LOSS/WAR The Manhunt Flashcards
Context
Armitage was born in england and he went to the university of Manchester
The poem was written about “the not dead” which was a documentary about PTSD about people who were in war
Armitage wrote a series of poem also called “the not dead” and it was called “the manhunt” or “Laura’s poem” written about his husband
Structure
Written in a series of 13 rhyming couplets that each rhyme
They are all of different sized length so they all have equal opportunity and they all have different meanings and effects
Form
It is part of a poetry collection, that he wrote about many poems and it is used as an individual section
First point
A search for her husband she has lost, represents the idea of loss through him bing mentally and physically not connected to her
1:1
“After the first phase, after passionate nights and intimate days”
Juxtaposition of phase which shows the lack of emotion and they are warlike compared to the loving and happiness of passionate nights and intimate days
1:2
Using words like “trace” and link it to “he let me explore the blown hinge of his lower jaw”
Semantic fields of searching with “trace” and “explore”
“Blown hinge” he has been harmed by the war
1:3
“Handle and hold the damaged, porcelain collar bone”
The use of the gentle verbs of “handle and hold” shows she is trying to take care of him the idea of “porcelain” which is also gentle and fragility and juxtaposes the conflict
Second point
He represents the physical effects of loss and war as well as death
2:1
“The fractured rudder of shoulder-blade”
“Rudder” shows he is so damaged like the planes of the war
2:2
“The parachute silk of his puncture lung”
Oxymoronic as a parachute cannot work if it is punctured
Semantic field of war and highlights how he is so damaged he cannot breathe and he would even fall into death
2:3
“Climb the rungs of his broken ribs”
It relates to war and how they are climbing a ladder yet the metaphor links to hope and how it hints that they are moving forwards and upwards towards success, sympathy as well as feelings
3rd point
The idea that life is cyclical and life will come to an end and so will this pain it will eventually subside in some way
3:1
“The foetus of metal beneath his chest”
The symbolism of life with foetus is juxtaposed with the idea of bullet representing the ideas of life as well as death in the same sentence
3:2
“A sweaty,unexplored mine buried deep”
Foreshadowing used here to hint at more pain buried within and how life comes with problems and people may help but they can keep occurring
3:3
“Every nerve in his body had tightened and closed”
Hyperbole used to replicate imagery related to death and how life eventually ends and so will his pain allowing his wife to get closer
