"War is kind"

Biography

• Crane was born in New York in 1871 with 14 other siblings.
• As a child, Crane wanted to become a baseball star. 
• At age 16, he tried to become a writer (and failed).
• "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" proved crane to be a naturalist. 
• "The Red Badge of Courage" (1895) made Crane a war expert. 

Biography cont...

• "The Open Boat" was written after Crane was involved in a shipwreck. 
• He traveled and reported news on wars. (Spanish-American War)fcffcg
• "War is Kind" is part of Cranes second volume of poems.
• Crane died of tuberculosis at age 28 in 1900.

repetition

• "Do not weep," (478).
• "War is kind," (478).
• Repetition emphasizes the main idea. 
• It reassures the reader of the main idea. 

imagery

• "A field where a thousand corpses lie," (478).
• We visualize a field a dead bodies, all on top of each other.
• "Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky," (478).
• Countless widows mourning their dead husbands.

theme

• War is not kind.
• Death is a part of war, a part of life.
• Everyone will see their loved ones again.
• Life is hard; move on.
• If you say everything is okay enough, you will start to believe it.

irony

• "War is kind," (478).
• War is NOT kind. 
• "These men were born to drill and die," (478).
• Over time, soldiers lose their saneness and humanity. 

tone

• Reassuring 
• Reassures the recipient of the speaker.
• Says that it will be okay.
• Solemn
• Reflects war and death, and that it may not be okay. 

speaker

• Friend of a dead husband, comforting the wife.
• Husband, reassuring himself after death; maybe crazy.
• Commander in the military; referring to those under his command.
• Son
• Mother comforting her son after father's death.

critique

• We liked the poem.
• Can relate to everyday people who have loved ones at war.
• We liked that the reader could interpret the poem as they wish.
• We can view the speaker as whomever we want.
• Overall, it was a touching poem that can hit close to home.

questions

• Who is the speaker?
• Who is the speaker addressing?
• Could the speaker be reassuring themselves?
• Is the speaker dead?
• Is the speaker crazy?