The Remains – Simon Armitage:
On another occasion, we got sent out
to tackle looters raiding a bank.
And one of them legs it up the road,
probably armed, possibly not.
Well myself and somebody else and somebody else
are all of the same mind,
so all three of us open fire.
Three of a kind all letting fly, and I swear
I see every round as it rips through his life –
I see broad daylight on the other side.
So we’ve hit this looter a dozen times
and he’s there on the ground, sort of inside out,
pain itself, the image of agony.
One of my mates goes by
and tosses his guts back into his body.
Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.
End of story, except not really.
His blood-shadow stays on the street, and out on patrol
I walk right over it week after week.
Then I’m home on leave. But I blink
and he bursts again through the doors of the bank.
Sleep, and he’s probably armed, and possibly not.
Dream, and he’s torn apart by a dozen rounds.
And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out –
he’s here in my head when I close my eyes,
dug in behind enemy lines,
not left for dead in some distant, sun-stunned, sand-smothered
land
or six-feet-under in desert sand,
but near to the knuckle, here and now,
his bloody life in my bloody hands.
, Based on a true story. It’s the retelling or the
The Remains – Simon Armitage: memory of a soldier in Iraq
The poem is about 3 soldiers who were called
Sounds like he’s retelling a story; to clear a bank that was being looted
almost casual/anecdotal. Something
personal, subjective Use of “we” = pronouns. Highlights the
idea of apartheid, the otherness, the
On another occasion, we got sent out separateness
Negative connotation. Been named as
to tackle looters raiding a bank. “looters”
And one of them legs it up the road, British expression for ‘ran away quickly’ or
‘he got away’. Very informal phrase
probably armed, possibly not. This idea of probable vs possible. These are modal verbs
and these verbs tell you if something is a strong option or
a very weak option
Probable or possible = weak
Two other people. Vague.
No names mentioned
Well myself and somebody else and somebody else
Thinking the same thing: this person could be armed
are all of the same mind, “same mind” = the idea of ‘us vs them’
So as a group, this group mentality, this group mindset, they
so all three of us open fire. respond by firing at this looter. It’s a trained response to the
‘enemy’
Three of a kind all letting fly, and I swear Colloquialism (informal, everyday
language)
Just randomly shooting
“rips through his life” = holes blown
Alliteration / Onomatopoeia Alliteration
straight through him
I see every round as it rips through his life –
Suggestion that as they are shotting this man,
I see broad daylight on the other side. he can see right through this person
So we’ve hit this looter a dozen times Shot at least 12 times
Shot very badly. Could be the
and he’s there on the ground, sort of inside out, image of the blood and internal
organs of the looter strewn on
the ground
Looking at him, he represents what agony actually is. This is the image of agony
Changes from “somebody” to “One of my mates”
pain itself, the image of agony. This idea of brotherhood, a communal group; us vs them
One of my mates goes by Use of “tosses” shows that he doesn’t replace it carefully,
it’s a hazard movement, it’s something that’s just thrown
Lack of respect. Humane vs Inhumane
and tosses his guts back into his body.
Almost like livestock
Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.
On another occasion, we got sent out
to tackle looters raiding a bank.
And one of them legs it up the road,
probably armed, possibly not.
Well myself and somebody else and somebody else
are all of the same mind,
so all three of us open fire.
Three of a kind all letting fly, and I swear
I see every round as it rips through his life –
I see broad daylight on the other side.
So we’ve hit this looter a dozen times
and he’s there on the ground, sort of inside out,
pain itself, the image of agony.
One of my mates goes by
and tosses his guts back into his body.
Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.
End of story, except not really.
His blood-shadow stays on the street, and out on patrol
I walk right over it week after week.
Then I’m home on leave. But I blink
and he bursts again through the doors of the bank.
Sleep, and he’s probably armed, and possibly not.
Dream, and he’s torn apart by a dozen rounds.
And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out –
he’s here in my head when I close my eyes,
dug in behind enemy lines,
not left for dead in some distant, sun-stunned, sand-smothered
land
or six-feet-under in desert sand,
but near to the knuckle, here and now,
his bloody life in my bloody hands.
, Based on a true story. It’s the retelling or the
The Remains – Simon Armitage: memory of a soldier in Iraq
The poem is about 3 soldiers who were called
Sounds like he’s retelling a story; to clear a bank that was being looted
almost casual/anecdotal. Something
personal, subjective Use of “we” = pronouns. Highlights the
idea of apartheid, the otherness, the
On another occasion, we got sent out separateness
Negative connotation. Been named as
to tackle looters raiding a bank. “looters”
And one of them legs it up the road, British expression for ‘ran away quickly’ or
‘he got away’. Very informal phrase
probably armed, possibly not. This idea of probable vs possible. These are modal verbs
and these verbs tell you if something is a strong option or
a very weak option
Probable or possible = weak
Two other people. Vague.
No names mentioned
Well myself and somebody else and somebody else
Thinking the same thing: this person could be armed
are all of the same mind, “same mind” = the idea of ‘us vs them’
So as a group, this group mentality, this group mindset, they
so all three of us open fire. respond by firing at this looter. It’s a trained response to the
‘enemy’
Three of a kind all letting fly, and I swear Colloquialism (informal, everyday
language)
Just randomly shooting
“rips through his life” = holes blown
Alliteration / Onomatopoeia Alliteration
straight through him
I see every round as it rips through his life –
Suggestion that as they are shotting this man,
I see broad daylight on the other side. he can see right through this person
So we’ve hit this looter a dozen times Shot at least 12 times
Shot very badly. Could be the
and he’s there on the ground, sort of inside out, image of the blood and internal
organs of the looter strewn on
the ground
Looking at him, he represents what agony actually is. This is the image of agony
Changes from “somebody” to “One of my mates”
pain itself, the image of agony. This idea of brotherhood, a communal group; us vs them
One of my mates goes by Use of “tosses” shows that he doesn’t replace it carefully,
it’s a hazard movement, it’s something that’s just thrown
Lack of respect. Humane vs Inhumane
and tosses his guts back into his body.
Almost like livestock
Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.
