Understanding the poem ‘The Man He Killed’ by Thomas Hardy
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Hardy explores attitudes to war.
Key learning points
- The poem was written during the Boer War.
- Hardy was very critical of this war and the British Empire’s military tactics.
- Hardy was suspicious that the British Empire wanted to exploit South Africa’s natural resources.
- In the poem, Hardy explores the similarities between two ‘enemy’ soldiers.
- He implies that perceiving war as simply a battle between good and evil dehumanises the people fighting,
Keywords
Perception - the way something is understood or interpreted, influenced by personal beliefs or biases
Contradiction - a statement or situation that is inconsistent or incompatible with another, causing conflict
Dehumanising - depicting people as less than human, stripping them of individuality or complexity, often for propaganda
Propaganda - information or material spread to promote a particular cause or viewpoint, often biased or misleading
Futility - a feeling of pointlessness or ineffectiveness in achieving a desired outcome or goal
Common misconception
This poem is written about soldiers fighting in WWI.
This poem was published during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) fought during the Victorian era. The First World War wouldn't begin for another 12 years.
Teacher tip
Consider comparing this poem to 'Exposure' (one of the others in the anthology) and exploring how Hardy and Owen convey a sense of the futility of war.
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
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.During which time period did the Victorian era occur?
Q2.Which of the following best describes a struggle within someone's mind?
Q3.Which of the following is an example of a third-person pronoun?
Q4.What is a 'critique'?
Q5.What was the British Empire?
Q6.What does 'melancholy' mean?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these is a synonym for 'foe'?
Q2.What does 'futility' mean?
Q3.What is interpersonal conflict?
Q4.Which of these words from the poem 'The Man He Killed' means 'a small container for liquids, holding about half a pint'?
Q5.Why does Hardy repeatedly draw similarities between the speaker and the enemy soldier in 'The Man He Killed'?
Q6.Which military conflict inspired Hardy to write 'The Man He Killed'?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding 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: Understanding 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.