remains Flashcards
(51 cards)
What literary device contrasts the colloquial tone with sudden violence?
Violent metaphor
The juxtaposition of casual language with graphic imagery heightens the impact of the violence described.
What does the repetition of ‘I see’ emphasize in the poem?
Visual horror of the scene
The repeated phrase draws attention to the graphic nature of the violence experienced by the speaker.
What type of imagery is used to describe the looter’s body?
Grotesque, exaggerated image
The description of seeing through the bullet holes suggests a childlike inability to process the reality of death.
Fill in the blank: The speaker’s friend ‘______’ his guts back into his body.
tosses
How does the speaker’s language reflect his attitude towards death?
Casual and cold
Phrases like ‘tosses’ and ‘carted off’ indicate a lack of respect for the dead man.
What does the phrase ‘His blood-shadow stays on the street’ suggest?
Haunting memories of violence
The imagery indicates that the trauma of the event lingers in the speaker’s mind.
What does the enjambment in the stanza signify?
Continuity of horror
The enjambment creates a sense of urgency and reflects the ongoing nature of the speaker’s trauma.
True or False: The speaker believes he can forget the terrible things he has seen.
False
The speaker acknowledges that the memories will haunt him, suggesting an inability to escape the past.
What metaphor compares the speaker’s memory to a soldier’s experience?
Dug in behind enemy lines
This metaphor illustrates the inescapable nature of his traumatic memories.
Fill in the blank: The speaker refers to the dead man’s life as being in his ‘______ hands.’
bloody
What is the significance of the adjectives ‘stunned’ and ‘smothered’?
Effects of war on the place
These adjectives convey the devastation and emotional impact of the war environment.
What does the term ‘bloody’ imply in the context of the poem?
Both blood and swearing
The dual meaning reflects the speaker’s anger and guilt regarding the violence.
What does the poem suggest about collective responsibility?
There is none; he feels completely responsible
The speaker’s sense of guilt isolates him from any shared accountability for the violence.
What literary allusion is made to Lady Macbeth?
Washing imaginary blood from her hands
This reference suggests the speaker’s guilt and mental instability, paralleling Lady Macbeth’s descent into madness.
Who is Simon Armitage?
An English poet, playwright, and novelist
‘Remains’ is from his 2008 collection, The Not Dead.
What is the main subject of the poem ‘Remains’?
The account of a British soldier who served in Iraq, focusing on heavy topics such as death and guilt.
What happens in the poem regarding the soldier and the man?
A group of soldiers shoot a man running away from a bank raid, described in graphic detail.
What is the soldier’s internal conflict in the poem?
He is unsure if the man was armed, which haunts him.
What is the tone of the poem at the beginning?
Initially anecdotal and casual.
Describe the form of the poem ‘Remains’.
No regular line length or rhyme scheme, sounds like storytelling.
What narrative perspective is used in the poem?
Starts with first person plural (‘we’) and shifts to first person singular (‘I’).
What is the significance of the final couplet’s metre?
It gives a feeling of finality and hints that guilt will remain with the soldier.
What is a key structural element in the poem?
A clear volta at the beginning of the fifth stanza, changing the soldier’s tone and emotions.
What type of imagery is prevalent in the poem?
Graphic imagery describing the man’s death in gory detail.
