No Men are Foreign Class 9 | James Kirkup | Poem | English |

 ENo Men are Foreign Class 9 | James Kirkup | Poem | English |

No Men are Foreign by James Kirkup talks about the idea of brotherhood. It is about humanity and is one of the best creation meant for teenagers. 

 Summary of No Men are Foreign

The poem No Men Are Foreign from Class 9 English tells us that no one is strange. The first line is about how “No men are strange, and no country is foreign.” In this poem, the poet James Kurkip discusses brotherhood and humanity. He says that people on earth are similar to each other and have similar thoughts. War is a terrible crime according to the poet, and he wants to stop it from happening.

This poem is about people in other countries. The poet talks about how unfair it is that some people are not treated fairly. He also talks about the land, air, sun and water. God gave every country on earth plenty of resources. This shows that people should not be treated differently because they are different from us. Also, when winter comes and war happens, all of the Earth’s people suffer. This shows that we need to accept each other’s differences and try to make this world a better place for everyone who lives here!

He says that humans are all the same. We have the same physical attributes and think the same way. When we decide to go into a war, we kill other people who are like us. We should think about what we’re doing before going into a war, because in war there is no winner.

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Stanza-Wise Explanation of No Men are Foreign

Stanza 1

In the first stanza, the poet  says that there are no divisions in people. They may be different, but they’re all the same inside. All people have a body and a mind just like everyone else. It doesn’t matter what country you live in or what clothes you wear – we’re all the same on the inside.

Stanza 2

In the second stanza of the poem, the poet tells us about nature. Mother nature does not discriminate and has given each person their own share of what is needed to live. We get our equal share of land, sunlight, and air from peaceful farmers who feed us during war-times when many people die. The poet is trying to show us that we all suffer together when there are wars and death in life.

Stanza 3

The third stanza deals with love. The poet says that we are alike in many ways. We have similar features and they do the same job, so why can’t we be the same? He also says that even when people are different, people can still be friends. But the only way to become friends is to show your love for them. Other than being physically similar, you can also share emotions with someone else too. The poet urges us to have more love for other people so war does not happen. He also reminds us that every place has life – whether you see it or not – and these things want to live just like you do! They don’t want war or death either, so he urges us to understand this too!

Stanza 4

In the fourth stanza, the poet tells us that when we are told to hate a certain group of people or country, we are the ones who make the choice. It is us who chooses to fight instead of trying to solve problems peacefully. We should remember that killing other human beings is not the answer. When there is a war, both countries lose many people- no side wins and everybody loses in a war. Remember this when you make decisions about fighting instead of talking it out peacefully.

Stanza 5

In the fifth stanza, the poet tells us it is the people are the ones who are harmed in a war. War does not benefit anyone, because when it happens, people die. The earth is also made worse off by it. When there is a war, dead bodies lay on barren ground and fire goes everywhere. The poet compares the fire to hellfire and says that the dead bodies make the earth impure. He then finishes his poem with this line: “When two countries fight.”

Theme of No Men are Foreign Class 9 English

The poem points out that all our boundaries and differences are human-made. The poet is trying to show that we are all the same. It’s important not to fight with other people and instead, we should love them. We don’t need to be fighting in this world, we should just love each other.

Textual Questions of No Men are Foreign

Question 1. (i) “Beneath all uniforms…” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?

(ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?

Answer: (i) The poet is speaking about the kind of dresses and outfits people put on.

(ii) The poet says that the uniforms must be different, but we are all human underneath. When we die, even if our uniforms are different, we will still lie in the same earth.

Question 2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.

Answer: The poet tells us about five ways wherein we are all same. Here are the phrases picked up from the poem:

• No men are strange
• No countries foreign
• A single body breathes
• The land our brothers walk upon (the same planet)
• (The same earth) in which we all shall lie

Question 3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.

Answer: These are the common features which can be found in stanza 2:

• Aware of sun and air and water – It means that every human needs sun, air and water.
• Fed by peaceful harvests – It means every human is fed by harvested food and grains
• Their hands are ours – It means that they are as same we all are
• In their lines we read a labour not different from our own –  It means that they have the hands that show the hard work and labor they put in their work.

Question 4. “…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?

Answer: We are told to hate people from different countries during war. These people want wars, not peace. They make us feel bad things about other humans for their own benefit and cause riots. We shouldn’t do what they say. We should try to make the world more peaceful instead of fighting each other like this, because we are all human beings too. There is no true ‘foreigner’.

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