The Man He Killed

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 and 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 –
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."

TPCASTT
T-title: A brutal murder and how the murderer hid

P-paraphrase:
If we met at a bar I would
Have bought him a drink
But unfortunately we met
At the battlefield as infantries

C-connotation: looking for deeper meaning. Diction and symbolism
Imagery: And staring face to face, I shot at him and he at me, and killed him in his place.
Mood: And killed him in his place/ No other reason why

A-attitude: a dialogue with a friend, heroic, sympathy, philosophical

S-shifts: From the first stanza to the second it becomes more serious and totally changes the theme of the poemT-title: the title gives off the soreness that the author has for the ‘man he killed’ that he was not able to becomes friends merely because they met at the fieldT-theme: What does the poem mean? What is it saying? How does it relate to life?