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6 No Men Are Foreign*

James Falconer Kirkup
Poem

Read on 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 of that 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.

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About the author

James Falconer Kirkup (1918-2009)born James Harold Kirkup,
was an English poet, translator and travel 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.

Condemn - express complete disapproval

Labour - hardwork
Betray - disloyal
Defile - damage the purity or appearance
Outrage - extremely strong reaction of anger, shock

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?

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3. T heir 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. O
 ur 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 Metaphor

A transferred epithet is a figure A figure of speech in which a word
of speech where an adjective or epithet or phrase is applied to an object or action
describing a noun is transferred from the to which it is not literally applicable.
noun it is meant to describe to another Recorded from the late 15th century, the
noun in the sentence. In the lines, They, word comes via French and Latin from
too, aware of sun and air and water, Greek metaphora, from metapherein ‘to
transfer’.
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by
war's long winter starv'd. "starv'd" is an e.g., Hells of fire - metaphor
epithet which is placed beside the noun Repetition
'winter'. However, it does not describe the
'winter' as being starved, but describes the Poets often repeat single words or
pronoun 'they'. Historically many wars phrases, lines, and sometimes, even whole
were fought during the winter, while the stanzas at intervals to create a musical
harvest season was essentially peaceful. effect; to emphasize a point; to draw the
'They' refers to the soldiers in uniform readers’ attention or to lend unity to a
who had to starve during winter while piece. In “No Men are Foreign” James
fighting for their land. Kirkup repeats the word ‘Remember’
five times in the poem to emphasize the
e.g., Winter starv’d – transferred epithet
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serious message the poem has to convey. ……………… like ours. We as human do
Similarly, the last line of the last stanza they same labour with ………….and look
(“Remember, no men are foreign, and at the world with the…………. Waging war
no countries strange”) though reversed, against others as they belong to a different
is the same as the first line of the first country is like attacking our own selves. It
stanza (“Remember, no men are strange, is the …………….we impair. We all share
no countries foreign”). This repetition the same……………. We are similar to
emphasizes the core message of the each other. So the poet concludes that we
oneness of mankind. shouldn’t have wars as it is ……………to
fight against us.
Based on your understanding of
the poem complete the following by (unity of human, dreams and aspirations,
choosing the appropriate words/phrases same land, our hands, unnatural,
given in brackets: breathing body, same eyes, brotherhood,
language, human earth)
This poem is about the ……………
of all men. The subject of the poem is the Based on your understanding of the
…………..race, despite of the difference in poem answer the following questions in
colour , caste, creed , religion , country etc. a paragraph of about 100-150 words.
All human beings are same. We walk on the
…………… and we will be buried under 1. W hat is the central theme of the poem
it. Each and everyone of us are related to ‘No men are foreign’?
the other . We all are born same and die
in the same way. We may wear different T he poem ‘No men are foreign’ has
2. 
uniforms like’ ………………,’ during wars a greater relevance in todays world.
the opposing side will also have the same Elucidate.

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