War is Kind (S. Crane)

Linda Arellano
Srygley, Cheryl
AP Literature
War Is Kind
Stephen Crane
Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind,Because your lover threw wild hands toward the skyAnd the affrighted steed ran on alone,Do not weep.War is kind.Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,Little souls who thirst for fight,These men were born to drill and die.The unexplained glory flies above them.Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--A field where a thousand corpses lie.Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches,Raged at his breast, gulped and died,Do not weep.War is kind.Swift blazing flag of the regiment, Eagle with crest of red and gold,These men were born to drill and die.Point for them the virtue of slaughter,Make plain to them the excellence of killingAnd a field where a thousand corpses lie.Mother whose heart hung humble as a buttonOn the bright splendid shroud of your son,Do not weep.War is kind!
1. First Impression: My initial reaction to this poem was the irony of the title; in what way, shape or form is war kind to anyone? The author begins with the phrase “Do not Weep” which usually either serves to comfort someone to provide words of relief or only wants them to weep longer. Nevertheless, the war-filled stanzas reveal a much profound thought than just the idea of ‘War being kind’. The poem addresses three different people, and each have been wounded in some way or another due to the fact that war has taken away a vital piece of their lives.
2. Line-by-Line Paraphrasing:
a. Do not weep, wife, for war is kind
b. Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
c. And the scared horse ran on alone,
d. Do not weep.
e. War is kind.

f. Rough, booming drums of the regiment,
g. Little souls who thirst for fight,
h. These men were born to drill and die.
i. The unexplained glory files above them.
j. Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom—
k. A field where a thousand corpses lie.

l. Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
m. Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches,
n. Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
o. Do not weep.
p. War is kind.

q. Rapid blazing flag of the regiment,
r. Eagle with crest of red and gold,
s. These men were born to drill and die.
t. Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
u. Make plain to them the excellence of killing
v. And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

w. Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
x. On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
y. Do not weep.
z. War is kind.
3. Syntax: The author’s word choice in this poem is very bold; the author directly addresses the most immediate impact that war had on the relatives of soldiers that had dispatched to go fight for these war-gods who were looking for the ‘country’s best interest’. Crane’s employment of diction and rather clever use of sarcasm, ensure a powerful delivery. The poem contains 5 stanzas and has no sentence scheme, nevertheless has somewhat of a rhyme going on.
4. Imagery: The author uses the images of mothers, wives and “babes” that were left behind by the soldiers that have gone on to fight other man’s wars. In the first stanza he refers to a lover who “wildly threw his hands towards the sky” which immediately give the reader the image of this young lover dying in combat, as his stallion runs away without the rider. An image that is mentioned several times in the poem includes that of “a field where a thousand corpses lie”, which can stand alone without much details needed. The poem contains many images from that of a “blazing flag of the regiment” to that of a mother’s heart being like a humble button. The author’s detailed snapshots of the fallen soldiers quickly lend the reader to experience the savagery the soldiers are exposed to when dealing with these and many other misfortunes.
5. Figurative Language: This poem employs the usage of repetition (i.e. “Do not weep. War is kind”), as well as alliteration and simile. Another form of figurative language employed is onomatopoeia (the booming drums).
6. Tone: The tone of this poem is accusing and mocking. It is obvious that the author has a very strong opinion of the effects war has had on the people he talks about, therefore he uses the irony of the situation to state that “War is kind”.
7. Theme: There are several themes to this poem; the ironies of war and the indifference of nature. The ironies of war are discussed by the author highlighting that the soldier leaves behind his lover, his mother and his child, yet bombards the idea of them leaving to fight for the useless purposes of war.
8. Conclusion: Crane’s usage of highly detailed scenes of war evoke great sadness on the reader, nevertheless, it helps the reader create a bond with the author’s dislike for war. The author establishes his sympathy for the victims but never justifies the cruelty and savagery that soldiers have to deal with for the purposes of war.