Famous Narrative Poem

How terrible is war? You might meet someone and kill them in war, but if you had met that same person in peace, you might have been friends and even bought him a drink or given him some money.

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Famous Poem

The Man He Killed

By more Thomas Hardy

Had he and I but met
    By some old ancient inn,
We should have set us down to wet
    Right many a nipperkin!

But ranged as infantry,
    And staring face to face,
I shot at him as 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.

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