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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Kirkup (23 April 1918 – 10 May 2009), born James Harold Kirkup, was an English poet, translator and travel writer. He wrote over 30 books, including autobiographies, novels and plays. He wrote under many pen-names including James Falconer, Aditya Jha, Jun Honda, Andrew James, Taeko Kawai, Felix Liston, Edward Raeburn, and Ivy B. Summerforest. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1962
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
James Kirkup gives a definite message of hope to mankind. Despite apparent divisions and differences, all are united together by the common bond of humanity and mankind. Few people have vested interests and gain by dividing lands and people. They conspire to create hatred and divisions among people. We should frustrate their evil desires. We should understand and try to recognize that the same soul runs through all the people. Let us work for the unity and prosperity of all lands and all people. Let us not pollute and defile the earth which is ours. Hatred and narrow ideas pollute the minds of the people. Conflicts and wars bring destruction and violence. We should remember that raising our arms against anyone means fighting against ourselves. The poet reminds us to remember, recognize and strengthen the common bond that unites mankind and humanity.
James Kirkup (23 April 1918 – 10 May 2009), born James Harold Kirkup, was an English poet, translator and travel writer. He wrote over 30 books, including autobiographies, novels and plays. He wrote under many pen-names including James Falconer, Aditya Jha, Jun Honda, Andrew James, Taeko Kawai, Felix Liston, Edward Raeburn, and Ivy B. Summerforest. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1962
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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
5. 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.
The literary devices used are as follows –
Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more closely placed words is called alliteration. The instances of alliteration in the poem are -
Stanza 1 - Body, breathes ‘b’ sound is repeated
Stanza 2 – war’s, winter ‘w’ sound is repeated
Metaphor
Stanza 1 - Uniform refers to the military of different countries
Stanza 2 – war time is compared to the winter season
1. “Beneath all uniforms . ..” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
The uniforms refer to those worn by soldiers belonging to different countries who indulge in wars and fights.
2. How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other
5. 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.
The literary devices used are as follows –
Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more closely placed words is called alliteration. The instances of alliteration in the poem are -
Stanza 1 - Body, breathes ‘b’ sound is repeated
Stanza 2 – war’s, winter ‘w’ sound is repeated
Metaphor
Stanza 1 - Uniform refers to the military of different countries
Stanza 2 – war time is compared to the winter season
1. “Beneath all uniforms . ..” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
The uniforms refer to those worn by soldiers belonging to different countries who indulge in wars and fights.
2. How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
The poet says that all the people are the same in the following ways –
i. we belong to one human race
ii. we walk on the same Earth
iii. Upon death, we will lie in our graves in the same Earth
iv. During peace we all enjoy the bounties of nature
v. During war and in the winter season, we all starve due to shortage of food
vi. We all do a lot of labour with our hands
vii. We have eyes which function in the same way
3. “...whenever we are told to hate our brothers ...” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
The leaders of any country tell the masses to hate the people of another country. They say so to fulfill their personal gains and benefits. The poet says that we should not follow them because when we hate our brothers, we hate and belittle ourselves. When we indulge in wars, we pollute and render the mother Earth impure by laying dead bodies on it.
4. How can we recognize and understand ‘common life’ in every land?
All human beings are woven in the wreath of humanity. If our vision is not clouded by narrow ideas, we can recognize and understand ‘common life’ in every land. All men are born and brought up in the same way. They love, hate and sleep in the same way. Peace and love bind them together.
5. Hating our brother means hating ourselves and taking arms against them means fighting with ourselves. Is it true?
Wars are imposed on lands and people. The poison of hate divide men and nations. They go to wars, kill and destroy one another. Hating our brothers mean hating ourselves. Similarly, raising arms against the people of one land means raising arms against humanity.
6. How do we defile and outrage the ‘human earth’ that is ours?
Hate breeds hatred. Narrow ideas pollute and defile this earth which belongs to all mankind. ‘Hells of fire and dust’ are our own creations. They pollute and outrage the ‘innocence of air that is our own’. We should remember that the mother earth belongs to all lands and all people.
