Introduction: “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
“Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1914 as part of the collection Satires of Circumstance, shows stark imagery, pessimistic tone, and exploration of the human condition in the face of war and mortality. Hardy’s use of simple language and vivid descriptions effectively convey the emotional impact of the event, highlighting the fear, uncertainty, and senselessness of war.
Text: “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
That night your great guns, unawares,
Shook all our coffins as we lay,
And broke the chancel window-squares,
We thought it was the Judgment-day
And sat upright. While drearisome
Arose the howl of wakened hounds:
The mouse let fall the altar-crumb,
The worms drew back into the mounds,
The glebe cow drooled. Till God called, “No;
It’s gunnery practice out at sea
Just as before you went below;
The world is as it used to be:
“All nations striving strong to make
Red war yet redder. Mad as hatters
They do no more for Christés sake
Than you who are helpless in such matters.
“That this is not the judgment-hour
For some of them’s a blessed thing,
For if it were they’d have to scour
Hell’s floor for so much threatening….
“Ha, ha. It will be warmer when
I blow the trumpet (if indeed
I ever do; for you are men,
And rest eternal sorely need).”
So down we lay again. “I wonder,
Will the world ever saner be,”
Said one, “than when He sent us under
In our indifferent century!”
And many a skeleton shook his head.
“Instead of preaching forty year,”
My neighbour Parson Thirdly said,
“I wish I had stuck to pipes and beer.”
Again the guns disturbed the hour,
Roaring their readiness to avenge,
As far inland as Stourton Tower,
And Camelot, and starlit Stonehenge.
Annotations: “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
| Stanza | Annotation |
| 1 | The dead are awakened by the sound of great guns, which they initially mistake for the Judgment Day. This introduces the setting in a graveyard and the motif of war. |
| 2 | The animals and insects in and around the graves react to the disturbance. The imagery serves to show the unnaturalness of the disturbance in a place of eternal rest. |
| 3 | God humorously clarifies that the noise is just gunnery practice, not the apocalypse, emphasizing the continuity of human conflicts even after death. |
| 4 | God’s speech continues, critiquing humanity’s endless engagement in war and their disregard for spiritual values (“for Christés sake”), even in the face of divine judgment. |
| 5 | The dialogue turns sardonic as God mocks the concept of Judgment Day, hinting at human insignificance and the eternal rest (“you are men, And rest eternal sorely need”) they need rather than resurrection for judgment. |
| 6 | The dead ponder if humanity will ever become wiser, reflecting on their own time as just as indifferent to folly as any other. |
| 7 | A skeleton, formerly a parson, expresses regret over his life choices, wishing he had pursued more earthly pleasures (“pipes and beer”) instead of a spiritual calling. |
| 8 | The poem concludes with the reiteration of the gunfire, reinforcing the relentless and pervasive nature of war that reaches even historical and mystical sites (“Camelot, and starlit Stonehenge”). |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
| Device | Definition | Example | Function |
| Apostrophe | Addressing someone or something absent or inanimate as if it were present and capable of understanding. | “And sat upright. While drearisome / Arose the howl of wakened hounds:” | Adds a sense of intimacy and emotion, as if the speaker is directly addressing the dead. |
| Assonance | The repetition of vowel sounds within words. | “That night your great guns, unawares” | Creates a musical and rhythmic effect, enhances the poem’s auditory qualities. |
| Biblical allusion | A reference to a person, event, or place from the Bible. | “We thought it was the Judgment-day” | Adds a sense of historical and religious significance, suggesting the gravity of the situation. |
| Contrast | The juxtaposition of opposing ideas or images. | “The world is as it used to be” contrasted with “All nations striving strong to make / Red war yet redder” | Highlights the irony and absurdity of the situation, emphasizing the contrast between the dead and the living. |
| Dialogue | Conversation between characters. | “Will the world ever saner be,” / Said one, “than when He sent us under / In our indifferent century!” | Adds a sense of realism and immediacy, making the poem more relatable. |
| Dramatic irony | When the audience or reader knows something that the characters do not. | The dead characters believe it is the Judgment Day, while the reader knows it is gunnery practice. | Creates a sense of suspense and tension, as the reader anticipates the characters’ realization. |
| Euphemism | A mild or indirect expression used to replace a more direct or offensive one. | “Rest eternal sorely need” instead of “die” | Avoids a direct and potentially offensive reference to death, while still conveying the meaning. |
| Imagery | The use of vivid language to create mental images. | “The mouse let fall the altar-crumb” | Creates a vivid picture of the disruption caused by the guns, emphasizing the impact on even the smallest creatures. |
| Irony | A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant. | “Ha, ha. It will be warmer when / I blow the trumpet” | Highlights the absurdity of the situation, as God mocks the idea of a final judgment. |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech in which one thing is said to be another thing. | “Mad as hatters” | Compares the nations to people who are insane, emphasizing their irrational behavior. |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to non-human things. | “The glebe cow drooled” | Creates a vivid image of the cow’s fear and distress, emphasizing the impact of the guns on all living things. |
