Remains Quotes and Ideas Flashcards
Violent imagery or metaphor is used to contrast the first two stanzas of the poem (which are peaceful). Furthermore, anaphora is used to show the visual horror that has been put up on display for this certain individual.
“I see every round as it rips through his life - I see broad daylight on the other side.”
The cold yet casual dynamic verbs are used to indicate how less valued humans are to each other (after death) as the deceased individual is shown to be treated with no remorse and is treated like rubbish.
“One of my mates goes by and tosses his guts back into his body. Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.”
The image displayed to the reader of the deceased looter is presented as agonising as he’s described in a childish way showing the lack of control of the narrator as they’re unable to process in a mature fashion.
“he’s there on the ground, sort of inside out,”
Simon Armitage uses colloquial language questioning the conducts the soldier’s platoon are going through in Afghanistan (warfare) unable to reveal whether this individual is dangerous; showing doubt.
“probably armed, possibly not.”
The Volta is used to create an ominous tone and mood as the soldier’s PTSD kicks into their daily life.
“End of story, except not really.”
The negative imagery used to describe the stains of memory are nulling and paining towards him as its ghostly figure stays in the real world despite that it ceases to exist.
“His blood-shadow stays on the street”
The use of the militant metaphore describes his fear of what a fragment of his memory holds and the metaphor suggests the memory is entrenched and impossible to erase.
“He’s here in my head when I close my eyes, dug in behind enemy lines”
The gruesome adjective describes how guilty his mind is in right now.
“His bloody life in my bloody hands”
