What is the theme of the poem "Five Ways To Kill A Man" by Edwin Brock?

There are five stanzas to this poem; the main themes of the poem appear to center on the inhumanity of man through succeeding generations and the new threats to life in modern civilization.

Stanza One describes the crucifixion of Christ. The poet describes the sandal-wearing Jewish crowd. The crowing "cock" refers to Peter betraying Christ three times before the rooster crows. Also, Roman soldiers divide the garments of Jesus between themselves (into four shares). However, on the day of his Crucifixion, Jesus is also wearing a seamless tunic/cloak; the soldiers cast lots for this valuable garment because they do not want to divide it. Refer to John 19:23.

To do this properly you require a crowd of people wearing sandals, a cock that crows, a cloak to dissect, a sponge, some vinegar and one man to hammer the nails home.

Stanza Two refers to the medieval era when men still fought with "bows and arrows." The "length of steel" refers to a sword which can pierce through chain-mail hauberks. However, in the later medieval period, armor was often entirely made of steel plates and was much harder to penetrate.

Stanzas Three and Four describe World Wars One and Two. The reference to "gas" signifies chemical warfare, and the "ditches" may be an allusion to trench warfare. Rat infestation in trenches was a greatly feared phenomenon in World War One. The millions of rats which invaded trenches often feasted on rotting corpses and invariably brought disease to already beleaguered troops.

Stanza Four focuses on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

All you then require is an ocean to separate you, two systems of government, a nation's scientists, several factories, a psychopath and land that no-one needs for several years.

The scientists refer to the men who invented and worked on the atomic bomb. As for the psychopath, some experts maintain that it is a reference to President Truman, although others maintain that it is a reference to Hideki Tojo, the imperialistic dictator of Japan, who along with his allies, Germany and Italy, intended to rule the world. The wonderful thing about poetry is that there are often different interpretations based on unique viewpoints.

Stanza Five is the last stanza. After centuries of killing each other, the poet maintains cheekily that he has just been describing "cumbersome ways to kill a man." He argues that a more direct way to kill would be to put someone in the "middle of the twentieth century" and to leave him to the machinations of modern civilization. Thus, the theme of the poem reinforces that the inhumanity of man and the myriad threats to life continue into modernity; danger is not circumscribed by circumstance or time.