Remains Poetry Flashcards
(55 cards)
Give me a summary of remains
“Remains” reflects on the experiences of war and the PTSD following from these experiences.
It tells us of the shooting of a bank robber and the far reaching repercussions of that act on the soldier, both during the act and in the aftermath.
It is loosely based on the experiences of Guardsman Tromans, a soldier who fought in Iraq in 2003.
What does the poem attempt to highlight
The poem seeks to highlight the pervasive effects of war and the mental burden it places on those who fight in it.
What happens in stanza 1
Recalls an occasion where they were sent out to chase some looters.
One of them runs away and there is confusion as to whether or not he is armed
What happens in Stanza 2
Him and two other open fire
What happens in stanza 3
They hit the looter twelve times.
The speaker sees each round as it takes his life.
The looter lies on the ground a mess.
What happens in stanza 4 (Remains)
The dead body of the looter is carted off in the back of a lorry
What happens in stanza 5
The matter does not end there. The speaker sees the blood stain of the body every time he does his rounds.
What happens in stanza 6
(and he bursts again through the doors of the bank.)
The speaker relives the experience when he is at home on leave.
There is still confusion as to if he is armed.
The memory pervades his dreams and the speaker has to resort to drink and drugs to help even though they actually do not help.
What happens in stanza 7
The memory of the looter is embedded in his head.
What happens in stanza 8
2 line stanza.
The looter is always with the speaker and the speaker sees the looter’s life as in his hands
Who was the poem written for and why
“The Not Dead”on Channel 4, raised awareness on PTSD
What experience was it based on
On heart wrenching experiences of Guardsman Tromans in the 2003 Iraq War.
What does remains attempt to highlight
Remains seeks to highlight the virulent( bitterly hostile) effects of war by exploring the psychological effects on the soldiers, which contrasts other typical presentations of war as glorious or noble
What sort of time did the poem come out at
a time of changing public opinions on war
What does Armitage present conflict as
more visceral (based on deep feeling and emtional reaction) and real than those who have come before him
How is Guilt a main theme of this poem
‘probably armed,possibly not’
Anaphora of “probably armed, possibly not” repeated throughout poem to show how he is still wracked with doubt and guilt as to if the man was a threat; his guilt is the crux of his suffering leading him to be in a constant state of confusion and despair
How is Guilt a main theme of this poem
“his bloody life in my bloody hands”
(Double meaning)
Adjective of “bloody” in “his bloody life in my bloody hands” could hold a double meaning. Could refer to literal blood from the barbaric death or as a means of cursing
How is Guilt a main theme of this poem
“my bloody hands” with “myself and somebody else and somebody else”
Contrast between “my bloody hands” with “myself and somebody else and somebody else” shows how he is gradually coming to terms with his culpability and guilt instead of projecting the blame- he has begun to internalise it
How is Guilt a main theme of this poem
“myself and somebody else and somebody else”
“myself and somebody else and somebody else” is an attempt to syntactically cram the sentence with other individuals in order to shift the blame; he flickers from internalisation of guilt to deflection, exposing his gruelling state of inner turmoil
How is Guilt a main theme of this poem
“His bloody life in my bloody hands”
“His bloody life in my bloody hands” echoes the tragic hero Macbeth when he guiltily pleads:
‘Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand Blood is used as a motif for guilt in both texts This also may insinuate that the soldier views his killing of the looter as unjust in a similar way to Macbeth’s barbaric slaughtering of the king
How is Dehumanised instruments of War a main theme of this poem
Due to war causing soldiers to lose their humanity
How is Dehumanised instruments of War a main theme of this poem
“three of a kind” and “all of the same mind”
shows how they are all conditioned to be the same. Three of a kind could also be referring to Poker which could be Armitage’s indictment of how the soldier’s were dehumanised and played by the powers above.
How does Soldiers individuality make them weapons of warfare
Their individuality, emotional and physical well being was secondary to them being weapons of warfare
“A kind” demonstrates how all soldiers are subject to become carcasses of insanity and shells of their former selves
What does ‘sent’ represent in the dehumanised instruments of war theme
Imperative verb of “sent” shows how soldiers are helpless mechanisms and instruments of war.
