need help with analysis of "War Is Kind" by Stephen Crane

It looks like this is part of a larger work, but I assume you only want:


Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And 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 tumbled 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 killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind.


Well, clearly war is NOT kind, so he should intend irony/sarcasm. But, perhaps he merely sees it as the lesser of two evils. That is, war is kinder than the alternatives of (say) subjugation and/or slavery.

He is trying to use a ironic staement of war to get the point across that war is not kind by no means for with war there is death. Therefore, showing war is wrong.

Some authors say the opposite to what they think to get the point across as to what they really mean. Mark Twain had a similar poem to get his point across.

KD - could you post the Twain poem or at least the title, please - I'd like to read it. Thanks in anticipation.

well i studied that poem for english class and as mentioned in the other responses, there is no doubt that stephen crane's poem is ironic and is saying that war is in actuality unkind. However i would like to add to this. In the bible there is the line "Love is patient, love is kind" (COrinthians 13:4). My belief is that crane based his title and theme off of this line from the bible. He shows us that war is unkind by showing the heartache of the people who love those soldiers back home. At the same time is is showing us that love is also unkind. No matter how much you love someone, it will inevitably end up in heartache, be it by means of deceit, death, or whatever else happens in this world. Basically i am saying that crane is in actuality making two statements through one act. he is showing the tragedy of war and of love throught this allegory. Another intersting thing you may want to consider is that maybe the soldiers portrayed in this poem are in actuality one soldier. This way you can see how many people one man's life effects, multiply that number by the thousands of soldiers who die in war and you see just how many people are effected by war and just how unkind war and love can be.

brilliant analysis angie. i feel that there is indeed much sybolism of love in these statements of war, much to the same effect as Robert Frost's early poem, "Fire and Ice" meant just as much about the way individuals die as about the demise of an entire planet. i did not pick up on the 1 man from many perspectives part but now that you have clued me into it, wow, how truly amazing this poem becomes. thanks.

Compare Wilfred Owen's bitter, First World War take on the old Latin saying 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori' ('It is a sweet and noble thing to die for one's country'):

[www.emory.edu]

that is a great idea i really loved that poem and would like to explicate it

here is a short story by mark twain that resembles the war is kind poem by stephen crane. I"m not sure if this is what that other post was referring to, but it's what came to mind when i read the poem. YOu can skip the first paragraph if you want to, and still get the jist of the story.
War Prayer
by Mark Twain
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and sputtering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spreads of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country and invoked the God of Battles, beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpouring of fervid eloquence which moved every listener.
It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.

Sunday morning came-next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their faces alight with material dreams-visions of a stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender!-then home from the war, bronzed heros, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation -- "God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest, Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!"

Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was that an ever--merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory -

An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there, waiting.

With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal,"Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"

The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside -- which the startled minister did -- and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said

"I come from the Throne-bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd and grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import-that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of-except he pause and think.

"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two- one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of His Who hearth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this-keep it in mind. If you beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.

"You have heard your servant's prayer-the uttered part of it. I am commissioned by God to put into words the other part of it-that part which the pastor, and also you in your hearts, fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. The whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory-must follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God the Father fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle-be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it-for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.

(After a pause)

"Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits."

In a sense, war is kind, for the victorious side receives dominance, authority, prestige, and meliority over the opposing side. War is kind if it is used to beget dominance over evil

If war is used to overthrow rightly established governments or simply for the sake of sending the life of the residents into an uproar, then it can be regarded as an evil war

In the poem, Stephen writes: "Do not weep. War is kind." weeping over casualties is something one SHOULD do, and not hesitate to save pride or face to do.

Weeping is a way to commemorate the contributions of a fallen comrade has delivered to a worthy cause.

War is Kind
By: Stephen Crane
Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because the lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And 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 tumbled 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 killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep. War is kind.

