RPO -- Thomas Hardy : The Man He Killed

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Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

The Man He Killed

1 "Had he and I but met

2 By some old ancient inn,

3We should have sat us down to wet

4 Right many a nipperkin!

5 "But ranged as infantry,

6 And staring face to face,

7I shot at him as he at me,

8 And killed him in his place.

9 "I shot him dead because --

10 Because he was my foe,

11Just so: my foe of course he was;

12 That's clear enough; although

13 "He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,

14 Off-hand like -- just as I --

15Was out of work -- had sold his traps --

16 No other reason why.

17 "Yes; quaint and curious war is!

18 You shoot a fellow down

19You'd treat if met where any bar is,

20 Or help to half-a-crown."

Notes

4] nipperkin: small amount of beer, wine, or liquor.

13] 'list: enlist.

15] traps: belongings.

20] crown: British coin then worth five shillings or 60 pence.

Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text: Collected Poems of Thomas Hardy (London: Macmillan and Co., 1932): 269. PR 4741 F32 Robarts Library.
First publication date: 1909
Publication date note: Time's Laughingstocks and Other Verses (London: Macmillan, 1909): 186. PR 4750 T5 Robarts Library
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 1998.
Recent editing: 2:2002/2/13*1:2007/2/24

Rhyme: abab

Other poems by Thomas Hardy