Page 3: Detailed Analysis of Key Stanzas

This page provides a detailed analysis of key stanzas from the "Remains Simon Armitage full poem PDF", focusing on the poet's use of language and structure to convey the soldier's experience.

The casual tone established at the beginning of the poem through colloquial expressions like "And one of them legs it up the road" contrasts sharply with the violent events that follow. This juxtaposition highlights the soldier's attempt to normalize the traumatic experience.

Example: The repetition of "I see" in lines like "I see every round as it rips through his life / I see broad daylight on the other side" emphasizes the visual nature of the trauma and the vivid memories that haunt the speaker.

The poem's structure, with its use of enjambment and short, fragmented sentences, mirrors the disjointed nature of traumatic memories and the soldier's struggle to process the event.

Highlight: The line "His bloody life in my bloody hands analysis" reveals the speaker's deep-seated guilt and the feeling that he bears direct responsibility for the man's death.

The description of the aftermath, where a fellow soldier "tosses his guts back into his body," is presented in a matter-of-fact manner, reflecting the desensitization to violence that occurs in war zones. This cold, detached tone contrasts with the intense emotional turmoil expressed later in the poem.

Page 2: Aftermath and Psychological Impact

The second page of the "Remains poem Analysis PDF" delves deeper into the psychological aftermath of the killing and its lasting impact on the soldier. The poem's themes of guilt, conflict, and trauma are further explored through powerful imagery and metaphors.

The soldier's inability to forget the incident is vividly portrayed through lines like "His blood-shadow stays on the street, and out on patrol / I walk over it week after week." This imagery suggests that the memory of the killing has become a permanent part of the soldier's reality, haunting him even after returning home.

Quote: "his bloody life in my bloody hands"

This powerful line encapsulates the soldier's sense of responsibility and the weight of his actions, emphasizing the theme of guilt that permeates the poem.

The page also highlights the soldier's struggle with PTSD, as evidenced by the lines "he's here in my head when I close my eyes, / dug in behind enemy lines." This metaphor compares the intrusive memories to an enemy soldier, suggesting that the speaker's mind has become a battlefield.

Definition: Sibilance - The repetition of soft consonant sounds, often 's' sounds, to create a hissing effect in poetry.

The use of sibilance in phrases like "Sun-stunned, sand-smothered land" adds to the sensory experience of the poem, evoking the harsh desert environment and the lingering nature of the soldier's memories.