Text of the Poem 

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.     5

     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     10
     —
     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.     15
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,     20
     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.     25
War is kind.

Footnotes

  1. Heavy use of alliteration is used here.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  2. The speaker is now talking to who is presumably the child of the maiden and soldier mentioned in the first stanza.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  3. The speaker is implying that soldiers are nothing more than expendable killing machines that will be replicated when they die. This is a harsh way to look at humans. But if one doesn’t see soldiers as human, one can not mourn their deaths, adding to the poem's complexity.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  4. This poem was written during the 1800s when drums were still regularly used in war. This line personifies the drums and says they are eager for the war.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  5. The use of this refrain becomes a haunting reminder that war is anything but kind.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  6. Though it might be difficult to tell from this line alone, it becomes quickly apparent that the speaker uses irony to make this poem an anti war statement. He juxtaposes the atrocities of war with joyful sentiments, making the horrible that much harder to swallow.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor