Remains - Simon Armitage

Summary

The speaker describes an experience during war when he shot a looter, he suffers from PTSD as he is unable to get the memory out of his mind and is left traumatised.

Context

Simon Armitage wanted to write a first hand experience from a soldier, to show the long lasting effects of war.

Key Themes

Reality of war

Power of memory

Desensitization

'On..

another occasion’

Poem starts In media res - confuses the reader as they aren’t sure of what is going on - mirrors confusion of the soldier as they aren’t emotionally prepared for what comes next - Armitage could be commenting that soldiers are launched into situations they don’t fully understand

Colloquial language, shows these experiences were common and frequent. He is desensitized to conflict.

'Well myself and somebody else

and somebody else'

‘Well’ is a filler word - he is nervous

Syndetic listing, gives the soldiers a lack of identity as they are simply 'somebody'. Reflects the dehumanization of soldiers.

'Probably armed,

possibly not'

Caesura shows doubt, indicates he might not have had to be shot.

Adverb 'possibly' shows how even if there is a small chance, he is still tortured by the possibility that he took someone's life without a valid reason.

'I see every round

as it rips through his body'

Present tense sensory language 'I see', shows he is reliving it.

War has caused his PTSD, it is branded on his memory.

Violent verb 'rips' highlights the brutality, it is fast, vigorous

'Sort of inside out,

pain itself, the image of agony'

The fact that he looks 'inside out' and like actual 'pain' shows how mutilated and distorted his body is.

‘sort of’ - colloquial language, he is trying to downplay the horror of the situation

The noun 'agony' emphasises how brutally he has been killed, the fact it is an ‘image’ communicates it is a clear visual in his head.

'tosses his

guts back into his body'

Shows the reality of war, there is no glory to it.

Gruesome images are juxtaposed by the casual verb 'tosses', highlighting how desensitized they are to the barbarity of the situation. Also connotes a lack of care or respect and an action the soldiers are used to doing - devaluation of human life.

‘Then he’s

carted off in the back of a lorry’

‘carted’ verb is very dismissive.

‘body’ and ‘lorry’ rhyme, adding fluidity - suggesting this is routine and they are used to it. Exposed to so much death and violence - lost respect for life.

End of story,

except not really.’

This is the turning point (Volta) - the ‘story’ has happened but the memories of the event continue to sit on his conscience, brewing further guilt.

The caesura and conjunction 'except' demonstrates the change from actually being in war and the effects of war when you’re home.

he continues to be plagued by the memory, even from the supposed safety of his home - reflects the name of the poem, as the memory 'Remains'.

'His blood-

shadow stays'

The metaphor creates a dark image that can't be dispelled.

‘Blood’ and death stains the conscience, reflecting how permanent the memory of what he did is, its a constant reminder

He is haunted by the memory and there is no way to escape it as it is a ‘shadow’ that is constantly with him.

'Sleep... Dream

and he's torn apart by a dozen rounds'

The verbs 'Sleep' and 'Dream' connote peace and tranquillity, also are actions humans consistently do - highlighting the torture he goes through to relive it so constantly

Abruptly contrasted with the reoccurring violent images.

Brutal verb 'torn'.

'the drinks and

the drugs won’t flush him out’

He can't rid himself of this horrific image that is stuck with him. Has gone to desperate measures to forget. The verb 'flush' suggests it is something that needs to be cleansed or disposed of.

He’s here in my

head when i close my eyes’

The warzone is no longer real but is now in his head, internal conflict due to guilt. Closing eyes is a constant action - emphasizes the constant battle between whether the killing was justified or not - PTSD.

'His bloody life in

my bloody hands'

'bloody' has a double meaning, it could be used as a swear word showing his anger at himself. Also, a metaphor for his hands being bloody, symbolising the guilt he can't get rid of.

Repetition reinforces this frustration.

Change from 'somebody else' to 'my', singular pronoun suggesting he has taken responsibility for what he has done.