![]() ![]() This is contrasted with the respectful way he is treated by civilians during wartime. The narrator is a British soldier who describes the poor treatment he receives at home when he is not needed to fight a war (for example, he laments being refused service by a pub owner for being a " redcoat"). The second half of each verse begins with a variation of the refrain "it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that". ![]() The poem comprises five verses of eight lines each and is written in a colloquial style of English. In popular use, "Thomas" became the more familiar "Tommy". A term of uncertain origin, the name "Thomas Atkins" was used in nineteenth century War Office manuals as a placeholder name to demonstrate how forms should be filled out. The Tommy of the poem is Tommy Atkins, a generic slang name for a common British soldier. It is written from the point of view of such a soldier, and contrasts the treatment they receive from the general public during peace and during war. The poem addresses the ordinary British soldier of Kipling's time in a sympathetic manner. " Tommy" is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling, reprinted in his 1892 Barrack-Room Ballads. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |