The Manhunt Flashcards
Context
Eddie Beddow was injured in the Bosnia War
The poem is from Simon Armitage’s 2008 collection, which explores how war affected soliders.
Simon Armitage is an english poet, playwright and novelist
Form
Initially, the couplets rhyme, but this breaks down as the poem progresses.
Enjambment: Reflects continuous suffering.
Couplet-based stanzas with varying length: Represents the changing relationship between two people.
Structure
As the poem progresses, it moves down the body
It stops at the heart, which is the shortest stanza
This structure allows the reader to explore his body and mind in the same slow process as his wife
The poem body creates an hourglass shape - a symbol of time
Summary of the poem
Lara Bedow gets to know her husband again
physical and pyschological scars
the poem progresses from physical to mental as she gets to know him again
Mood
Love
Patience
Pain
Language
Ajectives to describe the damage to the body
Metaphors to suggest his body has become a collection of broken objects
verbs to emphasise how the wife cares
Key Quotes
And feel the hurt of his grazed heart
- ‘Grazed’ = Scraped past, something is missing in their relationship
- ‘Grazed’ (physical) and ‘Heart’ (emotional) = Connection between physical and emotional pain
And handle and hold the damaged, porcelain collar bone
- Two verbs: Shows the wife taking an active role in helping her husband heal
- Imagery highlights his fragility
- Suggests that war dehumanizes people
- Alliteration: Gentle and cautious.
A sweating, unexploded mine buried deep in his mind
- Emotional damage is hidden.
- Imagery shows tension and stress caused by memories and PTSD.