Remains

Question 1

Who wrote remains?

Answer 1

Simon armitage

Question 2

What happens in the poem?

Answer 2

• A soldier in the Iraq war was policing and had to stop looters at a bank
• The memories that come with that day
• True story

Question 3

What’s a theme of this poem?

Answer 3

-violence
-guilt
-ptsd
-effects of conflict

Question 4

What does the quote “possibly armed possibly not” show

Answer 4

• a quote from guardsman Truman showing his uncertainty
• jucstaposes itself no one has any idea about the looters
• repetition/forebode to later down the text (looter gets shot no mention of a weapon)
• the p’s bounce like the shooting causing flashbacks in the guardsman’s head

Question 5

What does the quote “I see broad daylight on the other side” show?

Answer 5

• hyperbole for the dramatic situation
• the amount of bullets that went through him
• the soldiers caused a lot of damadge

Question 6

What does the quote ”pain itself, the image of agony” show?

Answer 6

• metaphor Truman feeling the victims pain
• ## imagery of death seeing the victim on the floor

Question 7

What does the quote “blood-shadow” suggest?

Answer 7

• guilt the guardsman carries
• the death of the victim will always be with the guardsman, haunting him
• the blood stained, the event will forever be with the guardsman
• lifelong conflict

Question 8

What does the quote “sun-stunned, sand-smothered” show?

Answer 8

• sibilance, the s sound shows how far away the dessert is yet the flashbacks still appear.
• uncertainty of when it will dissapear

Question 9

What does the quote “six feet under” show?

Answer 9

• colloquial language, the individual soldiers effected, microcosm for all
• war is unfinished, they believe it should’ve been them, 3 soldiers went but Truman only blames himself
• ptsd causes lifelong problems
• soldiers having ptsd will continue

Question 10

What does the cyclical structure show?

Answer 10

• Truman admitting to his guilt
• admitting his guilt in the last two lines even though the memory of the killing will never fade

Question 11

What does the 4 line stanzas show?

Answer 11

• rigid, military like things smart and straight
• follows the rules but problems still occurred (ptsd)
• short fast paced like the thoughts going in and out of his head
• last two lines show the event will forever effect Truman

Question 12

What does the enjabment “and I swear I see every round rip through his life” show

Answer 12

• bullets when through the victim, and they carried on
• the billet kills the looter causing lifelong flashbacks for Truman

Question 13

What is the context of the poem?

Answer 13

• “These are poems of survivors… men who returned from war in body but never wholly in mind” Simon armitage
• taken 100 years for society to accept mental issues (ptsd, shell shock)occur
• 3 soldiers went to stop the looters

Question 14

What the form of the poem?

Answer 14

• dramatic monologue revealing the character change of Truman admiting to his guilt through the poem

Question 15

What are the four key quotes from this poem

Answer 15

Blood shadow
Sun stunned sand smothered
Pain itself the image of agony
Six feet under