---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you…"
description: "\"Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you hev it plain an' flat; I don't want to go no furder Than my Testyment fer that. . . . . . An' you 've gut to g..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/james-russell-lowell-561_flat_ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-he_233952.png"
---

#  Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you hev it plain an'…

![“Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you hev it plain an' flat; I don't want to go no furder Than my Testyment fer that. . . . . . An' you 've gut to git up airly Ef you want to take in God.” quote by James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/james-russell-lowell-561_flat_ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-he_233952.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/james-russell-lowell-561_flat_ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-he_233952.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/james-russell-lowell-561_flat_ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-he_233952.png)

> “Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you hev it plain an' flat; I don't want to go no furder Than my Testyment fer that. . . . . . An' you 've gut to git up airly Ef you want to take in God.”

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The poet describes a violent act, urging divine intervention and moral reckoning, highlighting the tension between human cruelty and spiritual hope.

**In simple terms:** Violence is condemned; seek divine guidance.

Key Takeaway

Seek higher moral guidance.

Themes

morality violence spirituality justice redemption

Mood

reflective somber hopeful

Type

ethical spiritual literary

When to use this quote

- conflict resolution
- community healing
- faith practice
- social justice
- education

Key Concepts

human nature divine intervention ethical conflict

Questions to Reflect On

- What role does faith play in confronting cruelty?
- How can we act justly without relying on divine intervention?

A Different Perspective

Divine solutions may not address immediate human suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Guts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guts/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [You've gut to git up airly Ef you want to take in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/you-ve-gut-to-git-up-airly-ef-you-want-to-take-in-god/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [“The only difference between war and murder is the number of dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-only-difference-between-war-and-murder-is-the-number-of-dead/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [War is murder. And the military preparations now being made for a potential major confrontation are aimed at collective murder. In a nuclear age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alva-myrdal/war-is-murder-and-the-military-preparations-now-being-made-for-a/)

[Alva Myrdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alva-myrdal/)

> [War is murder writ large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/war-is-murder-writ-large/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [It is not a war. It is murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-is-not-a-war-it-is-murder/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“The only difference between war and murder is the number of the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-only-difference-between-war-and-murder-is-the-number-of-the-dead/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [Unless a nation's life faces peril, war is murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/unless-a-nation-s-life-faces-peril-war-is-murder/)

[Mustafa Kemal Ataturk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/)

> [It was not war, it was murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-harvey-hill/it-was-not-war-it-was-murder/)

[Daniel Harvey Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-harvey-hill/)

> [All war is murder, robbery, trickery, and no nation ever escaped losses of men, prosperity and virility. War knows no victor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/all-war-is-murder-robbery-trickery-and-no-nation-ever-escaped-losses/)

[David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/)

> [I remember an old Singer sewing machine at home that belonged to my grandmother. It had a pedal. My mom taught me how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibhu-mohapatra/i-remember-an-old-singer-sewing-machine-at-home-that-belonged-to-my/)

[Bibhu Mohapatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibhu-mohapatra/)

> [A flat tax is roughly the same as a sales tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-frank/a-flat-tax-is-roughly-the-same-as-a-sales-tax/)

[Bob Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-frank/)

> [I'm all about a flat shoe. It takes a lot to get me into a heel!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-m-all-about-a-flat-shoe-it-takes-a-lot-to-get-me-into-a-heel/)

[Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/)

> [A flat black bug, that is London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-verlaine/a-flat-black-bug-that-is-london/)

[Paul Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-verlaine/)

> [If I'm outside, I want something flat on my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-madekwe/if-i-m-outside-i-want-something-flat-on-my-feet/)

[Ashley Madekwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-madekwe/)

> [He whose mouth is out of taste says the wine is flat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/he-whose-mouth-is-out-of-taste-says-the-wine-is-flat/)

[Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/)

## More by James Russell Lowell

> [We kind o' thought Christ went agin war an' pillage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/we-kind-o-thought-christ-went-agin-war-an-pillage/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/he-gives-only-the-worthless-gold-who-gives-from-a-sense-of-duty/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [As life runs on, the road grows strange with faces new - and near the end. The milestones into headstones change, Neath every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/as-life-runs-on-the-road-grows-strange-with-faces-new-and-near-the/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [Where one person shapes their life by precept and example, there are a thousand who have shaped it by impulse and circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/where-one-person-shapes-their-life-by-precept-and-example-there-are-a/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [Granting our wish is one of Fate's saddest jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/granting-our-wish-is-one-of-fate-s-saddest-jokes/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [Most religion-mongers have bated their paradises with a bit of toasted cheese. They have tempted the body with large promises of possessions in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/most-religion-mongers-have-bated-their-paradises-with-a-bit-of/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [The thing we long for, that we are For one transcendent moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/the-thing-we-long-for-that-we-are-for-one-transcendent-moment/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [O reputation! dearer far than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/o-reputation-dearer-far-than-life/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [Keats longed for fame, but longed above all to deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/keats-longed-for-fame-but-longed-above-all-to-deserve-it/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [It is beginning to be doubtful whether Parliament and Congress sit in Westminster and Washington, or in the editorial rooms of the leading journals,--so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-is-beginning-to-be-doubtful-whether-parliament-and-congress-sit-in/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [ \[B\]ut in literature, it should be remembered, a thing always becomes his at last who says it best, and thus makes it his own. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/b-ut-in-literature-it-should-be-remembered-a-thing-always-becomes-his/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [It may be glorious to write Thoughts that shall glad the two or three High souls, like those far stars that come in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-may-be-glorious-to-write-thoughts-that-shall-glad-the-two-or-three/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [It is the vain endeavor to make ourselves what we are not that has strewn history with so many broken purposes and lives left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-is-the-vain-endeavor-to-make-ourselves-what-we-are-not-that-has/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [Take winter as you find him, and he turns out to be a thoroughly honest fellow; with no nonsense in him, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/take-winter-as-you-find-him-and-he-turns-out-to-be-a-thoroughly/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [The intellect has only one failing, which, to be sure, is a very considerable one. It has no conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/the-intellect-has-only-one-failing-which-to-be-sure-is-a-very/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

