Summary:
Thomas Hardy’s Drummer Hodge is a poignant poem that reflects on the fate of a young English soldier who dies in the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902). The poem highlights the tragedy of war, as Hodge, a simple drummer boy, is killed in a foreign land and buried without ceremony under an unfamiliar African sky. Hardy emphasizes the contrast between Hodge’s rural English background and the strange landscape of South Africa, where he is laid to rest. The poem’s tone is mournful and reflective, focusing on themes of war, loss, and the permanence of death. Despite his tragic fate, Hardy suggests that Hodge becomes a part of the foreign land, eternally connected to the place where he fell.
MCQs:
- Who wrote Drummer Hodge?
a) Alfred Lord Tennyson
b) Robert Browning
c) Thomas Hardy
d) John Keats
Answer: c) Thomas Hardy - What historical event inspired Drummer Hodge?
a) The Crimean War
b) The Napoleonic Wars
c) The Second Anglo-Boer War
d) World War I
Answer: c) The Second Anglo-Boer War - Who is Drummer Hodge in the poem?
a) A general leading the troops
b) A drummer boy who dies in battle
c) A politician who opposes war
d) A Boer soldier fighting the British
Answer: b) A drummer boy who dies in battle
Drummer Hodge - Where is Drummer Hodge buried?
a) In his hometown in England
b) In an unmarked grave in South Africa
c) In a military cemetery in France
d) In Westminster Abbey
Answer: b) In an unmarked grave in South Africa - What is the main theme of the poem?
a) The glory of war
b) The adventure of travel
c) The tragedy and futility of war
d) The joy of victory
Answer: c) The tragedy and futility of war - What literary device is heavily used in the poem?
a) Satire
b) Irony
c) Imagery
d) Hyperbole
Answer: c) Imagery - What does the phrase “strange stars” symbolize in the poem?
a) The guiding light of destiny
b) The unfamiliar African landscape where Hodge is buried
c) The hope of returning home
d) The constellations of England
Answer: b) The unfamiliar African landscape where Hodge is buried - How does Hardy portray Drummer Hodge’s fate?
a) As heroic and celebrated
b) As tragic and lonely
c) As humorous and ironic
d) As insignificant and forgettable
Answer: b) As tragic and lonely - What does the word “kopje-crest” in the poem refer to?
a) A type of drum used in war
b) A high hill or small mountain in South Africa
c) A rank in the military
d) A village in England
Answer: b) A high hill or small mountain in South Africa - What does the poem suggest about Drummer Hodge’s legacy?
a) He is forgotten by history
b) He becomes a part of the land where he died
c) He is honored as a national hero
d) His death leads to peace between nations
Answer: b) He becomes a part of the land where he died
| Question | Answer |
| Poem Name | Drummer Hodge |
| Poet | Thomas Hardy |
| Year Published | 1899 |
| Poem Type | War poetry, elegy |
| Verse Form | Three six-line stanzas |
| Main Subject | The fate of a young soldier in the Boer War |
| Themes | War, death, exile, memory, nature |
| Tone | Mournful, reflective, tragic |
| Poetic Devices Used | Imagery, symbolism, contrast, repetition |
| Symbolism | “Strange stars” – unfamiliarity, exile; “kopje-crest” – foreign land |
| Historical Context | Written during the Second Anglo-Boer War, criticizing the loss of young lives |
| Main Message | War leads to loss and displacement, but the dead become part of the land where they fall |