War is Kind by Stephen Crane

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind,
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

             Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,
             Little souls who thirst for fight,
             These men were born to drill and die.
             The unexplained glory flies above them.
             Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--
             A field where a thousand corpses lie.

Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

             Swift blazing flag of the regiment,
             Eagle with crest of red and gold,
             These men were born to drill and die.
             Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
             Make plain to them the excellence of killing
             And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind!


Initial Interpretation:
In the first read, I had a hard time understanding why he kept saying that war is kind when he is talking about men dying and the women that weep for them. War is far from kind. His attitude towards war seems to be negative. By repeating that war is kind, and describing the hardships of their loved ones, the makes the point that war is actually unnecessary.
Paraphrase:
Woman, do not cry because was is kind. Your lover died and his frightened horse ran away. Do not cry, war is kind. 
Tired, booming drums of the regiment.. Young souls who want to fight, these men are taught to drill and die. The flag flies above them. The god of war is great. His kingdom is a field where a thousand corpses lie.
Do not cry, child, for war is kind. Because your father died in the yellow trenches. Do not cry. War is kind.
The flag of the regiment with an eagle crest of red and gold is burning. These men were trained from birth to drill and die. Teach them the goodness in slaughter, make them know the excellence of killing. Show them a field where a thousand corpses lie.
Mother whose humble heart hung with her son, do not cry. War is kind!
SWIFTT:
SW- The word choice in the poem contradicts the statement that war is kind. Crane uses words that would make one think of pain and suffering. He also repeats the phrase war is kind over and over throughout the poem. The repetition of this phrase is the make the point that war isn't kind.
I- The imagery throughout the poem is the men fighting in the war and the women who were close to them crying over them.
F- There only figurative language is the contradiction of war being kind.
T- The tone is sarcastic. Instead of saying that war is awful, which is what Crane is trying to say, he continues to say that war is kind.
T- The theme is that war is awful and it tears families apart.


Conclusion:
Crane uses the horrors of war to make the phrase war is kind mean less and less in the poem. He is saying that innocent men are dying and they don't even know why they are dying. Their country teaches them about the glories of war, but really they are dying for nothing.