If We Must Die

If We Must Die Character List

Speaker

The speaker of the poem is someone who, along with the "kinsmen" he is speaking to, is facing death at the hands of murderous enemies. While the poem gives no concrete details about the speaker, we can get some sense of him from the language and the logic he employs. The speaker addresses his allies in an elevated, almost classical register, appealing to them through ideas of heroism, masculinity, and honor.

Kinsmen

The speaker's compatriots, who apparently share his fate, also receive little characterization. However, the poem's use of "kinsmen" and "like men" creates an appeal made on gendered terms, suggesting that the makeup of the allies is at least largely male.

Enemy

The enemy likewise receives no concrete description, but we know from the speaker's characterizations that the enemy is violent, hateful, and actively pursuing the speaker and his allies. The descriptions "dogs," "monsters," and "pack" suggest an inhuman and savage foe, although the line "shall be constrained to honor us" does imply that the enemy may share the speaker's values of honor and glory. We also know that the enemy greatly outnumbers the speaker and his allies.