english 1102

Here is your ESSAY 4, the poetry essay–when you are finished, post the essay here

?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! [a half pint of beer]

“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 ? [trappings?his clothes, tools, belongings]
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.” [English coin, like saying, a few dollars]

ESSAY 4 DIRECTIONS

First, explain in simple contemporary language what is going on in each set of lines?write as if this were being said today in a local club or bar. In other words change the language here from that of late 19^th century England to a club in your town today.

Now explain about the narrator?s (the speaker in the poem who killed the man) argument about why he killed the man. Then explain his argument about whether or not he feels he did the right thing when he killed the man. Finally, explain the narrator?s attitude (or argument) toward war itself, not killing the man as he describes.

In your essay be specific. Use ?proof? from the poem to show your argument or points. This proof will be specific statements the narrator makes.

more than 1000 words. Regardless of how you organize the paper, the final draft of your paper needs to be typed, double spaced, and in 12 point font with one inch margins. Your name, the instructor?s name, the course number, and date need to be in the upper left hand corner of the first page. Your last name and the page number should appear in the upper right hand corner of each page. In other words the full MLA format.