Beehive Poem No Men Are Foreign - CBSE Revision Notes
CBSE Class 09 English Language and Literature
Revision Notes
Beehive Chapter-6
No Men are Foreign
By James Kirkup
Revision Notes
Beehive Chapter-6
No Men are Foreign
By James Kirkup
The poet, James Kirkup, talks about the concept of global brotherhood and equality. He tells us that no men are strange and no counties are foreign.The poem begins by asking us to constantly remind ourselves that no human being is strange or different. Beneath the superficial surface of our bodies, all human beings have hearts, minds and souls. The lines also drive home the point about the futility of war. All those who have divisive mindsets, or are caught up in war, need to remember that behind such superficial “uniforms” are living and breathing human beings just like you and me.
Each and every land like each and every human being is nourished by sun, air and water. People may have adapted to different conditions and situations, but we are all one in the spirit. We are all able to sustain our lives during peacetime and would starve to death if wars disrupt on earth.
The poet here again reminds us of the humanity in each human being. We all wake up each new day with hope and then take rest. It is only love that can really keep humanity going. With love and looking at each human being with kindness, we can truly create a paradise-like situation on earth.
The poet then reminds us that by trying to hate and even exploit others and their lands, we will be betraying and condemning ourselves. Such kind of exploitation will only lead to superficial short-term success and no deep or spiritual kind of redemption.
In the last lines of this compelling poem, the poet again reminds us that taking “arms against each other,” that is war, is in fact futile. The very human earth is ruined through war, hatred and exploitation of any kind. The earth can become ravaged and polluted through war and exploitation with the constant firing, destruction and piling up of dust and debris. The air that we breathe also becomes polluted as a result. The poet ends with the refrain “no men are foreign, and no countries strange.” We need to constantly remember that we are all one in the spirit and encourage mutual respect for sustainable world in the future.
