Remains Flashcards
What is the rhyme scheme in Remains?
No rhyme scheme.
What is the effect of the rhyme scheme in Remains?
The lack of a rhyme scheme contrasts the consistent stanza length, as an army man battles with the constant regimental stanza length, representing his time in the army, with his return home to his unconstrained life as a civilian.
What is the effect of the structure of the poem?
Starts with shifting blame, trying to excuse himself as others did it as well. The repeated references to other people alleviate his responsibility. The speaker is trying to ignore his guilt, along with the usage of colloquial language as he attempts to conceal the impact it has had.
Enjambment causes tension and builds up to violent imagery, while also suggesting the speaker is unable to separate out events. Enjambment occurs at specific moments, often breaking up sentences about death and suffering, further showing the effect it has had on him, while contrasting with his futile attempt to make it seem that the events have not had an effect.
Caesura provides finality, “Then I’m home on leave. But I blink” however the conjunctive “but” shows just how much war continues to impact him, even when he should be able to escape it.
What is the structure of the poem?
Consistent stanza lengths.
Enjambment
Caesura
Good quotes
“On another occasion”
“probably armed, possibly not”
“tosses his guts back into his body / Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.”
“his bloody life in my bloody hands”
Analysis of “on another occasion”
Poem opens in media res, to confuse the reader, along with mirroring the confusion of the soldier. This may be Armitage making a societal comment, suggesting soldiers are launched into situations they don’t fully understand.
In media res also reflects the chaos of war and how unpredictable it is.
Analysis of “probably armed, possibly not”
Suggests there’s a slight chance the man was innocent, “probably” comes first because he wants to believe it as justification for his actions, similarly to why he uses first person plural to share blame. There is anaphora of this phrase later in the poem, to focus on the possibility of the killing being unjustified, and how he feels guilty about it.
Analysis of “tosses his guts back into his body / Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry”
“tosses” connotes a lack of respect for the man, treating him like an object. The colloquial language suggests its something they are used to doing, and don’t think anything of it. The rhyme of “body” and “lorry” works to add fluidity, suggesting that this is routine because they have done it so many times prior.
Analysis of “his bloody life in my bloody hands”
“bloody” could be a literal meaning, but could also be a pun as the word could also be used as slang or a curse word. The repetition of “bloody” suggests he regrets killing the man, and regret for killing him.
What is the perspective of Remains?
Present dramatic monologue, using present participles such as “legs it” and “tosses”. This suggests he is reliving the events that transpired previously, and they are so vivid, that it almost feels like he is in the same situation again.
The play shifts from first person plural, to first person singular, as he accepts guilt for what he has done, and accepts his actions were his and his alone.
