Question

“… whenever we are told to hate our brothers…” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?

Answer 1

Hint: "No men are foreign" refers to the fact that none of the men is citizens of another country. The poet wishes to convey that all men are the same and fair. He wishes to spread the idea of universal brotherhood. The poet wishes to convey to us that everybody in the world is the same in this poem. All creatures, all men, feed, live, and die in the same way.

Complete answer:
The phrase “… whenever we are told to hate our brothers…” means that we are often told to hate our brothers, that is, the people living in other countries. This is often used at the time of war. We are asked to do so by political officials and wealthy individuals who work for personal gain. We should not, however, play the role of a puppet in their hands and do as they say.

Some egotistical people can instigate innocent people to cause harm to others. They do it to help themselves. The popular or ordinary man is befuddled by their ruses and begins to despise his fellow human beings. They are told to start riots. According to the poet, one should not take anyone's advice without first considering it. The poet claims that there is no distinction between them and foreigners on many occasions. Every person on the planet is the same.

Through hating our brothers, the poet reminds us, we are dispossessing, betraying, and punishing ourselves. We pollute the human earth and violate the integrity of the atmosphere as we take arms against each other.

Note: No Men Are Foreign,' a poem by James Kirkup, is about brotherhood and equality. Kirkup argues that since all men are equal, wars or fights between brothers are pointless. This poem is about coming together and realising that, despite their obvious differences, men are born equal.