remains
Context:
telling story of gaurdsman tromans return from war but never mentions him so that it would apply to all soldiers
highlight the effect of ptsd
Structure:
all stanzas have 4 lines
trying to take control and organise memories of looter
final two lines
as much as he tries to take control he is not able to
Quotes:
probably armed, possibly not
probably connotes uncertainty but also justification shows speaker trying to rationalise his actions trying to lessen the guilt
possibly connotes doubt and ambiguity introducing uncertainty as soldier is haunted by the guilt - reflects fumbling moral certainty
contrast between armed and not connotes life vs death, threat vs innocence show fragile balance and the casual contrast between them shows insane pressure of split second decisions in war but also the effect of these decisions on the soldier
closeness of juxtaposition captures moral tension
colloquial tone showing conversational and casual phrasing making the statement unsettling showing how soldiers are forced to normalise violence
repetion throughout poem showing the statement was recurring in the speakers mind becoming a symbol of trauma and regret
I see every round as it rips through his life
I see connotes vivd memory and emphasises the speakers direct involvement. shows the memory is seared into his mind
every round connotes violence and repetition shows the hyper awareness of the speaker also implying a relentless attack and the multiplication of guilt
rips connote tearing and violent intrusion showing physical destruction
his life connotes identity and humanity reminding the reader the humanity of the person as the soldier is forced to recognise the human cost of his actions
graphic imagery showing savage realism of modern warfare
dream and he’s torn apart by a dozen rounds
dream connotes unconscious and haunting suggesting that even the peace of dreaming and sleep cannot help him escape his trauma and the violence is so deeply embedded in his subconscious
also evokes feeling of helplessness
torn apart has connotations of ripped and violently destroyed and conveys extreme harm as well as emotional disintegration as the speakers sense of morality and sanity is torn apart
dozen rounds connotes excessive violence and reinforces the brutality and repetition of act and makes the violence feel cold, militarised and impersonal however in the speakers mind its deeply personal and reflects the imprint of guilt
juxtaposition between the peace of dreams and the violence of torn apart reflects how war distorts even private spaces if comfort
violent imagery shows us internal consequences
he’s here in my head when I close my eyes
he’s here is very haunting imagery and makes the memory feel immediate and intrusive as if the man is psychologically present and suggests the inescapable grip of trauma and guilt
head connotes internal and mental burden showing that the war is ongoing internally and the guilt and horror are imprinted in his consciousness
close my eyes connotes rest and escape which has been twisted into vulnerability and nightmare as what should be peaceful becomes a trigger from trauma
first person perspective makes it feel personal and confessional showing the intricacy of the speakers suffering
present tense gives the memory a current and active force as it is happening again and again as if time is frozen around that moment
subtle rhythm which is lulling and contrasts with the horror being described making the intrusion of trauma feel more disturbing
dug in behind enemy lines
dug in connotes embedded and deliberate suggesting something deeply rooted and defensive suggesting the trauma is permanent and unshifting and evokes an image of the soldier being under constant seige
enemy lines connote danger zone and no escape being trapped in hostile territory but for the soldier these hostile places are psychological and his own mind has become an enemy ground as the trauma is working from within him
metaphor for psychological conflict as the war has followed him and taken root in his head turning his memory into a battlefield
military language keeps the soldier trapped in the war zone as if his own language has been colonised by trauma and he sees everything through a lens of conflict