"War is Kind" by Stephen Crane

"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."

(Found on page 352.)

     Stephen Crane is known for his use of irony, and this poem is certainly no exception. When first read, it may seem as though Crane is celebrating the glory of war. In reality, however, Crane uses several literary devices in order to show just the opposite. The poem uses much imagery, through the "hoarse, booming drums of the regiment" and the "father tumbl[ing] in the yellow trenches." The images portrayed in this poem are far from pretty, and contrast with the statement that "war is kind." Additionally, Crane's heavy use of repetition further drives this point. "Do not weep./War is kind." is stated at the end of every shorter stanza, and "These men were born to drill and die.../And a field where a thousand corpses lie" is repeated in the longer ones. Both instances of repetition, in addition to the imagery, reveal the horrors of war. Furthermore, the two forms of stanzas represent tone shifts that occur throughout the poem. The first, third, and fifth stanzas, for instance, are more straightforward in their presentation of the tragedies of war. The speaker in these stanzas does not hesitate to mention the losses of husbands, fathers, and sons, along with the ironic statement that "War is kind." The speaker of the second and fourth stanzas, however, is unconcerned with the loss of thousands of men, and sees war only for "the virtue of slaughter" and "the excellence of killing." Crane uses these stanzas almost entirely ironically, so as to explain why these men are dying in the first place--because those who command them simply are not concerned about their lives, and see them not as people, but as another piece of the slaughter.

     Though I have experienced this poem in the past, it remains a potent piece to this day. Along with The Red Badge of Courage, "War is Kind" is the epitome of Stephen Crane. At every level, the poem is a criticism of war. It is not very complex due to this, although Crane's use of irony adds a layer that must be realized before the poem's true meaning can be shown. However, once the poem can be seen for its true meaning (a task that is not very difficult), "War is Kind" is clearly one of the greatest and most powerful war poems of all time.