Themes: Desensitisation &Trauma

Dehumanisation of Soldiers

Like the soldiers in ‘Bayonet Charge’ and ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, the soldiers here are following orders. There is no room for their thoughts or feelings about the value of human life. Armitage uses vague and colloquial (conversational) language to show that the speaker is desensitised to war:

Colloquial language

The poem opens with the phrase “on another occasion” and includes other colloquial (conversational) language, such as “Well myself and somebody else and somebody else”.
This kind of language shows that experiences, such as the one described, were common.
The soldiers are almost desensitised to the horrors of conflict when they are immersed in it.

Vague language

“This looter”.
This kind of language could show how soldiers dehumanised those they attacked.
They may have done this to make it easier to deal with taking another human’s life.

Colloquial verbs

“Tosses” and “carted off”.
Casual, colloquial (conversational) verbs indicate the soldiers’ lack of regard or respect for human life in war.

Trauma

The poet explores a lesser discussed aspect of war: returning home and living with the traumatic memories of acts committed in war. Here are some of the techniques Armitage uses to explore post-war trauma:

Sensory language

“I see” conveys a sense of the trauma it has caused the soldier. It's as though it is branded on his memory.
The use of the present tense relates to the idea that this suffering is ongoing. It suggests he constantly re-plays the memories.

Metaphor

“His blood shadow stays”.
This metaphor creates the image of something dark that cannot be dispelled. It is related to his memory.
Blood is related to death.
Shadow relates to a memory that lingers. He is constantly reminded of what he did.

Trauma

Violent verb

“Bursts”.
This verb highlights how the image erupts into his mind without warning.

"Flush"

“And the drink and drugs won’t flush him out”.
This phrase indicates the speaker’s desperation to rid himself of the harrowing memories.
The verb “flush” suggests that something needs to be cleansed or disposed of.
It links to the unpleasantness of his memories.

Short sentence and caesura

“End of story, except not really”.
The speaker believed the memories would remain at war when he left.
The short sentence and the caesura could reflect his stark (sudden) realisation that he will continue to be plagued by them.

1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

1.1Ozymandias Analysis

1.1.1Summary

1.1.2Key Ideas

1.1.3Themes

1.1.4Irony & Rhythm

1.1.5Key Quotes & Comparisons

1.1.6End of Topic Test - Ozymandias

2London - William Blake (1757-1827)

2.1London Analysis

2.1.1Summary

2.1.2Themes & Structure

2.1.3Themes & Structure 2

2.1.4Key Quotes & Comparisons

2.1.5Exam-Style Questions - London

3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

3.1Storm on the Island Analysis

3.1.1Summary & Structure

3.1.2Themes

3.1.3Themes 2

3.1.4Key Quotes & Comparisons

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Blake & Heaney

4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

4.1Exposure Analysis

4.1.1Summary

4.1.2Personification

4.1.3Themes

4.1.4Structure, Key Quotes & Comparisons

4.1.5End of Topic Test - Exposure

5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)

5.1War Photographer Analysis

5.1.1Summary

5.1.2Themes

5.1.3Imagery

5.1.4Comparisons & Key Quotes

6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

6.1My Last Duchess Analysis

6.1.1Summary

6.1.2Characterisation & Themes

6.1.3Structure, Key Quotes & Comparisons

6.1.4End of Topic Test - Duffy & Browning

7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

7.1Extract from The Prelude Analysis

7.1.1Summary

7.1.2Personification & Imagery

7.1.3Themes

7.1.4Key Quotes & Comparisons

7.1.5End of Topic Test - The Prelude

8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson

8.1Charge of the Light Brigade Analysis

8.1.1Summary

8.1.2Themes

8.1.3Rhetorical Techniques, Key Quotes & Comparisons

8.1.4End of Topic Test - Charge of the Light Brigade

8.1.5Exam-Style Questions - Charge of the Light Brigade

9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)

9.1Bayonet Charge Analysis

9.1.1Summary

9.1.2Themes

9.1.3Themes 2

9.1.4Structure & Key Comparisons

9.1.5End of Topic Test - Bayonet Charge

10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)

10.1Poppies Analysis

10.1.1Summary

10.1.2Theme of Motherhood

10.1.3Imagery

10.1.4Form, Structure & Key Comparisons

10.1.5End of Topic Test - Poppies

11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)

11.1Tissue Analysis

11.1.1Summary

11.1.2Themes & Symbolism

11.1.3Religion & Conflict

11.1.4Form, Structure & Key Comparisons

11.1.5End of Topic Test - Tissue

12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)

12.1The Emigree Analysis

12.1.1Summary & Structure

12.1.2Themes

12.1.3Key Quotes & Comparisons

12.1.4End of Topic Test - The Emigree

13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)

13.1Kamikaze Analysis

13.1.1Summary & Structure

13.1.2Themes

13.1.3Themes 2

13.1.4Structure, Quotes & Comparisons

13.1.5End of Topic Test - Kamikaze

14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)

14.1Checking Out Me History Analysis

14.1.1Summary

14.1.2Themes

14.1.3Key Quotes & Comparisons

14.1.4End of Topic Test - Checking Out Me History

15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)

15.1Remains Analysis

15.1.1Summary

15.1.2Themes: Desensitisation &Trauma

15.1.3Themes: Guilt

15.1.4Themes: Nature of War

15.1.5Structure

15.1.6Key Quotes & Comparisons

15.1.7End of Topic Test - Remains

16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

16.1.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

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