The Manhunt Flashcards
Manhunt - Overview
Armitage uses ‘The Manhunt’ as a vehicle to bring attention to the extent of ………. caused as result of …….., affecting not only the ………. of soldiers but more evidently their ………. state.
Armitage uses ‘The Manhunt’ as a vehicle to bring attention to the extent of injury caused as result of war, affecting not only the physicality of soldiers but more evidently their psychological state…
Manhunt - Context
The poem is written from the perspective of ……… …….. , who is the ………. of Eddie Beddoes who fought in the ………. conflict and suffered the effects of ……….. as a result of the time he spent at war.
The poem is written from the perspective of Laura Beddoes, who is the wife of Eddie Beddoes who fought in the Bosnian conflict and suffered the effects of PTSD as a result of the time he spent at war.
Title
“The Manhunt”
Analyse the title:
metaphorical of how his wife is in search to regain her husband.
Manhunt - opening:
“After the ……. ……. , after ……… …….. and ……… days”
“After the first phase, after passionate nights and intimate days”
The first couplet could be the start of a traditional love poem and it echoes the first stages of a new relationship through the anaphora, shwoing how the couple are reconnecting. The first satnza implies the beginning of a loving period.
Manhunt - opening:
“let me ……… the …….. …….. that ran ……….. his …….”
“let me trace the frozen river that ran through his face”
The verb “trace” suggests the intimacy of her touch. The repition of “only then”, emphasises that the process of recovery is long, slow and painstaking.
The frozen river could literally describe a scar on the soldier’s face but also may indicate that the flow of his emotions has “frozen” and turned cold. Metaphorical of the scars that mark is face and mind.
Manhunt - opening:
“The …….. …….. of his lower ……”
“The blown hinge of his lower jaw”
The plosive sound creates a violent tone and not only does the “broken jaw” suggest physical injury, but also could imply psychological damage that prevents him from speaking openly of his experiences.
Manhunt - opening:
“the …….. ……… collar bones”
“the damaged porcelain collar bones”
Images of the soldier’s damaged body are used to highlight how fragile he is. The fact that his body is broen down into a series of separate, broken objects suggests that war dehumanises people.
Manhunt - middle:
“the ………. ……….. of his ………..-blade”
“the fractured rudder of his shoulder-blade”
The ‘fractured rudder’ suggests he can’t cope emotionally, so she has to guide him as if steering a boat.
The pain of bad memories has damaged and debilitated him.
The adjective “fractured” could also be used to describe the soldier’s fragmented state of mind.
Manhunt - middle:
“climb the …… of his …….. ……… “
“climb the rungs of his broken ribs”
The comparison of his ribs to the “rungs” of a ladder implies that his recovery is a slow and gradual process.
Also, the shape of the poem itself is somewhat alike the shape of a ladder show the metaphor of the developed to how how the entire poem is indeed a slow and gradual search for her husband.
Manhunt - middle:
“feel the …….. of his ……….. ……….”
“feel the hurt of his grazed heart”
In these lines there is the double meaning of the word “grazed” where the bullet may only just “grazed” his heart but in the process it has left behind emotional grazes.
Also the half rhyme between these lines could relect that she has only partially understood the link between his physical and emotional pain, but there is still a way to go.
Manhunt - close of the poem:
“I could ……. the scan” of “the ……. of ……. …… his chest” -
“I could picture the scan” of “the foetus of metal beneath his chest” -
The metaphor through which the bullet is compared to a foetus emphasises that his experiences are now a part of hm and could also hint that boing shot is as life changing of an experience as becoming a parent.
There is a justaposition of imageries of life and death.
“a ……….. ……….. mine buried …….. within his ……..”
“a sweating unexploded mine buried deep within his mind”
deep - may suggest long lasting?
It is significant that the ‘unexploded mine’ is ‘deep’ in the soldier’s mind.
His wife must somehow reach this depth, while at the same time be considerate of the the sheer tension and stress casued by his memories.
“…….., and only ……., did I come …….”
“then, and only then, did I come close”
It takes the whole poem for the wife to just some “close” to her husband, and it is unclear how much more progress she will have to make for a full recovery. he problem is not fully resolved, but she does, at least ‘come close’. Armitage has made his statement on how war permanently affects and damages people — not only the soldiers who have direct experience of the fighting, but also their families.
