The Manhunt Flashcards
Who wrote ‘The Manhunt’?
Simon Armitage
- the current poet laureate
What is the content of ‘The Manhunt’?
A story told from the the persepective of a lover trying to find the man that their partner was before the war
What is the aim of ‘The Manhunt’?
To highligh the difficult but rewarding nature of such a relationship. However it is also to show the trauma caused by war
What is the tone of ‘The Manhunt’?
Tender / Caring / Somewhat tense
What is the context of ‘The Manhunt’?
It is written from the perspective of the wife of Eddie Beddoes, who was critically wounded when serving as Peacekeeper in Bosnia in 1997 for a Channel 4 documentary.
Working title for the was ‘Laura’s Poem’
What is the form and structure of ‘The Manhunt’? [4]
Dramatic monologue
Rhyming couplets up to the 13th line, then there is no rhyming scheme
- A looser rhyme scheme mirrors a slight relaxation in the man’s respons as he opens up
- 13 couplets/stazas 2 lines each
Quote in the first / second stanza that describes the physical damage to his face - affect? [6]
‘Frozen river which ran through his face’
- ‘River’ can suggest the scaring
- ‘Frozen’ can suggest a cold blankless expression. He is unyielding to her touch
‘The blown hinge of his lower jaw’
- Hinges facilitate access. He cannot allow her to enter
- May be a metaphor for not being able to speak of his experiences
Where is the enjambement - affect? [3]
From lines 1-14
- Emphasises that his pain is never ending up
- Makes it feel as if we are tracing alone with her
Quote that shows he is fragile? [2]
‘The damaged, porcelain collar-bone’
- Porcelain is easily breakable and needs soft-handling. If she makes one wrong move she may break him
What emphasises the difference between her effects and the effects of war? [2]
The vocabulary.
‘Damaged/Fractured/Punctured’ are very violent images of war vs
verbs associated with her are all very gentle
Where did all the body parts eventually lead to?
They all lead to the heart. Most significant part that is injured. The centre of his being and feelings
Where did the bullet stop? [4]
‘The foetus of metal beneath his chest’
- ‘Foetus of metal’ suggests that something died but someone else has been reborn through the experience
- Oximoron as foetus makes life and bullet ends life
- Pain may grow even further
Where does a half-rhyme take place and what does it represent
‘Unexploded mine buried deep in his mind’
- Source of pain
- Half-rhyme signifies that his mental state seems merged with trauma. Echoing effect highlights that the memory stays with him
What does the title suggest?
Suggests that the partner is trying to find her husband that was changed by the war
What effect doe the poem have?
It highlights a universal point; he draws attention to the long-term damage caused to the mental health of soldiers and its effect on personal relationships.
