The Manhunt Flashcards
What is the poem about
A husband returning from war and the intensive search for the man who was once a lover but had changed due to war. Highlights physical/mental affects of war on people/relationships
Context?
Armitage made a documentary about difficulties faced by returning soldiers after they left the armed forces and attempted to re join civilian life. Eddy&Laura (written from wife perspective)
Compare to?
Valentine / A wife in London
Key quotes:
“Explore” “Handle and hold” “‘mind and attend” (verbs)
“The frozen river which ran through his face”
“Porcelain collar bone” “parachute silk”
“Hinge” “porcelain” “rudder”
“Only then” (repeated)
“The foetus of metal”
“Sweating unexploded mine”
“Then and only then did I come close”
Analysis of:
“Explore” “Handle and hold” “mind and attend”
- Reference to careful treatment= acting like a “nurse” rather than wife = lack of relationship but still care.
- Vows to preserve something that is not the man she used to know.
- Children - dependant/attended too - connotes he is dependant = contrast to him going to war and country being dependant on him
Analysis of:
“The frozen river which ran through his face”
Cold motionless tears that scarred husband face= “runs” suggests scar of war.
Reference to “river”= something uses to show direction in war- “frozen”= implies total loss of direction emotionally from war.
Analysis of:
“Porcelain collar-bone” “parachute Silk”
Connotes fragility/delicacy through metaphor.
“Porcelain”- uses to make dolls/ delicate items = when broken hard to fix - unstable item (reflects state of soldier)
Analysis of:
“Hinge” “porcelain” “rudder”
Body parts described as materialistic - makes his body seem unfamiliar and more artificial/ less alive
Analysis of:
“Only then” (repeated)
Repetition (anaphora) = speaker reconnects with husband by taking slow/careful steps
Analysis of:
“The foetus of metal”
Referring to bullet= husbands injuries like a babies (life changing)
Foetus grows = his pain will only grow
Analysis of:
“Sweating, unexploded mine”
Mind= “unexploded mine” - source of all psychological pain / set off at any time.
Memories you will have to usually “tip-toe” around to avoid the explosion
Highlights the patience of wife & pain/isolation of soldier
Analysis of:
“Then and only then, did I come close”
Emphasises the distance underneath all injuries still not as close as before war has changed everything.
Acceptation he is gone
Structure
13 couplets (some rhyme others don't) - reinforces idea of couple searching for relationship they have lost = speaker tries to understand & get close to the pain/physical/mental/emotional scarred soldier
Will they be able to “rhyme” and bond like a couple again??
