Remains Flashcards
What does the poem begin with and what does it imply?
‘On another occasion’
This implies that this account is not the only unpleasant story the solider has in his memory
What does the solider feel at the end of the poem that is suggested by the final line?
That he will always have blood on his hands
What are the three themes in Remains?
Guilt, Conflict and Life and Death
How is the theme of Guilt shown?
The speaker is haunted by the guilt of taking a man’s life. He is upset by the fact the man might be innocent.
Evidence:
‘probably armed, possibly not’
How is the theme of Conflict shown?
The speaker is acting under orders and is engaged with combat in another country
Evidence:
‘dug behind enemy lines,’
‘not left for dead in some distant, sun-stunned, sand-smothered land’
How is theme of Life and Death shown?
The looter is killed by rounds of bullets.
Evidence:
‘I see every round as it rips through his life’
‘I see broad daylight on the other side’
What’s the reason for the interpretation ‘The solider are nameless and in many ways identical’ in the line ‘Well myself and somebody else’ and ‘are all of the same mind’?
The use of ‘somebody else’ suggests that these could be any men, as if the soldiers are as disposable as the looter they have killed. The lack of names makes them anonymous and perhaps suggests that this is the way they are regarded by others.
What’s the reason for the interpretation ‘The soldiers work under orders and do as they are told, as if they have been programmed to behave in this way’ in the line ‘Well myself and somebody else’ and ‘are all of the same mind’?
The phrase ‘are all of the same mind’ shows that they respond to the looter in the same way. This suggests that they have been trained, and their act of opening fire is one that is programmed into them. They do not behave as individuals.
How many stanzas are in Remains?
Eight
What are the first seven stanzas in?
Largely unrhymed quatrains
How many lines are in the last stanza?
Two
What is the poem written as?
A monologue
What effect does slang and colloquial language have on the poem?
It creates the sense that speaker is directly telling us his story
How does the poem reference Macbeth?
Bloody hands and sleep
What are the similarities between ‘Remains’ and ‘Exposure’?
Both are about soldiers in wartime.
Both present a first-person narrative.
Both provide graphic images of death and war.
What are the differences between ‘Remains’ and ‘Exposure’?
Remains has a faster paced rhythm, Exposure has a more measured pace, reflecting the way the soldiers are waiting.
Remains is about modern warfare, Exposure is about World War One.
Remains has a structure which disintegrates towards the end, Exposure uses a more regular structure.
Exposure is written in the present tense about an experience that is unfolding. Remains is also written mostly in the present tense, but is about a past experience, showing the lasting trauma of the experience of war for this soldier.
What is the peom about?
Modern warfare, unnamed but recognisable as The Gulf War, Afghanistan or similar
What is the poem presented through?
The point of view of a solider suffering post-traumatic stress disorder
What imagery is used in the poem?
Brutal images of shooting - ‘rips’, ‘guts’
What do the repeated lines emphasise?
Repeated nightmares
Link to unlock all poems?
https://www.brainscape.com/p/1FYJO-LH-5FGSQ
What does the poem explore?
The impact of war on mental health
What is the poem based off?
An account of a real solider
What is there a contrast of in the poem?
The casualness of death
The horror of memories
What does the poet raise questions about in the poem?
The way men in war are conditioned to put aside their personal emotions when they commit acts of violence or destruction
What is there a sense of in the poem?
There is a sense of the injustice of conflict.
The looter was potentially not dangerous, but lost his life anyways
The solider in Remains is conditioned to follow orders, like the soldiers in:
Bayonet Charge
Charge of the Light Brigade
What are key ideas explored in Remains?
Injustice of war
Trauma
Guilt
The contrast between war and its aftermath
What does Armitage use to show that the speaker is desensitised (made less sensitive) to war?
Vague and colloquial language
What is an example of vague language in the poem?
“This looter”
What are examples of colloquial language in the poem?
“on another occasion”
“Well myself and somebody else and somebody else”
What is the purpose of colloquial language in the poem?