7. ‘The land our brothers walk upon. Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie! ’ What does the poet mean to say in the above lines? Explain.
The poet means to say in these lines that it is the same land on which we walk and after our death would be buried in the same earth. Through these lines the poet tells us that we do all our activities on the same land. We get food from this land. We make our houses on this land and we get many other things from the same land, then why do we say to some people to be ‘others’. No one is other. We live in the same house or universe as a family. Then why do we create discrimination against some people. Why do we fight with our brothers? It is all because of our greed to get more wealth and power. We want to have more wealth and power than others. In pursuit to fulfill this desire, we fight with others and hurt them. The poet also tells us that one day all of us have to die. Nothing would remain ours. We will have to leave all things on the same earth. At last, we all will be buried in the same earth.
8. How does the poem ‘No Men are Foreign’ gives the message of unity and commonality of all mankind?
i. we belong to one human race
ii. we walk on the same Earth
iii. Upon death, we will lie in our graves in the same Earth
iv. During peace we all enjoy the bounties of nature
v. During war and in the winter season, we all starve due to shortage of food
vi. We all do a lot of labour with our hands
vii. We have eyes which function in the same way
3. “...whenever we are told to hate our brothers ...” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
The leaders of any country tell the masses to hate the people of another country. They say so to fulfill their personal gains and benefits. The poet says that we should not follow them because when we hate our brothers, we hate and belittle ourselves. When we indulge in wars, we pollute and render the mother Earth impure by laying dead bodies on it.
4. How can we recognize and understand ‘common life’ in every land?
All human beings are woven in the wreath of humanity. If our vision is not clouded by narrow ideas, we can recognize and understand ‘common life’ in every land. All men are born and brought up in the same way. They love, hate and sleep in the same way. Peace and love bind them together.
5. Hating our brother means hating ourselves and taking arms against them means fighting with ourselves. Is it true?
Wars are imposed on lands and people. The poison of hate divide men and nations. They go to wars, kill and destroy one another. Hating our brothers mean hating ourselves. Similarly, raising arms against the people of one land means raising arms against humanity.
6. How do we defile and outrage the ‘human earth’ that is ours?
Hate breeds hatred. Narrow ideas pollute and defile this earth which belongs to all mankind. ‘Hells of fire and dust’ are our own creations. They pollute and outrage the ‘innocence of air that is our own’. We should remember that the mother earth belongs to all lands and all people.
7. ‘The land our brothers walk upon. Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie! ’ What does the poet mean to say in the above lines? Explain.
The poet means to say in these lines that it is the same land on which we walk and after our death would be buried in the same earth. Through these lines the poet tells us that we do all our activities on the same land. We get food from this land. We make our houses on this land and we get many other things from the same land, then why do we say to some people to be ‘others’. No one is other. We live in the same house or universe as a family. Then why do we create discrimination against some people. Why do we fight with our brothers? It is all because of our greed to get more wealth and power. We want to have more wealth and power than others. In pursuit to fulfill this desire, we fight with others and hurt them. The poet also tells us that one day all of us have to die. Nothing would remain ours. We will have to leave all things on the same earth. At last, we all will be buried in the same earth.
8. How does the poem ‘No Men are Foreign’ gives the message of unity and commonality of all mankind?
James Kirkup gives a definite message of hope to mankind. Despite apparent divisions and differences, all are united together by the common bond of humanity and mankind. Few people have vested interests and gain by dividing lands and people. They conspire to create hatred and divisions among people. We should frustrate their evil desires. We should understand and try to recognize that the same soul runs through all the people. Let us work for the unity and prosperity of all lands and all people. Let us not pollute and defile the earth which is ours. Hatred and narrow ideas pollute the minds of the people. Conflicts and wars bring destruction and violence. We should remember that raising our arms against anyone means fighting against ourselves. The poet reminds us to remember, recognize and strengthen the common bond that unites mankind and humanity.
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