Remains Flashcards
What happens in the poem?
The narrator describes how he and other soldiers were sent out to tackle some looters robbing a bank. They end up shooting a man, who was potentially unarmed
How is the death of the looter described?
In graphic detail
What haunts the soldier once he returns home?
He is haunted by images of the dead man and cannot get rid of the memory
What form is the poem written in?
Unrhymed Quatrains, apart from the final 2 line couplet
Who wrote Remains?
Simon Armitage
When was Remains written?
2008
What structural device is used quite often?
Enjambment
What tense is the poem written in?
Present, reflecting the idea that the soldier is constantly remembering and reliving what happened
What is the quote starting with, “On an…”?
“On another occasion”
What is the quote starting with, “Probably…”?
“Probably armed, possibly not”
What is the quote starting with, “I can see…”?
“I can see every round as it rips through his life”
What is the quote starting with, “He’s there…”?
“He’s there on the ground, sort of inside out”
What is the quote starting with, “My mate…”?
“My mate…tosses his guts back into his body”
What is the quote starting with, “He’s cart…”?
“He’s carted off in the back of a lorry”
What is the quote starting with, “His blood…”?
“His blood shadow stays on the street”
What is the quote starting with, “The drinks…”?
“The drinks and drugs won’t flush him out”
What is the quote starting with, “He’s here…”?
“He’s here in my head when I close my eyes”
What is the quote starting with, “His bloody”?
“His bloody life in my bloody hands”
What does Armitage use a lot of?
Colloquialisms: phrases such as “legs it” and “tosses” underplay the enormity of what the soldiers did
Why is the imagery used to describe the dead looter, graphic and savage?
To emphasise the horrors of war and makes no attempt to conceal the brutality
What 4 poems can you compare Remains to?
- Kamikaze
- Poppies
- Bayonet Charge
- War Photographer
What is the narrator struggling to cope with?
The guilt
