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Year 10
Edexcel

Analysing the 'The Man He Killed'

I can explain how Hardy uses language, form and structure to express his viewpoint.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Analysing the 'The Man He Killed'

I can explain how Hardy uses language, form and structure to express his viewpoint.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The poem takes the form of a dramatic monologue.
  2. Regular meter creates an informal tone as the speaker explains his actions.
  3. The equal stanzas could represent the commonality of experiences of war.
  4. Repetition and mirrored language illustrate a connection between the speaker and the man he killed.
  5. Hardy uses informal language to characterise the speaker as a regular and relatable person.

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.

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

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.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Edexcel GCSE Poetry Anthology (Conflict cluster).

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each of the following words to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:language,the words and phrases chosen by the poet to convey meaning and emotion

the words and phrases chosen by the poet to convey meaning and emotion

Correct Answer:form,the arrangement of a poem, including rhyme scheme and poem type

the arrangement of a poem, including rhyme scheme and poem type

Correct Answer:structure,the organisation and sequencing of ideas, imagery, and narrative

the organisation and sequencing of ideas, imagery, and narrative

Q2.
What is an exclamation?
a sentence used to make statements or express facts, opinions, or observations
a sentence used to ask questions or seek information
a sentence used to give commands or instructions
Correct answer: a sentence used to express strong emotions
Q3.
Which of these sentences contains a contraction?
He did not want to visit the museum again.
Katie's phone was broken.
Correct answer: The cake isn't ready yet as it's only been in the oven for five minutes.
The shopping centre, first opened in 1982, has a wide range of different shops.
Q4.
Thomas Hardy's 'The Man He Killed' was influenced by which military conflict?
Correct answer: The Second Boer War
WWI
WWII
The Arab-Israeli War
The Falklands War
Q5.
What is propaganda?
imaginative stories, often featuring characters and events that are not real
Correct answer: information spread to promote a particular cause, often biased or misleading
information about current events, typically reported by journalists
promotional messages or communication aimed at influencing consumer behaviour
Q6.
What is a monologue?
a story someone has written about their own life
an introduction to a text that isn't considered part of the main body of work
a written conversation between two or more characters
Correct answer: a speech given by one character

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match these types of informal language to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:slang,unconventional words/phrases specific to certain groups or cultures

unconventional words/phrases specific to certain groups or cultures

Correct Answer:colloquialism,words, phrases, or expressions characteristic of everyday conversation

words, phrases, or expressions characteristic of everyday conversation

Correct Answer:interjection,words/phrases inserted into a sentence to express emotion or surprise

words/phrases inserted into a sentence to express emotion or surprise

Correct Answer:exclamation,sentence or utterance used to convey strong, intense emotions

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'.
Correct Answer:slang,"We should have sat us down to wet / Right many a nipperkin"

"We should have sat us down to wet / Right many a nipperkin"

Correct Answer:colloquialism,"He thought he'd 'list"

"He thought he'd 'list"

Correct Answer:interjection,"Because he was my foe, / Just so: my foe of course he was"

"Because he was my foe, / Just so: my foe of course he was"

Correct Answer:exclamation,"Yes; quaint and curious war is!"

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!"

Q3.
What are the three main conventions of a dramatic monologue?
Correct answer: first-person perspective (‘I’)
a strict ABAB rhyme scheme
the use of iambic pentameter
Correct answer: a silent audience
Correct answer: the slow reveal of the character’s/speaker’s personality
Q4.
There are three main types of dramatic monologue: romantic, psychological/philosophical and .
Correct Answer: conversational
Q5.
Which of these quotations from 'The Man He Killed' use repetition and/or mirroring?
Correct answer: "I shot at him as he at me"
"No other reason why."
"Yes; quaint and curious war is!"
Correct answer: "staring face to face"
Q6.
What important link is there between the first and fifth stanza of 'The Man He Killed'?
the first line of each stanza is repeated in line 4 of the same stanza
both stanzas use non-standard grammar to mimic spoken language
Correct answer: both link to the idea of the speaker and the other man enjoying a drink together
Hardy uses anaphora in both stanzas and nowhere else in the poem