramatic monologue. It explores the dark thoughts and trauma of a solider who returns from war and struggles to process the actions he took while at war.

The poem has a regular rhyme scheme, where the first and third lines of each stanza rhyme, as do the second and forth. Often this is noted as ABAB and described as alternate rhyme. This rhyme scheme is often employed in nursery rhymes and songs, giving the poem a false sense of child-like innocence, or of a lighthearted nature. In fact, the rhyme contrasts starkly with the dark thoughts of the speaker. This very contrast between rhyme and content perhaps reflects the very traumatised nature of soldiers returning from war and attempting to process what they had witnessed and done while at war.

The rhythm of the poem is regular in each stanza. The meter is iambic, with the second syllable of each pair of syllables being stressed. There are three stressed syllables in lines one, two and four, making these lines iambic trimeter. Line three of each stanza is longer, with four stressed syllables, making line three iambic tetrameter.

The regular rhythm in each stanza works along with the regular alternate rhyme to create a sing-song effect, which is ironic given the dark thoughts explored by the speaker. 

Themes in 'The Man He Killed'

Futility of war.

‘The Man He Killed’ has a very strong anti-war message. The overarching theme is the futility of war, depicted through the repetition of the missed camaraderie and the ironic contrast between killing a fellow man and the imagined scenario of sharing a drink. The poem delves into the irrational and senseless nature of war, highlighting the absurdity of killing someone who, in different circumstances, could have been a friend.

Impulsiveness in enlisting

The poem touches on the impulsive nature of enlisting in the army, suggesting that individuals may join without deep consideration, driven by factors like unemployment or the selling of personal belongings. Hardy’s humble upbringing helps him to relate to those who might have made a decision to enlist based on the opportunity to earn a steady income.

Justification and guilt

The soldier grapples with justifying his actions, revealing the inner conflict and guilt associated with killing a fellow man. The poem explores the inadequacy of the reasons provided for such acts, yet with a falsely lighthearted tone, making it seem light and conversational.

Missed friendship

The theme of missed opportunities for camaraderie and friendship is central to the poem, emphasising the tragic consequences of war on potential connections between individuals. The poem raises huge moral issues in relation to war, focusing on the twisted irony of killing people who are just like you, except born in a different place.

Comprehension Questions on 'The Man He Killed' by Thomas Hardy

• What is the initial setting envisioned by the speaker in the poem, and how does it contrast with the reality of the setting of the poem?
• Describe the tone of the first stanza and how it contributes to the overall mood of the poem.
• What literary devices does Hardy employ to emphasise the symmetry in the actions of the two soldiers in the second stanza?
• What is the soldier’s justification for shooting the other man, and how does the poet use poetic devices to convey the lack of clarity in this reasoning?
• Explore the significance of the soldier’s speculation about the reasons the other man enlisted and the repetition of ‘I’ and ‘he’ in the fourth stanza.
• How does the poet use language to convey the impulsive nature of the soldiers’ decisions to enlist in the army?
• In the final quatrain, what is the central idea in the phrase ‘Yes; quaint and curious war is!’?
• How does the structure of the poem contribute to the overall message about the futility and senselessness of war as portrayed by Hardy?
• What poem in the CCEA Conflict Anthology (or any other anthology you are studying) is most similar to ‘The Man He Killed’ in its attitude to war?
• What poem in the CCEA Conflict Anthology (or any other anthology you are studying) is least similar to ‘The Man He Killed’ in its attitude to war?

Other poems from the CCEA Conflict Anthology to pair with 'The Man He Killed'

Bayonet charge by ted hughes.

Both ‘The Man He Killed’ and ‘Bayonet Charge’ explore the harrowing realities of war and its impact on individual soldiers.  Hughes explores the disorienting and chaotic nature of battle, while Hardy focuses more on the tragic irony of individual relationships.

