remains

1. Main idea of “Remains” :

The poem explores the long‑term psychological trauma of a soldier who cannot escape the memory of killing a man. Armitage shows how conflict continues long after the battlefield, turning into guilt, PTSD, and intrusive thoughts. The poem challenges the idea of soldiers as emotionally unaffected and exposes the hidden cost of wa

2. “Probably armed, possibly not” :

The contrast between “probably” and “possibly” reveals the speaker’s uncertainty and guilt. He tries to justify the killing, but the hesitation shows he knows he may have killed an innocent man. This line becomes a mental loop — a sign of trauma — because he cannot resolve the moral ambiguity.

3. “I see every round as it rips through his life” :

The violent verb “rips” emphasises the brutality of the killing. “Every round” suggests slow‑motion replay, as if he relives the moment repeatedly. “His life” reminds us the victim was a human being, not an enemy target. The graphic imagery shows how deeply the memory is carved into the soldier’s mind.

4. “His blood-shadow stays on the street” :

“Blood-shadow” is a metaphor for the stain of guilt that follows him everywhere. Shadows are permanent and inescapable, symbolising how the memory clings to him. The fact it “stays” suggests the event has left a lasting mark on both the physical world and his conscience.

5. “the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out” :

The soldier tries to remove the memory like a toxin — “flush him out” — but fails. This shows how trauma resists escape and how soldiers often turn to substances to cope. The verb “flush” implies he sees the memory as dirty or contaminating, something poisoning his mind.

6. “he’s here in my head when I close my eyes” :

This line shows intrusive thoughts typical of PTSD. The dead man becomes a permanent presence in the soldier’s mind. The internal rhyme of “head” and “dead” earlier in the poem links the two, suggesting the soldier’s identity is now tied to the killing. He cannot escape even in sleep.

7. “End of story, except not really.” :

The casual, conversational tone contrasts with the seriousness of the event. It shows how society expects soldiers to move on quickly, but the trauma continues privately. The phrase “except not really” exposes the lie behind the idea that war ends when the fighting stops.

8. Structure (fragmented + cyclical) :

The poem begins with the killing and ends with the memory of it, creating a cyclical structure that mirrors how trauma loops in the mind. The enjambment and conversational tone reflect the soldier’s attempt to speak casually, but the broken rhythm reveals emotional instability. The shift from plural “we” to singular “I” shows how the guilt becomes personal and isolating.

Message about conflict

Armitage argues that the real damage of war is psychological and long‑lasting. The poem challenges heroic narratives and shows how soldiers carry invisible wounds. It suggests that society fails to support veterans, leaving them to deal with trauma alone.