| Rhyme | The repetition of sounds at the end of words. | “We thought it was the Judgment-day” / “Just as before you went below;” | Creates a musical and rhythmic effect, making the poem more memorable. |
| Satire | The use of humor to criticize or ridicule. | The poem satirizes the absurdity of war and the hypocrisy of religious leaders. | Provides a critical commentary on society, highlighting its flaws. |
| Simile | A figure of speech that compares two things using “like” or “as.” | “Mad as hatters” | Compares the nations to people who are insane, emphasizing their irrational behavior. |
| Symbolism | The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. | The guns symbolize the destructive power of war and the indifference of humanity. | Adds depth and meaning to the poem, allowing for multiple interpretations. |
| Tone | The attitude of the speaker toward the subject matter. | Pessimistic, ironic, and critical | Creates a sense of despair and disillusionment, reflecting the speaker’s view of the world. |
| Verbal irony | When a speaker says something contrary to what is meant. | “Ha, ha. It will be warmer when / I blow the trumpet” | Highlights the absurdity of the situation, as God mocks the idea of a final judgment. |
| Voice | The distinctive style or personality of the speaker. | The voice of the speaker is that of a dead person, reflecting on the absurdity of life and death. | Creates a unique perspective and adds to the poem’s emotional impact. |
| Word choice | The selection of specific words to convey meaning and evoke emotion. | “Drearisome,” “indifferent,” “helpless” | Creates a somber and evocative atmosphere, emphasizing the poem’s themes of despair and futility. |
Themes: “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
- The Absurdity of War:
- Hardy presents war as a senseless and chaotic event that disrupts the natural order. The sudden firing of the guns and the subsequent chaos among the dead highlight the absurdity of the situation. The poem’s ironic tone and the juxtaposition of the peaceful setting of the graveyard with the violent act of war emphasize the senselessness of the conflict. For example, the lines “And broke the chancel window-squares, / We thought it was the Judgment-day” illustrate the unexpected and jarring nature of the war, while the contrast between the “drearisome” howl of the hounds and the “glebe cow drooled” emphasizes the absurdity of the situation.
- The Fragility of Life:
- The poem underscores the fragility of human life in the face of death. The dead characters are awakened from their eternal sleep by the guns, highlighting the temporary nature of existence. The reference to the “indifferent century” suggests that human life is ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things. For instance, the lines “That night your great guns, unawares, / Shook all our coffins as we lay” emphasize the vulnerability of the dead to the forces of nature and the unpredictable nature of life.
- The Indifference of God:
- Hardy presents a bleak view of God as a distant and indifferent figure who takes little interest in human suffering. The character of God in the poem is portrayed as a cruel and mocking figure who finds amusement in the plight of humanity. This portrayal challenges traditional notions of a benevolent and caring deity. For example, God’s response to the dead characters’ concerns is dismissive and mocking: “Ha, ha. It will be warmer when / I blow the trumpet (if indeed / I ever do; for you are men, / And rest eternal sorely need).” This suggests that God is uncaring and indifferent to the suffering of humanity.
- 4. The Futility of Human Endeavors:
- The poem suggests that human efforts to improve the world are ultimately futile. The dead characters’ realization that the world is still filled with war and conflict emphasizes the futility of their existence. The parson’s regret for not pursuing a simpler life highlights the futility of seeking meaning and purpose in a chaotic world. For example, the lines “Again the guns disturbed the hour, / Roaring their readiness to avenge” suggest that human efforts to create a better world are ultimately in vain, as war continues to persist.
Literary Theories and “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
| Literary Theory | Application to “Channel Firing” |
| Historicism | Historicism looks at the historical context of the poem to understand its themes and messages. Hardy wrote this poem in 1914, on the brink of World War I, reflecting societal fears and the prevailing militarism. References: The poem’s setting in a graveyard and the mistaken sounds of guns for Judgment Day could be seen as Hardy’s commentary on the absurdity and omnipresence of war (“That night your great guns, unawares, Shook all our coffins as we lay”). |
| Marxist Criticism | Marxist criticism explores class struggle and materialism within literary works. In “Channel Firing,” the voices from the graves, including a parson, comment on the futility and the continuation of human conflicts, suggesting disillusionment with religious and societal structures that support war. References: The parson’s regret over his spiritual life in favor of earthly pleasures (“I wish I had stuck to pipes and beer”) critiques materialism and misplaced values. |
| Post-structuralism | Post-structuralism emphasizes the instability of meaning and how language constructs reality. The poem’s ironic tone and the paradoxical dialogue between the dead and God question established narratives of morality and eternity. References: God’s ironic remarks about the judgment and the permanence of war (“Ha, ha. It will be warmer when I blow the trumpet”) highlight the ambiguous and constructed nature of religious and moral truths in human society. |
Critical Questions about “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
- How does Hardy’s use of imagery contribute to the poem’s themes?
