1. Year 10 Poetry Collection
Lesson 5 – ‘The Man He Killed’ by Thomas Hardy

2. Learning Objective
To understand how Hardy presents ‘the enemy’ and death in war in this poem
Outcomes:
You MUST annotate your poem independently with as much info as possible. You will need this for your revision next year.
Anything you miss, it is your responsibility to catch up/complete Flipped Learning

3. Read and listen First impressions? What is it about? Repeated ideas?
Tone? Message?
Words – specific/interesting/unusual?
Alliteration or other devices?
Rhyme and rhythm?
Structure?

4. Glossary
short for ‘wet the baby’s head’ meaning toast the health of a new baby regional dialect word for baby foot soldiers on the front line enemy enlist, join the army things, stuff buy a drink for pre-decimal coin to the value of two shillings and sixpence (12½ pence)
wet
nipperkin
infantry
foe
’list
traps
treat
half-a-crown

5. Glossary dramatic monologue quatrain iambic trimeter iambic tetrameter
first-person narrative a stanza of four lines, often having alternate rhymes metre with three beats of two syllables per line metre with four beats of two syllables per line

6. Key points about the poem:
Anti war poem, written in 1902 after Boer war.
He used his poetry to speak out against the futility of war – therefore, this poem could be about any war at any time…
Plight of infantryman forced to follow orders
First person narrative – dramatic monologue
Working class soldier speaking, sitting in a pub. Talks about how in another life he and his ‘enemy’ could have been friends and had a drink together
Unambiguous – reflects speaker
Quatrains ABAB
Why has the 3rd line of each stanza been lengthened? (nursery rhyme?)

7. Exploring viewpoint and language
Persona of narrator ✓
Soldier returning from war
Working-class man
Boer
War hero
Murderer
Unemployed
Enemy
Unnamed protagonist
Friend
Infantryman
Alcoholic
Political activist
Army officer
Patriot
Miser
British
Remember: working class man in pub = dramatic monologue
Did Hardy choose this setting for a reason? Which of these apply to narrator?
Explain, in a paragraph, why you think Hardy has chosen to express his views on war using this particular spokesperson.
Challenge: Is the speaker an enemy? Explain.

8. Themes
Ordinary people on both sides in a war are technically enemies, even though they might share similar ideas and issues. They may have more in common with each other than with those higher up who are giving them orders.
Dehumanised and demonised enemy…despite sharing key characteristics. (eg. Both patriotic and follow orders…)
Underline parts of poem where narrator realises he may not be an enemy at all?
Is punctuation and rhythm any different at these points?

9. Consolidation
What do you think Hardy means when he writes how quaint and curious war is? In your writing make use of textual references, comment on structure and form, and use a PEE structure.
Two paragraphs, please.

10. Peer assessment Are they using correct terminology?
Are they using appropriate quotations?
References to language, structure and form?
GCSE Mark Scheme for Paper 2 Section B 
Level 1
Identification of language, form and structure is minimal.
Little evidence of relevant subject terminology.
Level 2
There is some comment on the language, form and structure of the text.
Limited use of relevant subject terminology to support examples given.
Level 3
The response shows an understanding of a range of language, form and structure features and links these to their effect on the reader.
Relevant subject terminology is used to support examples given.
Level 4
Analysis of language, form and structure features and their effect on the reader is sustained.
Relevant subject terminology is used accurately and appropriately to develop ideas.
Level 5
The response is a cohesive evaluation of the interrelationship of language, form and structure and their effect on the reader.
Relevant subject terminology is integrated and precise.