Remains

Question 1

What is the primary theme of ‘Remains’ by Simon Armitage?

Answer 1

Memory

The poem explores how traumatic experiences are remembered and affect individuals over time.

Question 2

Which emotion is prominently featured in ‘Remains’?

Answer 2

Guilt

The speaker grapples with feelings of guilt related to their experiences in war.

Question 3

What do individual experiences refer to in the context of ‘Remains’?

Answer 3

Personal recollections of trauma faced during combat

These experiences shape the speaker’s memory and emotional state.

Question 4

What phrase is used to describe the action taken against looters in ‘Remains’?

Answer 4

‘On another occasion, we sent out / to tackle looters raiding a bank’

This highlights the chaotic and dangerous situations faced by soldiers.

Question 5

What does the phrase ‘probably armed, possibly not’ suggest?

Answer 5

Uncertainty in life-threatening situations

It reflects the ambiguity faced by soldiers in assessing threats.

Question 6

What imagery is used to convey the impact of violence in ‘Remains’?

Answer 6

‘I see every round as it rips through his life-‘

This line emphasizes the destructive nature of gunfire on human life.

Question 7

What graphic imagery is used in ‘Remains’ to describe the aftermath of violence?

Answer 7

‘tosses his guts back into his body.’

This stark imagery illustrates the brutal reality of war.

Question 8

What does the term ‘blood shadow’ symbolize in ‘Remains’?

Answer 8

The lasting impact of violence and memory

It signifies how the speaker’s experiences haunt them.

Question 9

What is meant by ‘his bloody life in my bloody hands’?

Answer 9

The burden of responsibility for another’s death

This line conveys the weight of guilt and accountability felt by the speaker.