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An Interpretation of Dudley Randall's To the Mercy Killers Essay

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An Interpretation of Dudley Randall's To the Mercy Killers In order to appreciate a poem properly, care must be taken to analyze and understand many different facets of the work. Poems are often very complex and require a great deal of thought in order to arrive at the intended meaning. At the very least, three particular items of information must be uncovered during the reading of poetry. An experienced reader of poetry will always determine the identity of the speaker, the occasion of the speech, and the central idea of the poem.

In Dudley Randall's "To the Mercy Killers," the speaker is human. The sex of the speaker cannot be definitely proven. The probability that the speaker is a man is very high due to the graphic use of the …show more content…

The very first word of the poem suggests otherwise. The speaker says, "If ever mercy move you murder me, I pray you, kindly killers, let me live" (Randall 875). The word If implies that the situation is not currently under consideration by those being addressed. The addressees are, of course, doctors of medicine. The speaker is expressing his own desire should he ever find himself in such a predicament. Regardless of the hopelessness of his recovery, the speaker emphatically prefers to not be mercifully murdered. In line fourteen, he clearly states, "do not put out my life. Let me still glow" (Randall 875).

The final item of information that the reader of the poem must determine is the central idea that the poet is trying to convey. The central idea of "To the Mercy Killers" is very powerful and unsettling. The poem illustrates that life, no matter how frail and useless, is still life. The speaker says, "Even though I be a clot, an aching clench, a stub, a stump, a butt, a scab, a knob, a screaming pain, a putrefying stench, still let me live, so long as life shall throb" (Randall 875). The sheer definitiveness and power of these carefully chosen words illustrate an unwavering desire to be allowed a chance to fight for life, no matter how futile. The doctor may see his or her decision to end the life of another mercifully. Chances are the patient does not see it

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