15.1.6
Key Quotes & Comparisons
Key Quotations in Remains
Key Quotations in Remains
Here are key quotations to remember for your exam:
“Well myself and somebody else and somebody else”
“Well myself and somebody else and somebody else”
- Colloquial 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.
“I swear I see every round as it rips through his life”
“I swear I see every round as it rips through his life”
- Violent language.
- The verb “rip” highlights the brutal nature of the attack.
- Sensory language.
- “I see” conveys a sense of the trauma it has caused the soldier, as though it is branded on his memory.
- Present tense.
- The use of the present tense links in with the idea that this suffering is ongoing and he constantly re-plays the memories.
“Sort of inside out…tosses his guts back into his body”
“Sort of inside out…tosses his guts back into his body”
- Gruesome image.
- Indicates the reality of war and the lack of glory or honour associated with such a job.
“His blood-shadow stays on the street, and out on patrol”
“His blood-shadow stays on the street, and out on patrol”
- Metaphor.
- Indicates something dark that cannot be dispelled, a constant reminder of what he did.
“Probably armed, possibly not”
“Probably armed, possibly not”
- Uncertain language.
- Reminds readers of the doubt that soldiers must deal with.
- It links to the theme of guilt as there is an indication that the man who was killed was innocent.
“Torn apart by a dozen rounds”
“Torn apart by a dozen rounds”
- Violent image.
- Contrasts to ideas of peace and tranquillity, e.g. “sleep” and “dream”.
“And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out”
“And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out”
- An indication of the speaker’s desperation to rid himself of the harrowing memories.
- The verb “flush” is indicative of something that needs to be cleansed or disposed of, linking to the unpleasantness of his memories.
“His bloody life in my bloody hands”
“His bloody life in my bloody hands”
- Repetition.
- Reinforces the sense of his frustration.
- Bloody imagery.
- The image of having blood on his hands symbolises the guilt he is unable to rid himself of.
- “Bloody” could also be interpreted as a swear word and mark his anger or regret.
Key Comparisons: Remains
Key Comparisons: Remains
Here are some themes that come up in Remains and other texts:
Reality of conflict/effects of conflict
Reality of conflict/effects of conflict
- You may want to compare the theme of the reality of conflict and/or effects of conflict in Remains to the following texts:
- War Photographer.
- Exposure.
- Poppies.
- Bayonet Charge.
- Charge of the Light Brigade.
Powerful, memorable and/or unpleasant experiences
Powerful, memorable and/or unpleasant experiences
- You may want to compare the theme of powerful, memorable and/or unpleasant experiences in Remains to the following texts:
- Exposure.
- Charge of the Light Brigade.
- Bayonet Charge.
- The Prelude.
Powerful memories
Powerful memories
- You may want to compare the theme of powerful memories in Remains to the following texts:
- Kamikaze.
- Poppies.
- The Emigree.
- War Photographer.
- The Prelude.
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
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
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered