remains

Question 1

“probably armed, possibly not”

Answer 1

the anaphora of “probably armed,possibly not” repeated throughout the poem shows how his is still wracked with doubt and guilt, as he experiences an inner conflict over whether the man was a threat
-his guilt is the crux of his suffering leading to his constant state of confusion and despair

Question 2

“on another occasion”

Answer 2

-the poem opens with media res
-this confuses the reader as they are immediately immersed into action
-this could reflect the confusion of the soldier who is similarly not emotionally prepared for what his role requires him to do
-alternatively, the use of media res could reflect the chaos and unpredictability of conflict
-furthermore the lexical choice of “another” implies that this extent of violence is not an exceptional case and instead that brutality is an expected reality of a soldier’s routine

Question 3

“his bloody life in my bloody hands”

Answer 3

-the final line highlights how this never-ending cycle of guilt is inescapable
-also alludes to the tragic hero of Macbeth who similarly uses blood as a deliberate symbol of guilt