The Manhunt Flashcards
Who was The Manhunt written by?
Simon Armitage
When was The Manhunt written?
2007
What are some context points about Simon Armitage?
- Speaks through persona of Laura Beddoes
- Her husband was Eddie Beddoes who fought as a UN peacekeeper in the Bosnian War
- Eddie was discharged due to PTSD
- Balloons popping and children crying results in nervous breakdowns for Eddie
What is significant about the title of The Manhunt?
“The” definite article suggests THIS manhunt is incredibly important from poem’s persona
“Manhunt” implies someone has been lost. Laura is trying to find Eddie
“after…
…passionate nights and intimate days”
“would he…
…let me”
How many times is “only then” repeated in The Manhunt?
5
“frozen…
…river which ran through his face”
“explore…
…the blown hinge of his lower jaw”
How is rhyme used in The Manhunt?
A mixture of rhymes, pararhymes and no rhymes shows the unpredictability of Eddie’s mental state
“handle…
…and hold”
“damaged,…
…porcelain collar-bone”
“mind…
…and attend”
“fractured…
rudder of a shoulder-blade”
“finger…
…and thumb”
“parachute…
…silk of his punctured lung”
“bind…
…the struts”
“climb…
…the rungs of his broken ribs”
“feel the…
hurt of his grazed heart.”
“skirting…
…along”
“picture…
…the scan”
“the foetus…
…of metal beneath his chest”
“traced the scarring…
…back to its source”
“sweating…
…unexploded mine”
“buried…
…deep in his mind”
“every nerve…
…in his body had tightened and closed.”
“only then, did I…
…come close”
Why is the structure of The Manhunt significant?
The short regular stanzas imitate a spinal column and symbolise how Laura is climbing up Eddie’s body to his mind, to heal him. It also suggests that Laura is Eddie’s backbone and supports him
What is The Manhunt about?
Armitage wants to commemorate sacrifices, not just physically, but mentally, that soldiers have made to keep peace. He also wants to highlight the impact war has on those at home
