The manhunt - Simon Armitage Flashcards
what type of poet is Simon?
a contemporary poet
why was the poem wrote?
for a documentary - “the fallen heroes: The not dead
what was the poem about
the Bosnian war, which was very violent
who is the poem about?
Eddie Beddoes - British soldier, turned peacekeeper
what is so significant about Eddie in the poem
Eddie had ptsd
who is Laura?
Laura is eddies wife
poem is in laura’s perspective
she is the person who read the poem in the documentary
why is the title “The manhunt” important
The - definite article showing this manhunt is incredibly important
manhunt - someone has been lost and the poem will explore finding or recovering someone
“passionate nights and intimate days”
this shows a strong, and loving relationship between Laura and Eddie
“let me trace…….let me explore”
the repetition of let me implies that Laura has to ask for permission suggesting tension between the couple
“frozen river”
implies his emotions are stuck in place as he battles ptsd
“blown hinge”
this is the first violent image in the poem and it is in the third stanza.
this is a Volta in the poem
could suggest that Laura couldn’t understand the extent of eddies wounds to begin with
True or false?
the first 3 stanzas of the poem are all rhyming couplets
true
what does this show/why is it important
which could be indicative of the love the couple share and the strength of their relationship
“handled and hold” - 1st stanza
“mind and attend” - 2nd stanza
“finger and thumb” - 3rd stanza
the doubled verb constructions indicate a sense of care
verbs are delicate and gentle actions
“damaged porcelain” - 1st stanza
“ fractured rudder” - 2nd stanza
“ parachute silk” - 3rd stanza
Eddies body is compared to very fragile things
emphasizes how broken he is
in stanzas 4-6 there is enjambment and caesura
why is this important
enjambment suggests that the healing process is slow and long
caesura is used to disrupt the rhythm and flow. this indicates there are barriers to the healing process and that healing isn’t simple
what is the significance of the rhyiming couplets no longer being present
that the sense of love is weakening as the couple fight against ptsd
“I bind the struts”
suggests that she is putting him back together, piece by piece and making him strong again
“rungs”
eddies ribs have been compared to the rungs of a ladder. This could suggest that Laura thinks repairing Eddie might be hard work like climbing a ladder
why is the half rhyme of hurt and heart important
implies that Laura is beginning to understand eddies pain and trauma and their relationship is beginning to strengthen again
“skirting along”
quite light or casual in tone. This suggests that loving Eddie is easy for Laura and that understanding his trauma is not a chore again
why is the extended metaphor in stanzas 8-9 important
“ the scan” “the foetus os metal”
the bullet/eddies ptsd has been compared to a baby
the life changing effect of war on Eddie are emphasized
“sweating” unexploded mine
sweating - odd word choice
could relate to feelings of anxiety and stress- ptsd
“unexploded mine”
metaphor used to compare eddies ptsd
ptsd and the mine is dangerous and unpredictable
