Question

name: ________ block: ________
read the poem and answer the questions that follow:
war is kind
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.

mother whose heart hung humble as a button
on the bright splendid shroud of your son,
do not weep.
war is kind.

1. what thematic idea is conveyed in both poems?

a. the horrors of war
b. the evils of jealousy
c. the healing power of nature
d. the unconditional love of family

1. what does the author mean by \do not weep, babe, for war is kind.\?

1. is kind a good fit to describe war? explain your answer.

Explanation:

Question 1

The poem "War is Kind" describes the tragic outcomes of war, like lovers, fathers, and sons dying. Option A is about war's horrors, which matches. Option B (jealousy) and C (nature's healing) are unrelated. Option D (family love) is not the main theme; the focus is war's devastation.

The line "Do not weep, babe, for war is kind" is ironic. The babe's father died in war (tumbled in trenches, died). The author uses "kind" sarcastically to highlight war's cruelty—war causes death and grief, so telling the babe not to weep for a "kind" war is a bitter commentary on war's true nature (destructive, not kind).

"Kind" is not a good fit for war. War causes death (lovers, fathers, sons die), destruction (corpses in fields), and grief (mothers, maidens, babes weep). The poem’s repetition of “war is kind” is ironic, emphasizing war’s cruelty. Real - world war brings suffering, loss, and trauma, so “kind” contradicts war’s violent, devastating reality.

Answer:

A. the horrors of war

Question 2