To show that experiences, such as the one described, were common
What are colloquial verbs used in the poem and what to they indicate?
“Tosses” and “carted off”
Casual, colloquial verbs indicate the solider’s lack of regard or respect for human life in war
What techniques does the poet use to explore post-war trauma?
Sensory Language
Metaphors
What is an example of sensory language and what is it’s purpose?
“I see”
It’s purpose to convey trauma, as though it is branded on his memory.
What does the use of present tense in the poem relate to?
The idea that this suffering is ongoing and is constantly re-plays the memories
Give an example of a metaphor in the poem:
“His blood shadow stays”
What image does the metaphor “his blood shadow stays make?
The image of something dark that cannot be dispelled. Shadow relates to a memory that lingers.
What is an example of a violent verb used in the poem? What does it highlight?
“Bursts”
Highlights how the image erupts into his mind without warning
What quotation indicates the speaker’s desperation to rid himself of the harrowing memories?
“And the drink and drugs won’t flush him out”
What does the verb “flush” suggest?”
That something needs to be cleansed or disposed of
What quotes highlight the speaker’s trauma?
“And the drinks and drugs won’t flush him out”
“Bursts”
“End of story, except not really”
What does the title have connotations with?
Death, something unwanted or leftover
What could the title indicate about the poem?
That all that is left in the speaker’s life is guilt
That he is just a shell of his former self
What is the effect of uncertain language in the poem?
Reminds the readers of the doubt the soldiers must deal with
Links to theme of guilt - an indication the man who was shot perhaps didn’t deserve to die
Give an example of uncertain language in the poem:
“Probably armed, possibly not”
What quotation shows blood imagery?
“His bloody life in my bloody hands”
What is the effect of the repetition of bloody?
Reinforces the sense of his frustration
What does the image of having blood on his hands symbolise?
The guilt he is unable to rid himself of
How could the word “Bloody” be interpreted?
As a swear word and used to mark his anger or regret
Give an example of sibilance in the poem:
“Not left for dead in some distant sun-stunned sand-smothered land”
What is an example of violent language in the poem?
“I swear I see every round as it rips through his life”
What does the use of violent language highlight?
The brutal nature of attack
Give examples of gruesome imagery in the poem:
“pain itself, the image of agony”
“sort of inside out…tosses his guts back into his body”
What does the use of gruesome imagery indicate?
The reality of war and the lack of glory or honour associated with such a job
Which word in the quote “I swear I see every round as it rips through his life” emphasises the brutality of the attack?
“rips”
What does the use of the collective, possessive pronoun “we” remind the reader?
That the soliders acts as a unit in the war
Contrasts with the singular pronoun “my” at the end of the poem, reinforcing the idea that the soldier is left to deal with his guilt alone
What form is the poem written in?
Dramatic Monologue
What does the form of a dramatic monologue allow?
An insight into the personal experiences and thoughts of one individual
How does the poet use a two-part structure?
The first half of the poem focuses on the past, the second half focuses on the aftermath
What phrase is repeated in the poem?
“probably armed, possibly not”
What effect does the repetition of “probably armed, possibly not” create?
Creates as almost cyclical structure
Reinforces the idea that memories are inescapable
What could the break of rhythm in the last two lines represent?
The speaker’s mental disintegration
What could the regular patter of stanzas reflect?
The ongoing, relentless suffering of the soldier
What is the purpose of the lack of rhyme in the poem?
Gives the monologue a more natural, speech-like feel, but could also indicate the speaker’s unstable state of mind
What poems could you compare to Remains on the theme of powerful, memorable and/or unpleasant experiences?
Exposure
Charge of the Light Brigade
Bayonet Charge
The Prelude
What poems could you compare to Remains on the theme of powerful memories?
Kamikaze Poppies The Emigree War Photographer The Prelude
What poems could you compare to Remains on the theme of reality/effects of conflict?
War Photographer Exposure Poppies Bayonet Charge Charge of the Light Bridgade