[Explore all 471 James Russell Lowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

## More Flat quotes

> [There's very little about being in a functional-M.R.I. scanner that is natural: you are flat on your back, absolutely still, with your head immobilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-marantz-henig/there-s-very-little-about-being-in-a-functional-m-r-i-scanner-that-is/)

[Robin Marantz Henig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-marantz-henig/)

> [I remember my own life as a small boy, son of Jewish immigrants, in a janitor's flat on Orchard and Stanton streets on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-k-javits/i-remember-my-own-life-as-a-small-boy-son-of-jewish-immigrants-in-a/)

[Jacob K. Javits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-k-javits/)

> [I've always been interested in DIY and home renovation - even from my first student flat. I've always left places better than when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-mclean/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-diy-and-home-renovation-even-from-my/)

[Andrea McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-mclean/)

> [In spring they lie flat at the first warmth, they ruin my summer and in autumn they smell of women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-claus/in-spring-they-lie-flat-at-the-first-warmth-they-ruin-my-summer-and/)

[Hugo Claus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-claus/)

> [If I'm outside, I want something flat on my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-madekwe/if-i-m-outside-i-want-something-flat-on-my-feet/)

[Ashley Madekwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-madekwe/)

> [A flat black bug, that is London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-verlaine/a-flat-black-bug-that-is-london/)

[Paul Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-verlaine/)

> [I'm all about a flat shoe. It takes a lot to get me into a heel!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-m-all-about-a-flat-shoe-it-takes-a-lot-to-get-me-into-a-heel/)

[Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/)

> [Now, I am not saying that the world is flat, but it could be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-flintoff/now-i-am-not-saying-that-the-world-is-flat-but-it-could-be/)

[Andrew Flintoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-flintoff/)

> [From as far back as I can remember, I was always insecure about my looks, whether it was my flat chest, my skinny legs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/from-as-far-back-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-insecure-about-my/)

[Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/)

> [“Wouldn’t it be nice if the world was flat? That way we could just push off the people we don’t like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wouldn-t-it-be-nice-if-the-world-was-flat-that-way-we-could-just-push/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A flat tax is roughly the same as a sales tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-frank/a-flat-tax-is-roughly-the-same-as-a-sales-tax/)

[Bob Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-frank/)

> [“Today is a day when the world turns out to be flat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-dellaira/today-is-a-day-when-the-world-turns-out-to-be-flat/)

[Ava Dellaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-dellaira/)

> [I live like in the days of Daniel Boone, hauling water by hand. I used to have two Rolls-Royces. Now I got one. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-dale/i-live-like-in-the-days-of-daniel-boone-hauling-water-by-hand-i-used/)

[Dick Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-dale/)

> [I remember an old Singer sewing machine at home that belonged to my grandmother. It had a pedal. My mom taught me how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibhu-mohapatra/i-remember-an-old-singer-sewing-machine-at-home-that-belonged-to-my/)

[Bibhu Mohapatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibhu-mohapatra/)

> [If there's anything consistent about my work, it's not flat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/if-there-s-anything-consistent-about-my-work-it-s-not-flat/)

[Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/)

Browse all 280 Flat quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you hev it plain an' flat; I don't want to go no furder Than my Testyment fer that. . . . . . An' you 've gut to git up airly Ef you want to take in God.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Russell Lowell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-hev-it-plain-an-flat-i-don-t/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Flat"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-hev-it-plain-an-flat-i-don-t/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/james-russell-lowell-561_flat_ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-he_233952.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/james-russell-lowell-561_flat_ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-he_233952.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/james-russell-lowell-561_flat_ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-he_233952.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you hev it plain an' flat; I don't want to go no furder Than my…” — James Russell Lowell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James Russell Lowell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Ez fer war, I call it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-hev-it-plain-an-flat-i-don-t/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-hev-it-plain-an-flat-i-don-t/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