- Hardy’s use of vivid imagery is central to the poem’s exploration of themes such as the absurdity of war, the fragility of life, and the indifference of God. For example, the image of the “chancel window-squares” being broken by the guns symbolizes the disruption of the natural order and the sacredness of life. The image of the “glebe cow drooled” highlights the impact of the war on even the most innocent creatures. Through these images, Hardy creates a powerful and evocative picture of the devastation caused by war.
- How does the poem’s tone contribute to its overall meaning?
- The poem’s tone is predominantly pessimistic, ironic, and critical. This tone helps to convey the sense of despair and disillusionment experienced by the dead characters. For example, the ironic tone of God’s response to the dead characters’ concerns emphasizes the absurdity of the situation and the indifference of the divine. The poem’s pessimistic tone contributes to its overall meaning by highlighting the bleakness of human existence and the futility of human endeavors.
- What is the significance of the setting in the poem?
- The setting of a graveyard is significant because it represents the final resting place of the dead and symbolizes mortality. The contrast between the peaceful setting of the graveyard and the violent act of war emphasizes the absurdity of the situation. Additionally, the setting of the graveyard allows Hardy to explore themes such as the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.
- How does the poem’s use of dialogue contribute to its characterization and narrative?
- The use of dialogue in the poem contributes to the characterization of the dead and helps to advance the narrative. The conversations between the dead characters reveal their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on the world. For example, the parson’s regret for not pursuing a simpler life highlights the futility of human endeavors. The dialogue also helps to create a sense of realism and immediacy, making the poem more relatable to the reader.
Literary Works Similar to “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
- “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen: This poem, like Hardy’s, offers a grim and graphic depiction of war, specifically World War I, challenging the romanticized view of war and echoing Hardy’s critique of its brutal reality.
- “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats: Yeats’ poem explores themes of chaos and disorder at a crucial historical moment, similar to Hardy’s reflection on societal norms and the constant presence of conflict.
- “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” by William Butler Yeats: Here, Yeats delves into the thoughts of a doomed pilot, reflecting on his impending death in a manner that mirrors the existential contemplation found in “Channel Firing.”
- “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy: Another of Hardy’s own poems, this one offers a direct, personal reflection on the absurdity of war, as a soldier contemplates killing a man who could have been a friend under different circumstances, akin to the existential and moral questions in “Channel Firing.”
- “War Photographer” by Carol Ann Duffy: Duffy’s poem considers the detached perspective of a photographer documenting war zones, highlighting the moral and ethical numbness similar to the detached, ironic commentary of the dead in Hardy’s poem.
Suggested Readings: “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
- Gatrell, Simon. Hardy’s Poetry, 1860-1928. Oxford University Press, 1988.
- Kramer, Dale, editor. Critical Approaches to the Fiction of Thomas Hardy. Barnes & Noble Books, 1979.
- Millgate, Michael. Thomas Hardy: A Biography Revisited. Oxford University Press, 2004.
- Morgan, Rosemarie. Student Companion to Thomas Hardy. Greenwood Press, 2007.
- Orel, Harold, editor. Thomas Hardy’s Personal Writings. University Press of Kansas, 1990.
Representative Quotations of “Channel Firing” by Thomas Hardy
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “And sat upright. While drearisome / Arose the howl of wakened hounds:” | The dead characters are startled awake by the guns. | Existentialism: The sudden disruption of their peaceful existence highlights the absurdity and unpredictability of life. |
| “The glebe cow drooled. Till God called, “No; / It’s gunnery practice out at sea” | The dead characters are initially mistaken about the cause of the disturbance. | Dramatic irony: The reader knows the truth, creating a sense of suspense and tension. |
| “All nations striving strong to make / Red war yet redder. Mad as hatters” | The poem critiques the senselessness of war. | Satire: Hardy uses humor and irony to criticize the absurdity of human behavior. |
| “That this is not the judgment-hour / For some of them’s a blessed thing” | God suggests that the war is a blessing in disguise. | Irony: This statement is ironic, as it mocks the idea of a final judgment and the possibility of salvation. |
| “Instead of preaching forty year,” / My neighbour Parson Thirdly said, / “I wish I had stuck to pipes and beer.” | The parson regrets his choice of profession. | Existentialism: The poem suggests that life is meaningless and that there is no inherent purpose to human existence. |