Remains

• Who was remains written by?

  Simon Armitage
• What does "the not dead" show?

  The not dead on channel 4 shows awareness of PTSD
• What is the poem based on?

  Its based on a soldier called guardsman Romans experience on the Iraq 2003 war.
• When did the poem come out?

  At a time when opinions on war were changing.
• What quotes emphasise guilt?

  • "probably armed, possible not"
  • "his life in my bloody hand"
  • "myself and somebody else and somebody else"
• "Probably armed, possible not"
• "myself and somebody else and somebody else"
• "his bloody life in my bloody hands"
• What technique is the the phrase "probably armed, possibly not"

  anaphora
• What does the phrase "probably armed, possibly not" mean?

  The use of anaphora shows that he is still wracked with doubt and guilt. The crux of his suffering has lead to a constant state of confusion and despair.
• What technique is "his bloody life in my bloody hands"

  Repetition of the word "bloody"
• What does the quote "his bloody life in my bloody hands" show?

  This phrase has two meanings. The soldier could be talking about the literal blood in his "bloody hands" or he could be cursing.

  If he Is cursing this could show how his cursed with everlasting guilt that haunts him.
• What does the possessive pronoun "My" in "in My bloody hands" show?

  That the soldier takes blame, showing how guilt ridden he is.
• What does the quote "myself and somebody else and somebody else" show?

  The repetition of "somebody else and somebody else' implies that the soldier hasn't just fought a physical war but he now has deal the inner conflict that attacks his mental health. This emphasis that guilt that fills him as he constantly returns to think about the death of his fellow soldier.
• "Three of a kind" and "all the same kind"
• What does the phrase "three of a kind" and " all the same kind show"

  It shows that they are all conditioned to be the same. This can refer to poker which could be armitages indictments how the soldiers dehumanised and were played by the higher powers. Their emotional and physical wellbeing is secondary to them being weapons of the war.
• "On another occasion" - Media Res
• "Then I'm home on leave. But I blink" -Caesura
• What does the caesura "Then Im home on leave, But I blink" mean?

  This shows the discordant nature of the soldiers mindset to the point that it's too overwhelming for him to fathom. His mind is ceaselessly engulfed by this inescapable trauma.
• "The drink and drugs won't flush him out"
• What does "The drinks and drugs won't flush him out" mean?

  It shows that the "drinks and drugs" are a coping mechanisms that helps the soldiers escape this mental hellish nightmare he constantly relives.
• What are the different types of Form in Remains?

  • Dramatic monologue - receive an insight of the soldiers thoughts and how they cope with the inner conflict of trauma.
  • Regular quatrains-highlights the regularity of his PTSD- its uncontrollable
• What poems can you compare Remains to?

  • Exposure-Effects of war, Dehumanisation of the soldiers.
  • bayonet charge- dehumanisation of war