Concetti Chiave
- The poem, written by Thomas Hardy in 1902, reflects on an encounter between soldiers during war.
- It consists of twenty lines, organized into five stanzas, each with four lines beginning with a capital letter.
- The poem features regular punctuation and includes four instances of run-on lines.
- The rhyme scheme pairs the first line of each stanza with the third line.
- The poem evokes a range of emotions, emphasizing the absurdity and irony of war.
“ 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 tramps-
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.”
What would an Imaginary Meeting Between Soldiers look like?
This poem was written in 1902 by Thomas Hardy. A soldier is talking and he talks about a man he had met during the war.
The poem is made up of twenty lines, split into 5 stanzas. Each stanza is made up of four lines which begin with a capital letter. There is a regular punctuation and there are four run-on-lines “Had he and I but met// By some old ancient inn” (lines 1-2),“We should have set us down to wet//Right many a nipperkin” (lines 3-4), “although // He thought he'd 'list” (lines 12-13) and “You shoot a fellow down// You'd treat, if met where any bar is” (lines18-19) The first line of each stanza is intended and the rimes with the third.
Personal Impressions on Poetry
All in all, I really like this poem because it’s so expressive and it arouses different feelings in me.
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the central theme of Thomas Hardy's poem written in 1902?
- How does the poem's structure contribute to its message?
- What personal impression does the poem leave on the reader?
The central theme of the poem is the senselessness and irony of war, where soldiers who might have been friends in different circumstances are forced to become enemies.
The poem's structure, consisting of five stanzas with four lines each and regular punctuation, emphasizes the contrast between the potential camaraderie of the soldiers and the harsh reality of their roles as enemies.
The poem is expressive and evokes various emotions, highlighting the absurdity of war and the arbitrary nature of enmity between soldiers who might otherwise share a drink together.
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