No Men Are Foreign (Poem)

Class 10 | English | Unit 6

No Men Are Foreign*

James Falconer Kirkup

Read the poem to know why we mustn't hate our brethren because they belong to a different country or speak a different language. The poet reminds us how all people are similar and part of the brotherhood of men. By the end of the poem we get to know how it is unnatural to fight against ourselves.

Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign

Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes

Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon

Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.

They, too, aware of sun and air and water,

Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war's long winter starv'd.

Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read

A labour not different from our own.

Remember they have eyes like ours that wake

Or sleep, and strength that can be won

By love. In every land is common life

That all can recognise and understand.

Let us remember, whenever we are told

To hate our brothers, it is ourselves

That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.

Remember, we who take arms against each other

It is the human earth that we defile.

Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence

Of air that is everywhere our own,

Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.

About the Poet

James Falconer Kirkup (1918-2009) born James Harold Kirkup, was an English poet, translator and travelogue writer. He wrote over 30 books, including autobiographies, novels and plays. Kirkup wrote his first book of poetry, The Drowned Sailor at the Downs, which was published in 1947. His home town of South Shields now holds a growing collection of his works in the Central Library, and artefacts from his time in Japan are housed in the nearby Museum. His last volume of poetry was published during the summer of 2008 by Red Squirrel Press, and was launched at a special event at Central Library in South Shields.

Vocabulary

• labour (n) - hardwork
• betray (v) - disloyal / reveal something unintentionally or intentionally
• condemn (v) - express complete disapproval
• defile (v) - damage the purity or appearance
• outrage (v) - offend / scandalize

Comprehension Questions

Based on the understanding of the poem, read the following lines and answer the questions given below.

1.

Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.

• a) What is found beneath all uniforms?
• b) What is same for every one of us?
• c) Where are we all going to lie finally?

2.

They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war's long winter starv'd.

• a) What is common for all of us?
• b) How are we fed?
• c) Mention the season referred here.

3.

Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.

• a) Who does 'their' refer to?
• b) What does the poet mean by 'lines we read'?
• c) What does not differ?

4.

Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.

• a) Who tells us to hate our brothers?
• b) What happens when we hate our brothers?
• c) What do we do to ourselves?

5.

Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.

• a) What outrages the innocence?
• b) Who are not foreign?
• c) What is not strange?

Literary Devices

Transferred Epithet

A transferred epithet is a figure of speech where an adjective or epithet describing a noun is transferred from the noun it is meant to describe to another noun in the sentence. In the lines, "They, too, aware of sun and air and water, Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war's long winter starv'd." "starv'd" is an epithet which is placed beside the noun 'winter'. However, it does not describe the 'winter' as being starved, but describes the pronoun 'they'. Historically many wars were fought during the winter, while the harvest season was essentially peaceful. 'They' refers to the soldiers in uniform who had to starve during winter while fighting for their land.

e.g., Winter starv'd – transferred epithet

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. Recorded from the late 15th century, the word comes via French and Latin from Greek metaphora, from metapherein 'to transfer'.

e.g., Hells of fire - metaphor

Repetition

Poets often repeat single words or phrases, lines, and sometimes, even whole stanzas at intervals to create a musical effect; to emphasize a point; to draw the readers' attention or to lend unity to a piece. In "No Men are Foreign" James Kirkup repeats the word 'Remember' five times in the poem to emphasize the serious message the poem has to convey. Similarly, the last line of the last stanza ("Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange") though reversed, is the same as the first line of the first stanza ("Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign"). This repetition emphasizes the core message of the oneness of mankind.

Activity

Based on your understanding of the poem complete the following by choosing the appropriate words/phrases given in brackets:

This poem is about the ___(1)___ of all men. The subject of the poem is the ___(2)___ race, despite the difference in colour, caste, creed, religion, country etc. All human beings are same. We walk on the ___(3)___ and we will be buried under it. Each and everyone of us are related to the other. We all are born same and die in the same way. We may wear different uniforms like ___(4)___, during wars the opposing side will also have the same ___(5)___ like ours. We as human do the same labour with ___(6)___ and look at the world with the ___(7)___ Waging war against others as they belong to a different country is like attacking our own selves. It is the ___(8)___ we impair. We all share the same ___(9)___ We are similar to each other. So the poet concludes that we shouldn't have wars as it is ___(10)___ to fight against us.

(unity of human, dreams and aspirations, same land, our hands, unnatural, breathing body, same eyes, brotherhood, language, human earth)

Extended Questions

Based on your understanding of the poem answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 100-150 words.

1. What is the central theme of the poem 'No Men Are Foreign'?
2. The poem 'No Men Are Foreign' has a greater relevance in todays world. Elucidate.

Practice Practice Exercises

a. What is found beneath all uniforms?

b. What is same for every one of us?

c. Where are we all going to lie finally?

a. What is common for all of us?

b. How are we fed?

c. Mention the season referred here?

a. Who does 'their' refer to?

b. What does the poet mean by 'lines we read'?

c. What does not differ?

a. Who tells us to hate our brothers?

b. What happens when we hate our brothers?

c. What do we do to ourselves?

a. What outrages the innocence?

b. Who are not foreign?

c. What is not strange?

This poem is about the of all men. The subject of the poem is the race, despite of the difference in colour, caste, creed, religion, country etc. All human beings are same. We walk on the and we will be buried under it. Each and everyone of us are related to the other. We all are born same and die in the same way. We may wear different uniforms like' ,' during wars

the opposing side will also have the same like ours. We as human do they same labour with and look at the world with the Waging war against others as they belong to a different country is like attacking our own selves. It is the we impair. We all share the same We are similar to each other. So the poet concludes that we shouldn't have wars as it is to fight against us. (unity of human, dreams and aspirations, same land, our hands, unnatural, breathing body, same eyes, brotherhood, language, human earth)

1. What is the central theme of the poem 'No men are foreign?

2. The poem 'No men are foreign has a greater relevance in todays world. Elucidate.