The Manhunt Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is the poem about ?
The Manhunt is written from the perspective of the wife of a soldier who has sustained serious injuries at war and has returned home. The poem explores the physical and mental effects of living with injuries sustained when on active service in the armed forces.
What is the context ?
- Eddie fought for the bosnia war
- The poem used to be called “Laura’s poem”
- Written for a channel 4 documentary called “Forgotten hero’s: Not dead”
- The husband’s name is Eddie and he is dealing with PTSD for the war, it is so bad that popping balloons trigger him
What is the structure ?
It is a form of poetry called dramatic monologue
The poem is organised into couplets. Initially these couplets rhyme
(“first phase… intimate days”), perhaps reflecting the couple’s
harmony when they were first reunited. However, as the poem
progresses the rhyme scheme falters, reflecting the increasingly
disjointed nature of their relationship.
When was the Man hunt published ?
2008
What are the possible themes and links ?
War and its lasting effects – Mametz Wood, A Wife in London and
Dulce et Decorum Est
Relationships and love – Cozy Apologia and A Wife in London
Suffering (mental and physical) – Mametz Wood and Dulce et
Decorum Est
What does the title”The Manhunt” suggest ?
It suggest a chase or hunting for something that is lost, in this chase Laura is hunting for the relationship she used to have with Eddie and trying to find the old him again before battle and help him recover from his PTSD
How does Armatige write this poem using extended metaphors ?
He describes laura following Eddies scar and injuries by using her finger to “trace” them. He uses extended metaphors to describe each injuries/scar “the frozen river which ran through this face” , “blown hinge of his lower jaw” and “damaged, porcelain collarbone”
How does Armatige show how delicate Eddie is after war ?
Nouns such as “Porclein and silk” are delicate and fragile which give negative connotations of Eddie being weak and broken down after war.
How does armatige show the damage that Eddie has suffered from war and the affect this has had on his relationship with Laura ?
The man had a grazed heart, which could be a injury due to the “metal beneath his chest” however it also illustrates how hard Eddie find it to reconnect with his wife as he is unwilling not talking to her about his experience which is effecting their loving relationship
How does the poem show that Eddie’s pain is still increasing mentally and physically ?
First of all Armatige uses the metaphor “ the fire
is of metal beneath his chest “ this quite suggests 2 things, one that ever since Eddie has come back from war there is a change in there relationship, like one that would occur when a newborn is welcomed into the house and that the foetus in Eddie is using his energy like a baby uses its mother’s nutrients in the womb, symbolising that his injuries are life changing
What does the repetition of “only then” represent ?
That Eddie recovering from PTSD and the couple getting their relationship back of how it used to be is going to be a long and repetitive process that is going to require patience