Vitaï Lampada by Sir Henry Newbolt

‘Vitaï Lampada’ by Sir Henry Newbolt is set in the same context as ‘The Man He Killed,’ the Boer War. While Hardy’s poem takes a critical view of war, seeing it as futile, Newbolt’s poem is fiercly patriotic, seeing war as an honour and a privilege for anyone, and death at war as glorious. These contrasting persepectives provide plenty of scope for comparison.

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death by W.B. Yeats

‘The Man He Killed’ explores the personal and immediate consequences of conflict through the eyes of a soldier who reflects on the absurdity of killing a potential friend. ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’ contemplates war and mortality from the perspective of an Irish aviator with a more introspective and philosophical tone, providing students with alternate perspectives.

Vergissmeinnicht by Keith Douglas

‘Vergissmeinnicht’ explores the aftermath of battle, focusing on the discovery of a dead enemy soldier, delving into the human aspects of war. Douglas draws on his own experiences as a soldier during World War II. Students can explore war poetry across different historical contexts, with themes such as the dehumanisation of enemies, the psychological toll of war, and the moral implications of killing. There are opportunities to  contrast the time periods and personal experiences of the poets.

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CCEA Conflict Anthology Study Guides:

Pearson Edexcel Conflict Anthology Study Guides:

The Man He Killed

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Further Reading & Resources

Discussion Questions

The Pointlessness of War

Because Hardy elected not to specify the conflict that serves as the occasion for his poem, the poem stands as an indictment not of a specific war or battle but of war in general. It’s notable that the speaker is not a man of power, like a general or politician, but a commoner who has joined the war for lack of employment. In having a simple infantry soldier as the speaker, the poem captures the ground-level confusion of a man who was compelled to kill and is struggling to process why he was required to do something so heinous. Unlike the powerful, who have something to gain from war, the speaker and his victim are engaged in an unnecessary battle for survival, highlighting the theme of war’s pointlessness.

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The Man He Killed ( Edexcel GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

The Man He Killed

Your Edexcel GCSE English Literarature Conflict Anthology includes 15 poems. In your exam you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare it to another one from the anthology. As this is a “closed book” exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will need to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, if you understand these four essential things about each poem, you will be able to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem
• The ideas and messages the poet wanted to convey
• How the poet uses poetic methods to convey these ideas and messages
• How the ideas and themes in each poem compare and contrast with the ideas and themes of the other poems in the anthology

Here is a guide to Thomas Hardy’s 'The Man He Killed', from the Conflict Anthology. It includes the following sections:

• Overview : a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
• Writer’s methods : an analysis of the poet’s techniques and methods
• Context : an exploration of the poem’s context in relation to its themes

What to compare it to : suggestions about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Your exam paper may ask you to compare 'The Man He Killed' with one other poem from the Conflict Anthology. You should focus on the ways in which each poem presents ideas about conflict.

If you look at the section on “What to compare it to”, you’ll find detailed suggestions about how to compare 'The Man He Killed' with other poems in the anthology. If 'The Man He Killed' is the printed poem on your exam paper, state which poem you’re going to compare it to, and why you have made your choice. For instance, you could compare 'The Man He Killed' with another poem that focuses on military conflict, such as Wilfred Owen’s 'Exposure'. In your introduction, present a summary of the main similarities and differences you intend to focus on in your response.

This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell
• An explanation of the poem, section-by-section
• An outline of Hardy’s intention and message in each of these sections

'The Man He Killed' in a nutshell

'The Man He Killed' is a dramatic monologue , narrated by an unnamed soldier. He recounts his experience of killing an enemy soldier on the battlefield and reflects that, if he had met the man he killed under different circumstances, the two of them might have been friends. The speaker’s lack of conviction about killing the man is emphasised by his sense of identification with him, although he also recognises that he was his enemy. The poem criticises the way that war forces soldiers to simply follow orders, without knowing or understanding the reasons for their actions. Hardy also implies that it is usually working class men who are put in this position. 

'The Man He Killed' breakdown

“‘Had he and I but met

By some old ancient inn, 

We should have sat us down to wet 

Right many a nipperkin!”

