Remains Flashcards
(17 cards)
“myself and _ _ _ _ _”
“myself and somebody else and somebody else”
“weve _ _ looter _ _ _”
“weve hit this looter a dozen times”
“agony, one _ _ _ _ by, tosses _ _”
“agony, one of my mates goes by, tosses his guts”
“left _ _”
“left for dead”
“it _ _ _ life”
“it rips through his life”
“pain _ _ _ _ agony”
“pain itself, the image of agony”
“end _ _ except_ _”
“end of story, except not really”
“_ shadow _”
“blood shadow stays”
“sleep, and _ _ _ _ _”
“sleep and he’s probably armed possibly not”
“he’s here _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _”
“he’s here in my head when i close my eyes”
“the _ and _ wont _ _ _”
“the drink and drugs wont flush him out”
“all of the _ _”
“all of the same mind”
“and _ _”
“and i swear” -uncertainty “probably armes, possibly not”
context in remains
-simon armitage interviewed survivors “damaged, exhausted men”
-poem coincided with increased awareness about ptsd amongst the public, and sympathy
form/ structure in remains
-monologue, told in present tense
-flashback
-first 4 stanzas in iraq, last 3 at home- presents the aftermath
- repetition of “probably armed possibly not” conveys guilt
key themes in remains
-psychological trauma/ ptsd
-guilt + responsibility
-dehumanisation of war
haunting, inescapable mental burden
