‘Remains’ by Simon Armitage is a haunting account of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of soldiers who return from conflict situations. In this case, Armitage tells the story of Guardsman Tromans, a British soldier who fought in Iraq in 2003.
This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying AQA’s GCSE English Literature Power and Conflict Anthology. For more study guides from this anthology, check out the Power and Conflict page, or the list of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide.
Remains
What is 'Remains' all about?
Summary of stanza 1:
The poem opens in the middle of a conversation, as suggested by ‘On another occasion…’. The speaker describes a mission to stop looters attacking a bank in this conflict situation, most likely part of the Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm.
Summary of stanza 2:
The speaker describes how one of the looters runs away, and assuming he is armed, they decide in the moment to shoot him.
Summary of stanza 3:
This verse describes the bullets piercing the body of the looter in gory detail, clearly leaving a lasting impact on the soldier speaker.
Summary of stanza 4:
The account continues with the speaker describing how the put the body into the back of their truck and move on to their next task.
Summary of stanza 5:
In stanza 5, it becomes clear that, despite the incident being in the past, the memories of the incident stay with the speaker, haunting his thoughts long after the event.
Summary of stanza 6:
Verse 6 tells the fragments of trauma which invade the speaker’s sleep, and the ways in which he has attempted to drown out the memory with alcohol and drugs, but they don’t work.
Summary of stanza 7:
In verse 7, the mix of past memory and present reality are merged. The speaker cannot escape from the guilt and haunting of the dead body. No amount of distance or burial of the body will stop the images plague his mind in the present moment.
Summary of stanza 8:
The final verse is shorter and emphasises the guilt felt by the speaker – the symbol of bloody hands, like for Lady Macbeth, haunts his sleep and cannot be shaken off.
Context of 'Remains'
Simon Armitage's life, education and career
Simon Armitage was born in 1963 in West Yorkshire, England, and grew up in the village of Marsden. He attended Huddersfield Polytechnic, where he received a BA with Honours in Geography.
After completing his degree, he worked as a probation officer for several years before beginning his writing career. (Source: “Simon Armitage.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed 23rd May 2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/simon-armitage)
Armitage has published numerous poetry collections, including Zoom!, The Shout: Selected Poems, and his latest, Magnetic Field: The Marsden Poems. He has also written several translations, including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
In addition to his writing, Armitage has worked as a radio and television presenter and has collaborated with musicians and visual artists. He was elected Oxford Professor of Poetry in 2015 and in 2019, he became Poet Laureate, taking over the mantel from Carol Ann Duffy. (Source: “Simon Armitage.” British Council. Accessed 23rd May 2024.
https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/simon-armitage)
Armitage’s work is influenced by his Yorkshire heritage and his interest in history and nature. He has cited the poets Ted Hughes and Philip Larkin as important influences, as well as the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. Armitage’s poetry often explores the themes of identity, loss, and memory, and his use of language is marked by its clarity and accessibility. (Source: “Simon Armitage.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed 23rd May 2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/simon-armitage)
If you enjoyed the poem ‘Remains’, check out other poems by Simon Armitage:
Context of 'Remains'
The Gulf War (1990-1991)
The Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm, was a conflict that took place from August 1990 to February 1991, triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein accused Kuwait of oil overproduction and stealing oil from the Rumaila oil field, leading to the invasion on 2nd August 1990.
The United Nations condemned the invasion, leading to economic sanctions and a coalition force led by the United States and including British soldiers. The coalition, composed of 35 nations, sought to liberate Kuwait. After the failure of talks, Operation Desert Storm began on 17th January 1991 with aerial bombing of Iraq and a ground invasion. The coalition forces were successful in just four days, liberating Kuwait and causing significant loss of life to the Iraqi army. Many civilians also died. Ceasefire was announced on 28th February 1991.
'The Not Dead' collection (2008) by Simon Armitage
‘Remains’ was written and published as part of ‘The Not Dead‘, a collection of poems published in 2008. The collection was featured in a documentary of the same name which was aired on Channel 4 in the summer of 2007. The purpose of both the documentary and the poems is to raise awareness of the PTSD suffered by soldiers who have fought in modern warfare, particular in the Gulf, Bosnia and Malayan wars.
The speaker of the the poem ‘Remains‘ is Guardsman Tromans, a British soldier who suffered PTSD after his experiences in Iraq in 2003. Tromans’ life has been impacted by his experienced, as the news reflects: read more about Tromans here.
Line-by-line analysis of 'Remains'
The title: 'Remains'
- ‘Remains’ is ambiguous as a title, allowing more than one interpretation. It could suggest the remains of the body of the looter, which are described as gory, inside out and punctured with bullet holes. The title ‘Remains’ could also refer to the remains of the speaker’s mind or life, what remains of him after the conflict and the PRSD.
Stanza 1
On another occasion, we got sent out
- The poem opens in medias res (which means ‘in the middle of things’) adding to the truthfulness of the account and the conversational tone.
- ‘another’ suggests that the event described in this poem (shooting the looter) was a frequent, everyday occurrence. For most people, this one event would be life changing. For soldiers in conflict situations, the traumatic experiences happen again and again, leading to life-long trauma.
- Personal, inclusive pronouns (‘we’ is used here, and later in the poem, ‘myself’, ‘us’ and ‘I’) are used to again add a sense of immediacy as the speaker recounts real-life events from a first person point of view. These pronouns also add to the conversational tone and the anecdotal style.
- The past tense verb ‘got sent out’ makes it clear that this account is a story from war or conflict. The speaker is clearly a soldier following orders.
to tackle looters raiding a bank.