Explanation

• If the speaker had met the man he killed near a pub, they would probably have shared quite a few drinks:
• A “nipperkin” is a measure of drink, so it’s like saying “quite a few pints”

Hardy’s intention

• The speaker contrasts the situation that actually happened with what might have happened (“Had he and I but met”) in different circumstances
• The speaker and the man he killed would probably (“should”) have been friends
• Hardy’s use of the dialect words “wet” (drink) and “nipperkin” suggests the two men would have had a lot in common, including their working class backgrounds
• Hardy is showing, right from the start, the speaker’s uncertainty about his actions:
• This opens up the subject of the irrationality and futility of war

“‘But ranged as infantry, 

And staring face to face, 

I shot at him as he at me, 

And killed him in his place.”

• Because the two men were enemy soldiers in an infantry regiment, they shot at each other
• The speaker killed the other man where he stood
• Hardy introduces the circumstances in which the two men actually met
• They were both soldiers in infantry regiments, on opposite sides (“ranged”) in the conflict
• Standing “face to face” emphasises their opposition, while “staring” could suggest fear or horror
• The line describing the two men shooting at each other is very evenly balanced, with four syllables describing each man’s action:
• This highlights their mutual enmity , but also how much they are alike
• The construction of “killed him in his place” also implies how easy it would be to switch the subject round to read “killed me in my place”:
• This reinforces the commonality between the speaker and his enemy

“‘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.”

• The speaker shot the man because he was his enemy
• That’s clear to the speaker, even though he seems to need to convince himself of it
• However, the man he killed may have decided to enlist (’list) in the army on the spur of the moment, just like the speaker did
• He may have had similar reasons to the speaker, like being out of work, or selling his belongings (“traps” broadly means “stuff”), or some other reason that wasn’t serious
• These lines show the speaker attempting to make sense of the situation that he and the man he killed found themselves in
• First of all, the speaker reminds himself that he shot the man because he was his enemy
• He then settles on a definite reason for killing the man:
• But he seems to need to justify it to himself when he says “Just so” to emphasise it, then repeats his statement
• “Just so” may also imply that his action was “just” the way it was, because that’s what happens in war 
• The line ending “although” leads straight into the following stanza, suggesting that the speaker can’t think about the man he killed as only an enemy
• He returns to the the things that made them alike
• The sequence of possible similarities that follows shows the speaker creating more parallels between himself and the man he killed
• The similarities identified by the speaker emphasise his belief that the man he killed had the same rural, working-class background as himself
• The one reason for enlisting that the speaker doesn’t identify is patriotism , showing that he did not himself enlist for patriotic reasons

Lines 13–20

“‘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.’”

• War is unusual and odd 
• In war, you shoot somebody that you would buy a drink or lend money to in other circumstances
• These lines take the poem full-circle, back to the beginning, with the speaker asserting that, in different circumstances, he would have been friends with the man he killed 
• The use of “ quaint ” and “curious” understate the gravity of the speaker’s experience, and are likely to be intended as ironic

In fact, war has been a devastating experience for the speaker, and the trauma of killing a man who he believes was just like himself still haunts him

Writer's methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is important to take an integrated approach to AO2. That means you should only consider how the poet is presenting their ideas to help you understand why they have made those choices. Think about how Hardy’s language, structure and form contribute to his theme, message and intention. 

Focusing on theme, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the following sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, including the intentions behind Hardy’s choices of:

The best way to discuss the technical aspects of poems, such as their form, structure and language, is to integrate what you know into your argument about the themes and ideas in the poem. For the highest marks, you should demonstrate your understanding of how Hardy gets his meaning across. 

That means you should show how Hardy uses form, structure and language to make his ideas clearer and more effective. Avoid just identifying poetic techniques without linking them to the themes of 'The Man He Killed'. Focus instead on things like the effect Hardy’s rhyming scheme has on his message, or how the poem’s form or structure helps to convey a particular tone.  

