Five Ways to Kill a Man poem
One need only turn on the evening news to get a sense of the tragic stateof world affairs, especially during times of war. Yet even before theinvention of television or print photography, war and killing were integralparts of the human social and political experience. Edwin Brock captures avariety of images of and reactions to war, death, and degradation in hispoem "Five Ways to Kill a Man." Using satire, historical references, andintense imagery, Brock conveys the unfortunate, inescapable reality of warand inhuman behavior. Furthermore, the final stanza of the poem emphasizesthe particularly brutal nature of the wars occurring in the twentiethcentury, which Brock perceives as being a particularly lethal time. Brockwrites not necessarily to evoke an emotional reaction in his readers; infact, he reports on his subject matter almost with detached awareness andrationality. "There are many cumbersome ways to kill a man," the poemopens. Among these ways include crucifixion, jousting, gassing, andairplane bombing. The purpose of Brock's poem, however, is not simply todescribe and explain modes of war and killing. Rather, the poet intends tomade modern social commentary, as he concludes, "Simpler, direct,
Thepessimistic note on which the poet ends comprises the general tone of "FiveWays to Kill a Man. " As such, Brockincludes the word twice, once at the beginning and again at the end of thepoem: "There are many cumbersome ways to kill a man. Also in line with Brock's intent and goal for the poem is his use ofdiction. The remainder of the images employed in thepoem are straightforward, as the poet uses neither simile nor metaphor. The poet accomplishes this end through surprisingly few formalpoetic techniques, and relies mainly on imagery and diction for impact. In fact, "cumbersome" is one of themost powerful words Brock uses in "Five Ways to Kill a Man. For example,the fourth stanza begins, "In an age of aeroplanes, you may fly / milesabove your victim and dispose of him by. " Just as rhyme scheme is absent,the poem contains an irregular meter. The poem contains no discernable rhymingpattern, either internal or at the end of each line. Similarly, Brock does not rely on rhyme; "Five Ways to Kill a Man" isa free verse construction. Brock does, however, include several examples of alliteration, whichcontributes to the overall percussive feel of the poem: "black boots," mileof mud," and "more mud" are all contained in the third stanza. Brock's language is as simple and direct as his subject matter andhis tone. All you then /require is an ocean to separate you," all of what he describes are asfactual as if they were being reported in a local newspaper.
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Acceptance Essays
