Power and Conflict Poetry - Remains (quotes)

"On another occasion"

Suggests that these events happen regularly. Soldiers have lost feelings, killing is part of the job.

"Tosses" "Carted off"

Use of the colloquial verbs, sounds almost casual, makes violence seem normal.

Suggests that conflict devalues human life.

"Rips through his life" "Sort of inside out"

Makes a graphic, disturbing image, a vivid picture of the horror of war.

"His bloody life in my bloody hands"

Conflict makes people make moral decisions on the spot.

Use of "my" shows that the soldier feels responsible.

"The drinks and drugs won't flush him out"

He can't rid himself of this horrific image that is stuck with him.

"Dream, and he's torn apart by a dozen rounds"

The flashbacks mean he has trouble sleeping due to nightmares.

"Probably armed, possibly not"

He is still trying to figure out whether his actions were justified.

"He's here in my head when I close my eyes"

The guilt is seemingly driving the soldier mad.

"We" to "I" and "My bloody hands"

The soldier feels that the death of this man was purely his fault even though there were two other soldiers who did the exact same thing.