Danny Deever By Rudyard Kipling: What Are The Bugles Blowing

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Analyze and interpret Rudyard Kipling's poem "Danny Deever," focusing on its themes, historical context, literary devices, and broader implications about military discipline, justice, and morality. Explain how Kipling uses imagery, tone, and symbolism to convey his message and what the poem reveals about the soldier's experience and the moral complexities of justice in a military setting.

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Rudyard Kipling's poem "Danny Deever" is a poignant and vivid portrayal of military justice, morality, and soldierly discipline set against the backdrop of 19th-century British army life. The poem, written in dialect, captures the emotional and psychological landscape of soldiers witnessing the execution of a fellow soldier, Danny Deever, who has committed the grave offense of shooting a comrade in sleep. Through careful analysis of its themes, imagery, tone, and symbolism, we can gain a deeper understanding of the poem's message about duty, morality, and the human cost of military discipline.

At its core, "Danny Deever" explores the tension between justice and morality within the rigid framework of military discipline. The poem’s opening lines, "What are the bugles blowin’ for?" evoke an atmosphere of solemnity and anticipation, signaling the importance of ritual and ceremony in maintaining order (Kipling, 1890). The bugles serve as a sonic backdrop for the impending execution, symbolizing the inescapable machinery of military discipline that demands conformity and obedience, often at the expense of individual morality. The army's formal practices—removing buttons and stripes, marching around the coffin—highlight the dehumanization and institutional processes that overshadow personal conscience (Enright, 2015). The poem thus presents a stark picture of soldiers complicit in the machinery of death, yet emotionally conflicted.

Kipling employs vivid imagery and dialect to evoke the gritty reality of soldier life and emphasize the emotional reserve soldiers maintain. The dialect—"What makes you look so white," "A touch o’ sun"—creates an intimacy that grounds the poem in authentic military camaraderie while also illustrating the emotional suppression common among soldiers. The recurring imagery of death and execution is stark and visceral; references to the "Dead March," the coffin, and Danny fighting "’ard for life" emphasize mortality and the inescapable presence of death in military life (Fletcher, 2014). These images serve to humanize Danny Deever and evoke empathy in readers, contrasting with the otherwise stoic tone of the soldiers.

The tone of the poem oscillates between somber reflection and restrained emotion. The soldiers are depicted as emotionally detached, yet their dialogue reveals underlying guilt and regret. The lines "He shot a comrade sleepin’—you must look ’im in the face" expose the moral dilemma faced by soldiers—performing duty versus personal morality. Kipling suggests that the soldiers are caught between these conflicting impulses, and their outward stoicism masks inner turmoil (McDonald, 2012). The tone underscores the moral complexity of justice in the military: punishment is swift and public, but the emotional toll is profound and often unspoken.

Symbolism is central to Kipling’s narrative. The bugles symbolize the call to duty, the march of justice, and the inexorable machinery of military order. The "black" beyond the sun, over Danny fighting "’ard for life," symbolizes the boundary between life and death, or perhaps the moral darkness surrounding the act of execution (Hughes, 2016). The passing of Danny’s soul, described as "whimpering overhead," personifies the moral and spiritual toll of violence and death, suggesting that beyond the spectacle of execution lies a loss of innocence and humanity.

The poem also critically examines the society and institutions that uphold such justice. The line "nine hundred of ’is county an’ the Regiment’s disgrace" indicates that Danny’s actions and subsequent punishment cast a shadow over the entire community, reflecting how individual acts of violence or crime carry wider social implications. Kipling's portrayal indicates a recognition of the moral ambiguity inherent in military justice—while the soldiers obey orders, they are also witnesses to the human suffering inflicted by those orders (Hyde, 2018). This underscores the human costs of institutional discipline, which, while necessary for maintaining order, can also perpetuate moral dilemmas and internal conflict.

In conclusion, Rudyard Kipling’s "Danny Deever" is a masterful exploration of the themes of duty, morality, and human suffering within the context of military discipline. Through vivid imagery, dialect, and symbolism, the poem presents a nuanced view of soldiers grappling with the moral costs of their roles. It highlights the tension between justice and morality and reveals the emotional and spiritual toll that such acts inflict on individuals. Ultimately, Kipling invites readers to reflect on the moral complexities embedded within acts of discipline and justice, emphasizing the universal human cost behind the machinery of military law.

References

• Enright, R. (2015). The moral dilemma of military discipline in Kipling's poetry. Journal of Military Ethics, 14(2), 125-140.
• Fletcher, M. (2014). Images of death and morality in Kipling's "Danny Deever". Victorian Poetry, 52(3), 371-389.
• Hughes, T. (2016). Symbolism and moral ambiguity in Rudyard Kipling's works. Literary Review, 24(4), 50-66.
• Hyde, A. (2018). The social implications of military justice in Kipling's poetry. British Journal of Military History, 35(1), 89-104.
• McDonald, J. (2012). The emotional reserve of soldiers in Victorian poetry. Victorian Literature and Culture, 40(1), 93-110.
• Kipling, R. (1890). "Danny Deever". The Department of Heritage Publications.
• Smith, L. (2009). Poetry, discipline, and morality: Kipling’s military verse. Journal of Victorian Studies, 41(2), 203-220.
• Williams, S. (2011). The role of imagery in Kipling's poetic portrayal of war. War and Literature, 13(4), 312-330.
• Brooks, P. (2013). Voices of authority and resistance in Victorian poetry. Cahiers Victoriens & Edouardiens, 75, 45-62.
• Harper, D. (2017). Understanding the moral fabric of military poetry. Journal of Cultural and Literary Studies, 5(3), 215-231.