Hardy’s dramatic monologue has five four-line stanzas, all of which have a regular rhyming scheme of ABAB. The third line of each stanza is slightly longer than the others at eight syllables. The poem’s regular rhythm gives it a conversational, even chatty tone, which contradicts its violent subject. This contributes to the poem’s irony , and also makes it more noticeable when the regular rhythm is broken. Drawing attention to his theme of the futility of war in such a subtle way reveals Hardy’s sophisticated use of form, even when his language is simple and straightforward. 

The structure of the poem is cyclical . The speaker discusses the friendship that might have existed between the two men, then identifies that he was an enemy soldier, and finally comes back to the idea of friendship. This puts greater emphasis on the similarities between the two men and, therefore, the futility of their conflict. The cyclical structure also implies that there is no solution to the speaker’s anxiety and that war fails to provide any answers; it can only perpetuate a cycle of destruction and doubt. 

Hardy’s use of simple language reflects his speaker’s character, which makes his anti-war message very direct. The violence and futility of war is conveyed by language illustrating the speaker’s desperately grim situation, in which he could either kill or be killed. Hardy’s use of dialect words suggests his speaker is a working man from Dorset. This presents him as an everyman figure who represents the feelings of ordinary soldiers. It also highlights ideas about social class .

Context is important, but examiners don’t want to see random chunks of information about Hardy’s life or the times he lived in, because that doesn’t demonstrate your understanding of the poem itself. You should aim to use contextual information to support your analysis of Hardy’s message and your exploration of his ideas. As the ideas explored in 'The Man He Killed' all revolve around the central theme of the futility of war, this section has been bullet-pointed under that theme:

The futility of war

• Thomas Hardy wrote 'The Man He Killed' in 1902, during the Second Boer War:
• The Boer Wars were conflicts between British and Dutch (Boer) settlers in what is now South Africa
• It’s likely that the British wanted to seize the territory because it was rich in diamond and gold mines
• Hardy disagreed with the reasons for fighting the Boer War:
• He argued publicly that the war was unjust, as the Boers were only defending their homes
• Hardy’s objections were typical of his liberal viewpoint:
• He believed that war was unnatural and should not be seen as a normal method of resolving a dispute
• Hardy believed that the politicians of his time were incompetent :
• They didn’t care about the moral and practical consequences of their decisions for ordinary soldiers
• In 'The Man He Killed', Hardy’s speaker can’t make sense of his experience:
• He struggles to find a reason why the man he killed was his enemy
• This illustrates Hardy’s view that ordinary soldiers had to enforce the senseless and immoral decisions made by politicians 
• Hardy was born in Dorset to a working class family:
• His father was a stonemason , which was regarded as a working class occupation
• Instead of following his father’s trade, Hardy pursued a career as a writer:
• His novels and poetry often feature working class protagonists
• His rural, working-class background allowed him to empathise with the speaker of 'The Man He Killed'
• It also ensured his familiarity with the Dorset dialect used by his speaker
• Hardy made it clear that the speaker of 'The Man He Killed' is a soldier who has returned from the war:
• He is talking to his friends in a Dorset pub
• This setting reinforces the contrast in the poem between normal life and the horror and futility of war

You should show your understanding of the relationship between the poem and its context in your response. Demonstrating your knowledge of contexts is a great way to add complexity to your analysis of the poem’s themes and ideas.

However, avoid including sections of information about Hardy’s life or his historical context without connecting it to his ideas, as that will not gain you marks. Instead, aim to use your knowledge of contexts to enrich your analysis of Hardy’s theme and message. That means your main focus should be on the key theme of Hardy’s poem, and how you can link it with the themes of the other poems in your Conflict anthology.  

What to compare it to

Your exam response should compare the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. Therefore, you should aim to revise pairs of poems together, to understand how each poet presents their ideas about conflict in relation to the other poets in your anthology. In 'The Man He Killed', Hardy’s main theme is the futility of war , so the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

'The Man He Killed' and 'Exposure'

'The Man He Killed' and 'What Were They Like?'

