No Men are Foreign Poem - Explanation
Imagine a world without borders, where everyone is a neighbor, and no land is foreign. This is the heart of James Kirkup's poem, "No Men are Foreign," a powerful message against division and a call for universal brotherhood. In this article, we will unpack the poem's meaning, explore its themes, and see how its message resonates even today. This writing focuses on the explanation, summary, and theme of the poem. This poem aims to instill in young minds the feeling of oneness or unity.
Explanation of The Poem No Men Are Foreign
Stanza 1:
In the first stanza, The poem starts with a strong idea: "No men are strange and no country is foreign." Kirkup challenges our usual thoughts by saying we should break down the firm walls we create between "us" and "them." He wants us to understand that beyond flags and uniforms, beyond diverse languages and traditions, we are all just humans. We all breathe the same air, walk on the same ground, and have the same basic needs – food, a place to live, love, and a bit of sunlight on our faces.
Stanza 2:
The second stanza of the poem stresses mother nature. The poet says that mother nature doesn’t discriminate and has provided each individual with the same harvest to keep us alive and well. Poet adds that we also get our equal share of land, sunlight, and air. Peaceful farmers feed us, and during winters when there is war and death, each one of us suffers together. The poet aims at showing us that we suffer and prosper together.
Stanza 3:
This stanza deals with love. The poet urges the reader to remember that we have similar features that perform a similar function – how then can we be different? He says apart from physical similarities, we also have emotional strength which can be won by love. He advises love as the remedy for war. He also asks the reader to remember that each land, whether we have visited it with our own eyes or not, has life. Life springs in every corner of the earth. These lovely things want to live and strive and laugh. They do not wish for war or death. The poet urges us to understand and recognize this.
Stanza 4:
The poet urges us to always remember that we are one and cannot be divided. He states that whenever we are told to condemn a certain person or country, it is us who makes a choice. It is us who chooses to pick up the arms. We should remember that killing another human being is not the solution to our problems. When we are in a state of war, both countries lose many human beings- no side wins, everybody in a war loses. The poet tells us to remember this when we decide on picking up the arms.
Stanza 5:
When two countries fight, it is the individuals who are at a loss. Death benefits no one. With war, we disrupt our natural balance, disrespect God, and make the earth impure. Whenever war happens dead bodies lay on barren ground, there's fire everywhere. Poet compares the fire to hellfire and considers the dead bodies on the ground as making the earth impure. The poet provides us with a horrific picture of war and warns us against it. He then finishes the poem by writing the first line in reverse, thus solidifying the message.
Summary of the Poem No Men Are Foreign
The summary of the poem No men are foreign focuses on uniting us as humans. The first line of the poem deals with the overall message of the poem ‘no men are strange, and no country is foreign’. The poet James Kurkip in this poem discusses brotherhood and humanity. He condemns war and tries to fabricate it as the horrific crimes of all. He adds that human beings and the earth are the same. The people who live on every corner of the earth are similar and have similar thoughts.
The poem refers to the people of other countries. The poet condemns this discrimination and brings to light the unpartial nature of God who has given every land on the earth plenty of resources- be it air, sun, or water. He says that God didn’t create the boundaries, only we did. He also points out that during winter and war, each individual on the planet suffers. This shows that our joys are given by God but grieves human-made.
He adds that we have the same physical attributes and think the same way. He successfully explains that humans are all alike and have no natural differences. He further adds that when we decide to go into a war, we kill another of our same kind, whenever we choose to hate someone we choose to hate us. Before going into the war, we should take a moment and think of our actions, as in war, there are no winners.
The Theme of the Poem No Men Are Foreign
The central theme of the poem No Men are Foreign revolves around the brotherhood of all humankind. The poet points out that all our boundaries and differences are human-made. Throughout the poem, James Kirkup tries to show the similarities between all humans. He urges people to drop their weapons and welcome one another as part of their own to bring peace and love in this World without any hate or discrimination.