War is kind. What kind of opening is this? Everyone knows that war leaves thousands upon thousands in death, and millions upon millions with shattered lives. But, in a sense, it brings peace and prosperity. For after the conclusion of a war, one side is victorious. For the army or nation which prevails, they receive dominance, authority, prestige, and meliority over the opposing side. But it is strange that Crane should write of not weeping, for it is something one should do, and without hesitation to save pride or face. It is a way to commemorate the contributions a fallen comrade has delivered to a worthy cause. “Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.” I can probably understand why a man would not wish for a woman to be loudly lamenting for hours on end. It can be most exasperating. (I have a sister.) “Because the lover threw wild hands toward the sky/And the affrighted steed ran on alone,” If her lover has died, then there is truly a cause for the maiden to cry. Then it would not make sense to ask her of holding back her tears. The next line is not as confusing. “Hoarse booming drums of the regiment,” This sentence uses the adjective “Hoarse.” When used over and over again, in shouting, crying, or coughing, the voice of animal or human being becomes hoarse, a stage where it decreases in clarity and volume. Booming drums sound ominous, and in history have been used to announce of a battle, or to issue warnings. Most of the time, a deep sounding bang is not a good thing. When something is booming, it is loud. Thus, hoarse and booming is contradictory.
The second and fourth stanzas of “War is Kind” makes up the bulk of the poem and have the most meanings in them. The first line of stanza two describes people who lust for battle. “little souls who thirst for fight,/These men were born to drill and die.” “little” is usually used to describe the size of the physical dimensions for objects. But, little can also be used to describe the importance of an object or an entity, or the knowledge or power that it possesses. The line also says that they wish to do battle. Sure, it is understandable if a person is spurred into action after a great tragedy, but none in their right minds would die willingly. The line by itself makes sense, but when you add the other, it does not.
In a battle, every soldier dreams to make a difference and to be recognized. There is an awkward air around a field before a battle. It is made up of hundreds of men wondering if they will survive. It is as if they have already died. An aura is present between the armies during the battle, when it is to kill or to be killed. At the end, it is like they have been to oblivion and back, and have lived to tell about it. That itself is a amazing thing to go have gone through.
In all religions except for bloodthirsty ones, the battle-god is a feared and dreaded god. “Great is the Battle-God, great, and his Kingdom-“ Great is a word telling of magnificence and power. The battle-god is not magnificent, but he does indeed have the power to cause death, and to deliver ruin. He is able to destroy life and break peace, a great and terrible thing. Wars leave thousands of people dead. “A field where a thousand corpses lie.” This would be putting the accomplishments of the battle-god mildly. A thousand dead is bad, but it is nothing compared to what the actual numbers are. If Crane wants to put emphasis on the number of dead, from my point of view, he would need a better number. “Do not weep babe, for war is kind.” It is a fact that all babies weep; scientific studies have proven that a baby who does not cry is unorthodox. Crane should not expect a baby to not cry. “Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches,/Raged at his breast, gulped and died,” If the baby described is really a baby, then it would not realize that its father has died. Its memory would not permit it. Going against this idea is the fact that if its father was not there, it would cry. Even if a mother exists, she too would be crying, and influence the baby to do so also.
“Swift blazing flag of the regiment,” (normal,)
“Eagle with crest of red and gold,” (red is a royal color, and also of blood, the eagle is of strength, gold is of magnificence)
“These men were born to drill and die.” (repetition from the second stanza)
The second line of the fourth stanza is at first glance just a description of a flag, but at a second glance, and if one were to apply the knowledge of the meanings of colors and symbols for maps, one would discover hidden messages. Gold is of magnificence and glory, which victorious troops receive. Red is of war and royalty, and reveals the type of body marching under it. The eagle is of strength, and the reason it is present is obvious.
The virtue of slaughter is to wrench authority from something or to take services from another. Killing is only good killing if it is used to quell the uprising of evil. If a war is used to overthrow rightly established governments, or simply for the sake of war, then it can be regarded as an evil war. That would explain the last section of the fourth stanza.
“Mother whose heart hung humble as a button/on the bright splendid shroud of your son,/do not weep. War is kind.” This line is strange. Buttons, in older times, were something which only the rich could afford. If you had a button, then you were proud. I can’t really understand this line, and I am reading the responses from other people on www.emule.com to see if I can.
War is Kind is an inconsistent poem, and very difficult to understand. In fact, I don’t think that my response is adequate at all.

This poem by stephen crane is indeed ironic and sarcastic. THe title itself sets the ironic tone of the poem and shows the grim reality that war is anything but kind. Another device used to show stephen crane's theme of war is NOT kind is imagery. the second and fourth stanza provide more viviv and gruesome imagery than the other stanza utimalty show us that war is never kind. In the second satnza in line 8, the "unexplained glory flies.." is a refrence to the civil war flag Old Glory. Likewise in line18, when crane says, "eagle with crest of red and gold". these are both hidden refrences to flags that represented the north and south. Crane uses these two devices to show us that war isnt kind. it seems as though, the poems sacasm and irony is crane's way of saying that the civil war was unnecessary and almost...wrong. He obvously feels that there are other solutions to conflict.

I agree with the above statement, but i feel that its a stretch to take teh poem as a critique of the civil war since he was not alive during the period, i feel he might have been intending to discuss the Spanish American War or perhaps just war in general rather than specifically an american event...

Actually Cam, this poem was about the Civil War. Crane was fascinated with the Civil War even though he was not alive during its time. Crane's Red Badge of Courage was thought by some veterans of the Civil War to be the most accurate portrayal of the war, yet Crane had never seen one day in battle.

YOUR ANALYZATION HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE POEM. YOUR DEFINITIONS WERE QUITE CLEAR. I THINK THAT THE POEM IS IRONIC. IT ALSO HAS A LOT OF REPETION WHICH MAKES THE PHRASE STAND OUT. WHY DID HE DO THIS? MAYBE TO MAKE THE READER THINK ABOUT IT MORE AS THEY READ THROUGH THE POEM.

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And 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 tumbled 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 killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind

This poem is ironic. It tells a story of one soldier, how he died, and his family. He was obviously a calvary soldier, he was shot in the chest and fell off his horse into a trench. It is common after sustaining severe trauma, such as artillery fire or small arms fire to release excrement and urine. The trench was filled with the urine and blood of the wounded and dying. The calvary soldier fell into this and drown, due to his inability to free himself because of his chest wound.

The two choruses explain how war and battle, which is glorified by soldiers,is really mindless savagery and hollow. The drums are hoarse because they have too often boomed(too much war in the author's opinion). The unexplained glory flying above, is the flag. The colors red and gold are used as red stands for blood and gold glory. An eagle has been very common on battle standards since pre-roman times, but most likely used due to it's affiliation with the United States. The "humble as a button on his splendid shroud"( a shroud is a burial garment) in the last stanza, reflects the mothers helplessnes to help her son and her sorrow

There is a military cadence somewhat similair to this poem.
Somewhere theres a soldier
He's flying off to war
Straps a 'chute on his back
And shuffles to the door
(chorus)
But dont'cha shed him no tears people
He don't want your sympathy
He's an airborne ranger
and thats what he'll always be

Knock knock on the door
We're sorry Mrs. Joe (slang for soldier,G.I. Joe, commonly used in the military in reference to ranks E-4 and below)
but your airborne ranger
aint coming home no mo'
(chorus)

the cadence goes on to describe the effect of his death on his mother and father and his children.