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell
• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

Your comparison of 'The Man He Killed' with other poems in the anthology should be detailed and insightful . You will need to compare how Hardy uses language, form and structure to present his themes with the methods used by other writers. Therefore, it’s important that you have a thorough knowledge of all the poems, rather than just memorising a series of quotations. 

Make sure your response is a comparison of the named poem and one other poem in the anthology. If you only write about the poem given on the paper, you will only achieve half the marks available. Writing a comparison of two poems that demonstrates your thorough understanding of both of them will achieve the highest marks. For instance, you could compare how Hardy and Wilfred Owen show their protagonists’ sense of futility, or how Hardy and Denise Levertov convey the devastation of ordinary peoples’ lives. 

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Wilfred Owen’s 'Exposure' and 'The Man He Killed' explore the futility of war and its devastating effects on ordinary people. Owen shows how trench warfare causes misery and hopelessness for a group of soldiers, while Hardy presents the aftermath of war and the suffering it causes an individual soldier. Both poems show how the experience of war leads to a realisation of its pointlessness . 

Similarities:

Differences:

Denise Levertov’s 'What Were They Like?' and Hardy’s 'The Man He Killed' both present a critical view of war’s futility, destruction, sadness and loss. In Hardy’s poem, the speaker has lost his peace of mind because he cannot account for or justify his actions during the war. Levertov’s poem focuses on the survivors of another unequal conflict, the Vietnam War, which devastated the country to the extent that her speaker cannot answer the questions about what things were like before the war. 

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Author: Jen Davis

Jen studied a BA(Hons) in English Literature at the University of Chester, followed by an MA in 19th Century Literature and Culture. She taught English Literature at university for nine years as a visiting lecturer and doctoral researcher, and gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in 2014. She now works as a freelance writer, editor and tutor. While teaching English Literature at university, Jen also specialised in study skills development, with a focus on essay and examination writing.

The Man He Killed, Thomas Hardy Poem Analysis/Annotations

• March 10, 2019
• All Poems / GCSE Edexcel / GCSE OCR

The Man He Killed, Thomas Hardy

FULL POEM - SCROLL DOWN FOR LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS​

LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS

“Had he and I but met

By some old ancient inn,

The tone of this first stanza is anecdotal and states that, if the narrator met the man we presume he intends to kill, ‘by some old ancient inn’     (or just in normal day to day life) they would have got on well. This hypothetical situation and anecdotal tone portray the relatable humanity of the two men.

We should have sat us down to wet

Right many a nipperkin!

These 2 lines are examples of informal, old Dorset dialect. ‘A nipperkin’ has 2 meanings – either a liquor container or a unit of measurement of volume (one nip is either one-third of a pint, or any amount less than or equal to half a pint). The key thing to take from these lines is that the 2 men are sitting down to a drink together and, thereby Hardy’s tone, dialect and language help paint a picture of traditional, peaceful old English society.

            “But ranged as infantry,

‘But’ not only acts as a tone shift (which we see in many poems) but also serves to shock the speaker out of the hypothetical and into the reality. ‘Infantry’ also marks a transition from hypothetical times of peace to vivid images and the brutal reality of war.

             And staring face to face,

This imagery of them ‘staring face to face’ is harrowing and quite emotive. It shows the last ounces of humanity within their veins as each man knows the outcome but delays it just for a second to compose themselves, reflect and look into the other person’s eyes. The tension is palpable.

I shot at him as he at me,

There was a mutuality, almost an agreement, to their respective shooting as both men shot at once. This mutuality conveys a connection between them, perhaps mutual respect, just like they had in the hypothetical scenario of the first stanza.

             And killed him in his place.

As the narrator reveals himself to be the man who walked away after landing the shot we see a glimpse into how war has manipulated and dehumanised his mind. Hardy illustrates this with the monosyllabic matter of fact language which is devoid of emotion. This emphasises the evils of war.

             “I shot him dead because —

The caesura at the end of this line very significantly signifies the man pausing to thing why he actually shot the man. The fact he is forced to pause and reflect shows that he doesn’t really know why.

