15.1.5
Structure
Structure of Remains
Structure of Remains
The structure of Remains reflects the speaker's trauma in the following ways:
Dramatic monologue
Dramatic monologue
- The poem is written in the form of a dramatic monologue – we, therefore, get an insight into the personal experiences and thoughts of one individual.
- These could be applicable to many soldiers who have suffered in a similar way.
Two-part structure
Two-part structure
- In the first half of the poem, the speaker focuses on an event in the past. It begins in an anecdotal (telling a story) fashion as he describes an occasion on which he and his team raided a bank and killed a looter.
- The second half of the poem focuses on the aftermath of war. Even in the present, the speaker still lives through the horrors of that day.
- The poem is structured to convey the reality of PTSD.
Repetition
Repetition
- Repetition of “probably armed, possibly not” creates an almost cyclical (happening in cycles) structure.
- This reinforces the idea that the memories are inescapable and that he is stuck in a never-ending cycle of torment.
Rhythm and Rhyme of Remains
Rhythm and Rhyme of Remains
The rhythm of Remains and the lack of rhyme is designed to show the nature of the speaker's suffering. Armitage uses the following techniques to achieve this:
Regular stanzas
Regular stanzas
- The regular pattern of stanzas could reflect the ongoing, relentless (never-ending) suffering of the soldier.
No rhyme
No rhyme
- The poem is made up of unrhymed quatrains (stanzas of four lines).
- The lack of rhyme not only gives the monologue a more natural, speech-like feel but could indicate the speaker’s unstable state of mind.
Rhythm break
Rhythm break
- The fact that the last two lines break the pattern of four-line stanzas could represent his mental disintegration.
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3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
3.1Storm on the Island Analysis
4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)
5.1War Photographer Analysis
6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
7.1Extract from The Prelude Analysis
8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson
9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)
11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)
12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)
13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)
14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)
14.1Checking Out Me History Analysis
15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)
16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
Jump to other topics
1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
2London - William Blake (1757-1827)
3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
3.1Storm on the Island Analysis
4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)
5.1War Photographer Analysis
6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
7.1Extract from The Prelude Analysis
8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson
9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)
11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)
12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)
13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)
14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)
14.1Checking Out Me History Analysis
15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)
16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
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