Remains - Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage, the poet, spoke to various soldiers to produce this poem for a Channel 4 documentary. He interviewed many families and shines light on the long lasting impacts of modern warfare on soldier's that affects them years later.

Remains

The title of the poem is ambiguous and has various meanings. It could connote the physical remains of bodies in warfare or could present the theme of the psychological remains and memories of war. It's ambiguity is also dehumanising and suggests that those involved in war lose their identities and fade away into anonymity.

"On another occasion"

Opening subordinate clause suggests that these events happen regularly. Soldiers have lost feelings and killing is part of the job. It's an allusion to the constant nature of war.

"Probably armed, possibly not"

Shows the uncertainty of warfare. The speaker has to assume the person is armed but cannot be sure. The speaker is haunted by guilt - this phrase is repeated in the poem, emphasising the speaker's sense of discomfort at having killed another human being.

"somebody else and somebody else"

He cannot seem to remember precisely. The people mentioned remain ambiguous and anonymous. This makes the poem have a more universal application as it could have been anybody. May also suggest that the memory is unwanted or irrelevant. It also contrasts the uniformity of action and shifts focus on the actions of individuals and their psychological impacts.

"are all of the same mind"

The soldiers have been programmed to behave robotically. Alludes to the uniformity of action. The use of anaphora with "I see" has the same effect"

"rips through his life-"

Dynamic and violent metaphor is so disturbing, the narrator switches accidentally into the third person. The use of the hyphen breaks the rhythm of the verse showing that he doesn't want to remember this scene.

"So we've hit this looter a dozen times"

Use of litotes shocks the reader as the narrator now speaks of the previously gory image with such normalcy. Shows how dehumanised and mentally numb the soldiers have become.

"sort of inside out, pain itself, the image of agony"

Short, stabbing dramatic phrases reflect the fragmented nature of the memory and how he doesn't want to remember it.

"Tosses his guts back into his body"

Illustrates the heartlessness of the action. Links again to the uniformity of action - the soldiers must not let emotions hinder their strategic plans.

"back of a lorry"

Reminiscent of the "wagon" mentioned in the poem "Dulce de decorum est" by Wilfred Owen. The poem mocks the phrase "dulce de decorum est pro patria mori" which means "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country". In Remains, the poet wants to say the same thing - it suggests that the perception of war in society hasn't changed over time and people turn a blind eye to the horrific effects of it and naively think that one must die for one's country.

"But I blink and he bursts again through the doors of the bank"

Despite having returned from the war, the guilt still haunts him. The memory constantly replays in his mind. He mentions dreaming about it and seeing the scene "when I [the narrator] close my [his] eyes" suggesting that there is no escape from the guilt.

"The drink and drugs wont flush him out"

Alliteration to emphasise the long lasting impacts of the war. Shines light on the harsh reality of many soldiers reverting to drinking and drug abuse due to the horrific images that destabilised them mentally.

"not left for dead in some distant, sun-stunned, sand-smothered land"

Sibilance creates a rhythm that reflects the constant hammering of bullets and drills in his head that resonate even today. The mention of sand suggests that the poem is about the Gulf war but the ambiguity of it makes it applicable to any war.

"his bloody life in my bloody hands"

The climax of guilt in the poem. He repeats "bloody" for emphasis. The last couplet strays away from the regular stanzas of 4 lines. This shows how the guilt leads him away from the control in the uniformity of action. The disintegration of the structure mirrors the disintegration of the mind.

Informal, conversational style.

The narrator is an ex-soldier speaking in an interview. He uses colloquial language and uses fillers such as "well" and "so" to contribute to the authenticity of the anecdotal poem. As well as this the use of standard language may normalise war.

Enjambent

Shows the continuity of warfare and memories. He is not able to forget what happened.