Remains

“On another occasion, we got sent out”

Form: The dramatic form of the poem is a monologue that begins in media res.

In Media Res: meaning in the middle of a conversation where a soldier is speaking to someone, possibly a psychiatrist or a reporter.

Speaker: The speaker is a soldier recounting an incident that has had a significant psychological impact on them.

Repetition: The fact that the soldier prefaces the story with "on another occasion" indicates that such incidents were not isolated. It also suggests that this particular occasion was especially difficult for the soldier to face, possibly the one with the worst psychological effect.

Language: The phrase "we got sent out" employs passive language.

Passive: In a school setting, "sent out" implies dismissal or exclusion. The choice of this language to describe being deployed to war suggests that it is not a job, but a punishment.

War: The use of "sent out" implies that war is a form of expulsion or exclusion. This exclusion has a psychological effect on the soldier, potentially expelling him from his own identity.

“I see every round as it rips through his life —”

Volta: This quotation marks a turning point in the poem. There is a dramatic pause after the word "swear". This pause is represented by the gap in the text and the new stanza.

Double meaning: of “swear”

Blame: There is a shift from collective responsibility ("we") to individual blame ("I").

Speaker: The soldier is now starting to blame himself. The soldier imagines it in retrospect in the present tense. He can't get rid of this memory, it is always now.

Language: The harsh alliteration of "round" and "rips" emphasizes the turning point.

Gory: The quotation contains violent imagery. The metaphor suggests that it's not just attacking this victim, it's "ripping through his life" and is utterly destructive.

Circular form: The word "round" means bullet, but also suggests circularity, representing how the soldier keeps coming back to this memory in a circular form.

“One of my mates goes by

and tosses his guts back into his body”

Colloquial language: There is a casual choice of language, which could be called colloquial, which is the language that you would use with friends, such as "one of my mates".

Juxtaposition: There is a casual action which is a juxtaposition with the horror of what's being described.

Sibilance: There is use of sibilance, the repetition of the 's' sound here, which emphasises this casual action and creates a sinister mood to something that the narrator is trying to pass off as normal but actually horrifies us. “tosses his guts”.

Metaphor: It sounds like a metaphor to "toss your guts" is to be sick. This alludes to the fact that this soldier is now feeling sick remembering this incident, whereas at the time it was simply a casual moment, as reflected by the casual and colloquial imagery and language.

Action: Instead of describing what he actually does which is bend over the body he does this in order to try and go by himself. He doesn't want to stop at the body; he doesn't want to stop at this memory, but actually, he has to.

“And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out —”

Repetition: There is a sense of repetition, suggesting the soldier repeatedly turns to drink and drugs for depression or self-medication, leading to addiction in an attempt to escape the memory, representing the memories of war.

Metaphor: Armitage employs language soldiers use to expose an enemy, where flushing out reveals and eliminates threats. "To flush" alludes to a toilet, with the image in his head likened to excrement he wants to eliminate. This allusion to excrement reflects how he sees himself and his role, leading him to believe he is worthless.

Speaker: The soldier experiences not only guilt and remorse but self-disgust, stemming from the flushing metaphor and repetitive addictive behaviour with drink and drugs as he tries to cure himself, though it is unsuccessful.

“But near to the knuckle, here and now,

his bloody life in my bloody hands”

Structure: The conclusion of the poem finishes with "hands", echoing the rhyme of "sand" and "land". The fact that the soldier's ending doesn't rhyme signifies discordance, a lack of harmony in the sounds. This is further highlighted by the 's' at the end of "hands".

Speaker: It's crucial to ask whether the soldier has lost control of his life and is contemplating suicide. The shift in pronouns to "my hands" indicates he now recognises his guilt, potentially driving him to self-destruction. A glimmer of hope exists if he's now accepted his responsibility, opening a path to recovery, unlike his failed attempts with drink and drugs. If he's confessing to a reporter, suicide seems likely, but if he's seeking help from army medical staff or a psychologist, this poem could be a turning point towards healing, contingent on acknowledging his actions.

Outcomes: the poem marks either his salvation or his demise. It's important to analyse how the reader is invited to consider these possibilities.

Language: The repetition and harsh sound of "bloody" underscores his guilt, yet the focus on the "here and now" suggests he could remain present, avoiding suicidal thoughts. Conversely, this "here and now" might represent the unbearable memory of his suffering, leading to suicide.

Taboo: "Near to the knuckle" typically denotes violating a taboo or social norm, which he does by abandoning the expectation of soldierly bravery and fearing.

Hope: Reinterpreting "near the knuckle" suggests a fist, symbolising his ongoing battle against guilt and his potential salvation through seeking help via confession.

Allusion: The line referencing the looter's "bloody life in my bloody hands" alludes to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's guilt-ridden hands, symbolising the looter's life being as valuable as a king's, with equally tragic consequences.

Purpose of Remains?

To expose the after-effects of war on individuals who participated in it.

To make a political point that soldiers are not looked after and to make people sympathise with soldiers.

To make a wider political point that one culture can't fairly impose itself on another culture, as represented by the slaughter of the looter.

What compares to Remains?

Kamikaze: Can be compared to "Remains" because it also explores the after effects on an individual. In "Kamikaze" the after effects are on the pilot but also his family. Both poems criticise society.

Exposure: Can be compared to "Remains" because it focuses on the hardships of war, which are shown as dehumanising, to make people sympathise with the soldiers.

Checking Out Me History: Can be compared to "Remains" because it shows that British imperial power was corrupt as was French imperial power and that this power still continues into the modern day through the portrayal of the British history, a eurocentric history that excludes afro-caribbean history. "Remains" can be compared to "Checking Out Me History" if "Remains" is viewed as a poem about cultural imposition and cultural power.