One need only turn on the evening news to get a sense of the tragic state
             of world affairs, especially during times of war. Yet even before the
             invention of television or print photography, war and killing were integral
             parts of the human social and political experience. Edwin Brock captures a
             variety of images of and reactions to war, death, and degradation in his
             poem "Five Ways to Kill a Man." Using satire, historical references, and
             intense imagery, Brock conveys the unfortunate, inescapable reality of war
             and inhuman behavior. Furthermore, the final stanza of the poem emphasizes
             the particularly brutal nature of the wars occurring in the twentieth
             century, which Brock perceives as being a particularly lethal time. Brock
             writes not necessarily to evoke an emotional reaction in his readers; in
             fact, he reports on his subject matter almost with detached awareness and
             rationality. "There are many cumbersome ways to kill a man," the poem
             opens. Among these ways include crucifixion, jousting, gassing, and
             airplane bombing. The purpose of Brock's poem, however, is not simply to
             describe and explain modes of war and killing. Rather, the poet intends to
             made modern social commentary, as he concludes, "Simpler, direct, and much
             more neat Is to see that he lives somewhere in the middle of the
             twentieth century, and leave him there." The twentieth century seems
             particularly dire according to Brock, partly because the methods of killing
             now include such far-reaching consequences as nuclear fallout. The
             pessimistic note on which the poet ends comprises the general tone of "Five
             Ways to Kill a Man." Therefore, Brock's main intent in composing the poem
             is to convey disgust with modern political, social, and psychological
             realities. The poet accomplishes this end through surprisingly few formal
             poetic techniques, and relies mainly on imagery and diction for impact.
            
             For example, "Five Ways to Kill a Man" contains on...