'The Manhunt,' by Simon Armitage (a modern poem) Flashcards
Complete the quotation:
“After the first phase…”
“After the first phase, / after passionate nights and intimate days”
Complete the quotation:
“only then would he let me trace…”
“only then would he let me trace, / the frozen river which ran through his face.”
Complete the quotation:
“the fractured…”
“the fractured rudder of shoulder-blade”
Complete the quotation:
“the foetus of metal beneath his chest…”
“the foetus of metal beneath his chest / where the bullet had finally come to rest.”
Complete the quotation:
“a sweating, unexploded…”
“a sweating, unexploded mine / buried deep in his mind”
Complete the quotation:
“Then, and only then…”
“Then, and only then, did I come close.”
Who is the speaker in the poem?
Laura Beddoes.
What is the poem about?
A woman trying to get close to her traumatised husband after a war injury.
Who is the man in the poem?
Eddie Beddoes, who was a peace-keep in Bosnia.
What condition does the man have?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
What happened to the man, while serving as a soldier?
He was shot by a bullet that ricocheted through his body and came to rest near his heart.
This poem was inspired by a Channel 4 documentary about traumatised soldiers. What was it called?
“Forgotten Heroes.”
