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Remains

The document discusses the poem 'Remains' by Simon Armitage, which explores the lasting trauma experienced by soldiers after conflict, particularly focusing on a soldier's haunting memories of killing a looter during a bank clearing operation. It highlights the impact of war on mental health, leading to substance abuse and ongoing psychological distress. The poem is part of a collection called 'The Not Dead', which addresses the experiences of discharged servicemen.

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21mcnallyc
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180 views7 pages

Remains

The document discusses the poem 'Remains' by Simon Armitage, which explores the lasting trauma experienced by soldiers after conflict, particularly focusing on a soldier's haunting memories of killing a looter during a bank clearing operation. It highlights the impact of war on mental health, leading to substance abuse and ongoing psychological distress. The poem is part of a collection called 'The Not Dead', which addresses the experiences of discharged servicemen.

Uploaded by

21mcnallyc
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Remains

25/06/2025
DNA:
This man was a soldier before being discharged.
He previously served in Afghanistan with the
British Army.

Challenge: How do you think being involved in


conflict has affected him?

Extra Challenge: Why do you think fighting in


conflict has affected him like this?

Mega Challenge: When a soldier goes home from


war, do they go back to normal? Why? Why not?
Poem Summary
• In the poem, three soldiers were called to clear a bank that was being looted.
• As the soldiers approached the bank one of the looters ran out, probably armed,
so all three soldiers shot image but and the man’s body was taken away.
• However, the looter’s blood stain remained on the ground and the solider saw it
week after week when he patrolled the area.
• Eventually, the soldier went home on leave, but he could not get rid of thoughts
of the man he’d shot and killed.
• The solider began to abuse drink and drugs to try to forget the image but was
unable to escape the painful memories.

Challenge: What is the name for this type of trauma? Why might a soldiers’ memory not leave him?
Context(AO3)
• ‘Remains’ is taken from the 2008 collection 'The Not
Dead'. Originally aired on a Channel 4 documentary film
of the same name, it’s a collection of poems about
discharged servicemen.

• ‘Remains’ is based on the true story of Guardsman


Tromans, a machine gunner in the Iraq War in 2003. The
poem tells the story of a real event.

• The documentary details a horrific event where soldiers


cleared a multi-story bank. From the roof, Tromans saw a
man screaming on the road—his first kill, which haunted
him. Stress later led him to crime and substance abuse
after leaving the army.

why do you think this poem is in a collection called ‘The Not dead’?
Let’s watch the video
The poet
• Simon Armitage was born in 1963
in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
• Armitage is a popular choice for
exams because his poetry is easy to
understand and modern.
• He is the current Poet Laureate.
Theme
The major theme of ‘Remains’ is
the true horror of war, and how the
suffering it causes is inescapable,
even when the soldiers return to
the domestic sphere of home.
Making links between other poems(Exposure)

Draw the circles


• Make link with another poem
• Ideas and technique

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