About James Falconer Kirkup, The Author of ‘No Men Are Foreign’:
The popular poetry ‘No Men Are Foreign’ is written by James Falconer Kirkup who was born on 23rd April 1918. He was an exemplary English poet, writer, and translator as well. In his lifetime he wrote 30 books that included novels, plays, and autobiography as well. James Falconer Kirkup was brought up in South Shields and completed his education atlines South Shields Secondary School and Durham University. His first book of poetry was published in 1947 and was entitled ‘The Drowned Sailor at the Downs’. He even became the first resident university poet in the United Kingdom. After living a life of honour and success, Mr Kirkup died on 10th May 2009
Exploring the Poem Further:
Discussion Questions:
What are some of the ways we create "foreignness" in our own lives?
How can we challenge our own biases and prejudices?
What are some concrete ways we can promote understanding and unity in our communities?
How does the poem's message connect to current events or issues in your own life?
Activities:
Create a collage or artwork that represents the poem's message.
Write a letter to someone you consider "foreign" and share your commonalities.
Research and present on a conflict in the world and discuss how the poem's message could be applied to it.
Organize a cultural exchange event in your school or community.
Conclusion
"No Men are Foreign" is not just a poem, it's a call to action. It's a reminder that we have the power to choose love over hate, understanding over division, and unity over conflict. By embracing our shared humanity, we can create a world where no person is a stranger and every land is home.
FAQs on No Men are Foreign Summary
1. What is the message of the story No Men Are Foreign?
No Men are Foreign is a patriotic story. The poem conveys the message of universal brotherhood through the poem. According to the author, people living in all parts of the world are similar to us in many ways. The poet wants to convey an essential message in the poem. The poet states that just like humans, even animals want freedom and therefore, they should not be caged. The story teaches the students about the concept of brotherhood, unity, and patriotism. These values are very important to be incorporated in students for their better growth and development.
2. What does the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’ summarize?
The poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’ revolves around human beings. It teaches students that all human beings living on Earth are brothers and similar to each other. The students further discuss that all human bodies are the same and require air, sun, water, and clothes for their survival. All men walk on the same land, eat the same food, and will get buried in the same land after death. The needs of every individual are also the same. Everyone who works and sleeps loves and wants love in return. Though all of us are the same, still we people hate each other and are always fighting with each other.
3. What are the literary devices used in the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’?
The poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’ is written with a lot of English poetic effects. The poem is written in free verse and includes literary devices like alliteration, metaphor, repetition, and enjambment. Alliteration is the literary device wherein consonant sounds are repeated in two or more closely placed words. The metaphor refers to a literary device wherein one thing is referred to another thing. Repetition is the literary device in the poem wherein a single word is repeated multiple times in the entire poem. Enjambment is the literary device wherein the poet moves from one line to another without the use of any punctuation.
4. What are the examples of literary devices used in the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’?
Four literary devices are used by the poet in the entire poetry. Alliterations are used in stanza 1 where the ‘b’ sound is repeated in words ‘body’ and ‘breathes’. The alliteration in stanza 2 is used where sound ‘w’ is repeated in words ‘war’s’ and ‘winter’. Metaphor is also used in stanza 1 where the uniform word is used for military people of different countries and in stanza 2 where comparison of war time is made to the winter season. The word ‘remember’ is repeated 5 times in the entire poem, representing the repetition figure of speech. Lines 2, 3, and 4 in stanza 1, line 1, 2, and 3 in stanza 3, lines 1 and 2 in stanza 4, and lines 2 and 3 in stanza 5 represent the presence of enjambment in the poem.
5. In what ways does the poet suggest that the people on earth are the same in the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’?
The poet strongly puts forward the message that all people on Earth are the same in his poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’. To justify his message in the poem, the author states that all human beings belong to a single human race, they walk on the same land and after death, all human beings will be buried in graves under the same land. All human beings across the globe enjoy the bounties of nature and starve when there is a shortage of food. All body parts function the same way and therefore, one should not keep hatred for each other and should not indulge in any fights.