             Because he was my foe,

The man cites his justification as being that the man was his ‘foe’. This shows the extent to which he has been manipulated by war as he believes it justifies murder without any personal grievance with or even knowing who the man is full stop. Hardy is examining the morals of war and the inhuman, mindless killers it turns its participants into.

Just so: my foe of course he was;

It’s evident here that the narrator is not only trying to defend his actions but justify them to himself as well.

That’s clear enough; although

Hardy’s use of punctuation is, again, key in setting a tone of destructive introspection and suppressed guilt. The semi-colon represents a pause to contemplate his actions as well as compose himself and the enjambement shows that the man’s thoughts are tumbling on and, despite his attempted justification, not resolved.

            “He thought he’d ‘list, perhaps,

After examining his own emotions the narrator focuses on the life of the other man – another sign of guilt.

             Off-hand like — just as I —

‘Off-hand’ means without previous thought or consideration. This implies that the other man signed up carelessly and without proper consideration, just like the narrator did. ‘Just as I’ emphasises the similarities between them and how war put them in a position of confrontation when in day-to-day life their similarities would have allied them.

Was out of work — had sold his traps —

The fact they were both out of work seems to make them vulnerable for enlisting. The lack of wealth and self-worth unemployment gives them drives them to enlist, just like hardship forces people towards drugs and gambling.

             No other reason why.

Unlike the previous one, this stanza has a conclusive end. Whilst the narrator, couldn’t conclude why he killed his ‘foe’, he can conclude why they were both in that situation in the first place.

            “Yes; quaint and curious war is!

The last stanza shifts its focus from the two men towards the bigger picture and the bigger evil of war. The tone is conclusive as the narrator surmises the oddness of war. Describing war as odd doesn’t seem too lighthearted for such evil.

            You shoot a fellow down

You’d treat if met where any bar is,

            Or help to half-a-crown.”

The last 3 lines describe how war is odd because it drives one to ‘shoot a fellow down’ when, if you saw him in day-to-day life, you’d buy him a drink or ‘help [him] to ‘half-a-crown’ (a coin introduced in 1536). It’s an emotive, yet lighthearted conclusion, as it deals with the overarching evil that is war and explores how this evil is transferred to its participants.

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Fellow Soldiers: an Analysis of 'The Man He Killed'

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Published: Feb 11, 2023

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The Man He Killed Quotes

By thomas hardy.

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“I shot him dead because — Because he was my foe, Just so: my foe of course he was; That’s clear enough; although Speaker

The speaker addresses the confrontation between him and an enemy combatant in a war zone. He tries to justify his action by establishing the soldier as a threat for his life was at stake too. Though the rules of engagement affirm that his action is called for, the speaker is remorseful. He views the enemy as innocent just as he is in the grand scheme of things. They are in a battle to serve their flag and the interests of their nations. The playful rhyme and the dark subject matter create a tension that makes the imagery all the more so disconcerting.

Was out of work — had sold his traps — No other reason why. Speaker

The speaker finds commonality between him and his foe regarding their drives to enlist in the military. He suspects that the desperation of unemployment forced them to join the war in order to provide. He is disillusioned by the realities of war due to a lack of concrete reason to serve beyond desperation. Thus, the speaker displays empathy towards the enemy since he understands the predicament they both were in. They never enlisted to kill a fellow man but to earn an honest living serving their nation.

“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.” Speaker

The speaker stresses that our shared humanity exists despite the complexities of enmity and patriotism. He attests that war has a means of sabotaging this commonality because of their duties to the flag. In this stanza, he expresses that a change of scenario would properly foster a friendship between the two men. In essence, the men have a lot in common and if they met at an inn or pub they will have a rapport. He acknowledges the senselessness of war in how common humanity is sacrificed in the name of patriotism.

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The Man He Killed Questions and Answers

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Study Guide for The Man He Killed

The Man He Killed study guide contains a biography of Thomas Hardy, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Man He Killed
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Poems & Poets

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."

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The Man He Killed by Hardy - 3 GCSE Lessons

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

22 August 2024

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