"The Manhunt" Flashcards
“After the first phase”
The immediate opening isn’t very emotional - “first phase” sounds warlike or clinical - but juxtaposes with the “passionate nights” and “intimate days”.
This could also indicate how the couple are meeting for the first time after the husband’s return from war.
“After passionate nights and intimate days,”
References the significant amount if time it takes for someone to recover from the physical and mental injuries suffered through the war.
This could also indicate the sexual and romantic relationship that has been rekindled.
“Only then would he let me trace/explore”
Armitage employs a semantic field of searching, to try and understand the changes war has caused for her husband.
“Trace” also indicates how the wife wants to “trace” over her husband’s scars from the war, but he refuses because of his PTSD.
“The blown hinge of his lower jaw”
This suggests that he is physically injured as being unable to express his emotions to her.
This could also show violent imagery of the war.
“The damaged, porcelain collar bone”
“Porcelain” has connotations of fragility and juxtaposes with the conflict of war.
As “porcelain” suggests fragile, she has to be careful and sensitive as she interacts with him.
“And mind and attend”
These show medical connotations - the wife is searching with the intent to heal her husband.
“The fractured rudder of shoulder-blade”
He has loss in sense of direction and can’t steer himself - that he doesn’t know what to do.
“The parachute silk of his punctured lung.”
This is shown to be oxymoronic as a parachute won’t work if its punctured. This may suggest the husband has no support network, which would make the wife feel sad and highlights the distance in their relationship, caused by this war.
“Parachute silk” could also link back to him being fragile and “porcelain”.
“Climb the rungs of his broken ribs,”
Reflects the casualties of conflict and human vulnerability.
Metaphorical to rediscovering his heart.
“Feel the hurt of his grazed heart”
“Feel the hurt” - Very personal to them, that their relationship is getting stringer.
“Grazed heart” - Physical impact of the bullet / The husband is unable to connect with his wife anymore, nor express his feelings.
“Foetus of metal”
Suggests that the couple’s relationship will be forever changed by the experience, like how childbirth changes a relationship.
Metaphor - That the bullet is like a baby in his chest.
Even though he has now left the warzone, the consequences of the conflict still have the potential to impact his current relationships, no matter how long lasting.
“Unexploded mine buried deep in his mind”
Suggesting that the worst problem is mental rather than physical, and this causes the wife to have to take extra care around him. This shows the speaker as supportive and attentive, as she is aware of the effects of PTSD on the returned soldier.
Could also create tension as he could explode any minute and how fragile his mental health is.
“Only then, did I come close”
Their relationship has forever been changed, she can only “come close” to helping him or discovering him again, and the “only then” suggests it took a long time to get to this stage.
However, this could also suggest that they are close to fixing the problem.
What could the title “The Manhunt” suggest?
The literal meaning of Manhunt is of a search for an escaped person.
Also has childish connotations to the childhood game “manhunt”.
Suggests a power struggle between two people or two groups of people, cat and mouse chase.
Trying to find the husband after the war.
What poems link to “The Manhunt”?
War + Effects - Mametz Wood, A Wife in London, Dulce et Decorum Est
Relationships + Love - Cozy Apologia, A Wife in London
Suffering - Mametz Wood, Dulce et Decorum Est
