Analysing the poem ‘The Man He Killed’ by Thomas Hardy
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Hardy uses language, form and structure to convey the speaker’s attitude to war.
Key learning points
- The poem takes the form of a dramatic monologue.
- Regular meter creates an informal tone as the speaker explains his actions.
- The equal stanzas could represent the commonality of experiences of war.
- Repetition and mirrored language illustrate a connection between the speaker and the man he killed.
- Hardy uses informal language to characterise the speaker as a regular and relatable person.
Keywords
Colloquialism - informal words, phrases, or expressions characteristic of everyday conversation
Slang - informal language consisting of unconventional words/phrases specific to certain groups or cultures
Interjections - words or phrases used to express emotion, surprise, or emphasis, often inserted into a sentence
Dramatic monologue - a poetic form in which a single character speaks, revealing their thoughts, feelings, and motivations
Commonality - shared features, traits, or characteristics among individuals, groups, or things
Common misconception
The 'enemy' soldier was a similar person to the speaker - he did a similar job and was of a similar social status.
We only learn about the 'enemy' soldier through the speaker's perspective. In stanza 4, the speaker infers what the man's life was like and, in turn, reveals a lot about his life and motivations for joining the army.
Teacher tip
You could translate the informal language into a more formal register together and encourage students to infer what this might suggest about the speaker and their background.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of ‘The Man He Killed’ by Thomas Hardy. This can be found in the Edexcel Poetry Anthology (we will be using the ‘Conflict’ cluster).
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each of the following words to the correct definitions.
the words and phrases chosen by the poet to convey meaning and emotion
the arrangement of a poem, including rhyme scheme and poem type
the organisation and sequencing of ideas, imagery, and narrative
Q2.What is an exclamation?
Q3.Which of these sentences contains a contraction?
Q4.Thomas Hardy's 'The Man He Killed' was influenced by which military conflict?
Q5.What is propaganda?
Q6.What is a monologue?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match these types of informal language to the correct definitions.
unconventional words/phrases specific to certain groups or cultures
words, phrases, or expressions characteristic of everyday conversation
words/phrases inserted into a sentence to express emotion or surprise
sentence or utterance used to convey strong, intense emotions
Q2.Match these types of informal language to the correct quotations from 'The Man He Killed'.
"We should have sat us down to wet / Right many a nipperkin"
"He thought he'd 'list"
"Because he was my foe, / Just so: my foe of course he was"
"Yes; quaint and curious war is!"
Q3.What are the three main conventions of a dramatic monologue?
Q4.There are three main types of dramatic monologue: romantic, psychological/philosophical and .
Q5.Which of these quotations from 'The Man He Killed' use repetition and/or mirroring?
Q6.What important link is there between the first and fifth stanza of 'The Man He Killed'?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Analysing the poem ‘The Man He Killed’ by Thomas Hardy, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Analysing the poem ‘The Man He Killed’ by Thomas Hardy, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the 'Conflict' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.