Remains and Kamikaze

Question 1

Comparison 1

Answer 1

Both poems explore how soldiers have a lack of choice in the conflict they partake in.

Question 2

Comparison 2

Answer 2

Both poems explore the internal conflict of the soldier and the pilot.

Question 3

Comparison 3

Answer 3

Both poems explore the long-term impact of conflict, particularly when soldiers return home.

Question 4

Remains 1

Answer 4

In Remains, the soldiers are referred to collectively and are ‘sent’ out to deal with the looter. The body is disposed of and the soldiers are desensitised to the violence of conflict.

Question 5

Remains 1 - Quotes

Answer 5

“we get sent out”

“tosses his guts”

Question 6

Kamikaze 1

Answer 6

However, in Kamikaze, the pilot has been indoctrinated by patriotic propaganda when he undertakes his mission – completing the mission would result in his death but abandoning his mission results in the loss of his identity, honour, and family.

Question 7

Kamikaze 1 - Quotes

Answer 7

“shaven head full of powerful incantations”
“one way journey into history”
Regular structure, 7 stanzas 6 lines

Question 8

Remains 2

Answer 8

In Remains, this is evident through how the soldier can’t reconcile his actions with his emotions and his guilt after the shooting consumes his consciousness.

Question 9

Remains 2 - Quotes

Answer 9

“probably armed, possibly not”

“his blood shadow stays on the street”

Question 10

Kamikaze 2

Answer 10

However, in Kamikaze, the pilot begins with patriotic intentions, however he decides to abandon his mission and return to his family.

Question 11

Kamikaze 2 - Quotes

Answer 11

“little fishing boats strung out like bunting”

“figure eight”

Question 12

Remains 3

Answer 12

In Remains, Armitage explores how the soldier is plagued by PTSD when he returns home after killing the looter.

Question 13

Remains 3 - Quotes

Answer 13

“sleep”/”dream”

“his bloody life in my bloody hands”

Question 14

Kamikaze 3

Answer 14

However, in Kamikaze, the pilot is rejected by his family following his decision to abandon his suicide mission.

Question 15

Kamikaze 3 - Quotes

Answer 15

“we too learned to be silent, to live as though he had never returned”

“he must’ve wondered the better way to die”

Question 16

“shaven head full of powerful incantations”

Answer 16

“incantations”- cn of spell, further cn of witchcraft - demonstrates how the propaganda almost put a spell on the pilots to convince them to join up
-highlights indoctrination, honourable to die for country
-may show the anger of the narrator as it shows that they were blind to the brainwashing of the propaganda.
“powerful” adj further supports, highlights sheer power the government had over the pilots as they were persuaded into killing themselves.

Question 17

“one way journey into history”

Answer 17

• metaphor
• significance of “journey” jxt by ordinary nature of pilot
• demonstrates how ordinary people brainwashed into killing self as they were disillusioned by a sense of grandeur

Question 18

Regular structure, 7 stanzas 6 lines

Answer 18

• further supports idea of indoctrination, as rigid structure may depict the lack of individualism of Jpnese soldiers, highlighting widespread brainwashing
• alt. rigid structure could imply fate, destiny set in stone due to propaganda

Question 19

“little fishing boats strung out like bunting”

Answer 19

“bunting”- cn celebration

• indoctrinated view actions would be celebrated - suicide honourable
• alt. simile could highlight pilot’s view life should celebrated+ enjoyed, rather than ended so suddenly
• enjambment highlights confusion - doesnt know which action to take

Question 20

“figure eight”

Answer 20

• depicts infinity symbol
• feels trapped by never ending cultural expectations
• tone frustration - further emphasise life is precious + relationships can last forever
• yet also has tone of regret – perhaps bc pilot regrets accepting mission

Question 21

“we too learned to be silent”

Answer 21

-far reaching impacts, even kids impacted
“learned” “act” - ‘demonstrates how behaviour was unnatural as the children were indoctrinated by the patriotic views that the people around them held
-damaging effects of conflict, deprived of a relationship with father

Question 22

“he must’ve wondered the better way to die”

Answer 22

• highlights emotional pain of daughter + her father that was brought on by war + cultural expectaions
• summarises guilt felt by narrator as she recognise indoctrination from patriotism
• implies she tormented by her actions that had deprived her of a relationship with her father, despite doing what was expected of her
• therefore shows harmful effect that patriotism and conflict had on people as it tears families + communities apart

Question 23

“we get sent out”

Answer 23

“we”- collective pronoun, removes personal choice
-govt sent out soldiers despite knowing the horrific psychological impact it would most certainly have on the soldiers, no remorse, just there to kill

Question 24

“tosses his guts”

Answer 24

• colloquial language, desensitised to psychical and emotional suffering all around
• regime has desensitised them into becoming detached and almost callous as they show a complete disregard for human life
• alt. could be coping mechanism - the only way they can live with themselves is through the use of brutal and unemotional language to mask the guilt and grief of the suffering they’ve caused

Question 25

“probably armed, possibly not”

Answer 25

“possibly”- chance may have killed an innocent man, demonstrates how the govt instilled fear within the men thus indoctrinating them into believing any opponent was an immediate risk to life leading to an instant inclination toward violence

• acknowledges that the the looter was most likely armed, however he is still tortured by the uncertainty
• cyclical structure as mirrors beginning of poem, highlights long term torment of the soldier
• present tense - can’t escape extreme guilt

Question 26

“his blood shadow stays on the street”

Answer 26

“stays” - indicates that the killing will haunt the soldier’s future life day after day

• “shadow” could reflect the physical stain left behind, but also the imprinted memory of him that will stay in the soldier’s mind forever
• perhaps literary allusion to “Macbeth” - blood as a symbol of guilt
• cannot erase the action from his mind, as the guilt will “remain” with him forever

Question 27

“sleep”/”dream”

Answer 27

• supposed to be restorative - will never recover and instead will be tormented perhaps for his whole life
• sleep often symbolic of innocence
• lack of sleep demonstrates a loss of innocence from the soldier as he will be forced to relive the constant nightmare

Question 28

“his bloody life in my bloody hands”

Answer 28

“bloody” - double entendre -blood could again refer to the lingering guilt or could represent his frustration at himself as he torments himself for killing the looter as he believes it is solely his fault
-reinforced “my”-personal pronoun, accepts full resposibilty