- Line two gives us a very clear setting and context for the account: stopping looters (most likely civilians) stealing money from a bank which is in the center of a conflict situation.
- The end stop (full stop) brings this opening to a pause, adding further to the conversational nature of the account, as the speaker takes a breath before continuing.
And one of them legs it up the road,
- Line three begins the second sentence of the poem with the conjunction ‘And’, which is not grammatically correct, but further adds to the conversational tone of the poem, and continues the account smoothly from the previous sentence.
- In line three, the speaker moves into present tense verbs (‘legs it’), giving the effect that he has immersed himself in his memory, and is reliving it as he tells the story.
- ‘Legs it up the road’ is very colloquial, helping the reader to relate to the speaker and feel more of a bond with them. They are not a distance and faceless soldier, but rather someone to whom the reader can relate.
probably armed, possibly not.
- Line four uses parallelism with the two phrases equally balanced across the comma: on one side, a three syllable adverb beginning with ‘p’ along with a verb ‘armed’, and on the other side, another three syllable adverb beginning with ‘p’ with the negative ‘not’.
- Alliteration in ‘probably … possibly’ emphasises the line and the sense of doubt in these two words.
- This line is repeated later in the poem in verse 6. Repeating the phrase echoes the PSTD echoes that the soldier himself experiences: moments from his experiences are relived and echoed in his head long into the future.
Stanza 2
Well myself and somebody else and somebody else
- The conversational tone continues by opening verse two with ‘Well’, reminding the reader that we are listening as a story unfolds.
- Repeating the conjunction ‘and’ with nameless people feels very much like the justification of soldiers who acted in the moment, spurred on by each other.
are all of the same mind,
- This line implies that either the soldiers know each other so well that they think and react in the same way to the situation, or that they have aligned their stories to ensure they back each other up.
so all three of us open fire.
- ‘open fire’ uses aggressive language to emphasise the aggressive actions of war.
Three of a kind all letting fly, and I swear
- ‘Three of a kind’ supports the previous line ‘all of the same mind’, further emphasising the idea of soldiers as a band of brothers with a close bond.
- ‘letting fly’ is a colloquial term, making this story feel like a real account from a real person.
Stanza 3
I see every round as it rips through his life –
- Enjambment is used to continue the story straight through from verse two to verse three, adding to the conversational tone and sense of story telling.
- The literal narrative takes on a more emotive tone here as the speaker describes as the bullet round ‘rips through his life’. This description holds more than a literal description; it is full of regret perhaps, or anger at the situation he was put in, or trauma.
- Alliteration is used for emphasis and emotion in ’round’ and ‘rips’.
I see broad daylight on the other side.
- Anaphora (repetition of a phrase at the start of consecutive lines) is used in repeating ‘I see’, lending emotion and structure to the account.
- Exaggeration is used to emphasise the shooting action. It is highly unlikely that the speaker could actually see through the looter’s body, yet the speaker is reliving the moment in fragments in his mind, the memory contorting with each retelling, and the speaker wants to emphasise the detail to help the listener understand the brutality of the event.
So we’ve hit this looter a dozen times
- ‘So’, like ‘Well’ in verse two, adds to the informal, conversational tone.
and he’s there on the ground, sort of inside out,
- Enjambment is used again to run one line into the next, speeding up the narrative and keeping the story flowing.
Stanza 4
pain itself, the image of agony.
- Reification (the consideration of an abstraction of an object as if it had a living existence and abilities) of pain in “pain itself” suggests that the subject is experiencing pure, unadulterated pain. The use of the reflexive pronoun “itself” emphasises the intensity of it, making pain seem like an animate object rather than an emotion or feeling.
- “the image of agony” adds a visual dimension to the pain, suggesting that it is so intense it can be seen, a tangible depiction of suffering.
One of my mates goes by
- Informal language is used in “One of my mates” indicating camaraderie and shared experience among soldiers.
- The casual description of “goes by” contrasts sharply with the previous line’s intensity, perhaps highlighting the normalisation of trauma in a war zone.
and tosses his guts back into his body.
- The graphic image “tosses his guts” captures the brutal reality of war injuries.
- The verb “tosses” implies a lack of ceremony or gentleness, reinforcing the harshness of the situation.
- The fact that the guts need to be put back suggests a severe, life-threatening injury inflicted, underscoring the fragility of life and the violence of war.
Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.
- The verb “carted off” suggests a lack of dignity or respect, as if the wounded soldier is merely a piece of cargo.
- Using a lorry (a British term for a truck) for transport highlights the crude, practical nature of how the injured are treated. It suggests a mechanised, impersonal aspect of war.
Stanza 5
End of story, except not really.
- Verse 5 offers a juxtaposition in the contrast between the end of the event described and the ongoing trauma the soldier is suffering. The past is not in the past, but rather it continues to invade the present. This line suggests the lingering psychological impact of the event.
- Juxtaposition is highlighted by the balance of the line, with the central comma acting as a pivot.
His blood-shadow stays on the street, and out on patrol
- The metaphor “blood-shadow” describes the stain left by the dead man’s blood on the street. Even when the soldier is on patrol, he sees this mark, reminding the reader of his ongoing guilt, like Lady Macbeth who continued to see blood on her hands long after she had washed them (literally) clean, symbolising the haunting memory of the death.
- The image of a “shadow” indicates something that lingers and follows, emphasising how the memory of the event persists despite being physically in a new place.
I walk right over it week after week.
- The repetition of “week after week” conveys the routine nature of the speaker’s patrols and the constant reminder of the traumatic event. While he continues to be busy and at war, he becomes desensitised due to routines and structures of the army.
- Walking over the “blood-shadow” could symbolise an attempt to normalise the experience or desensitise himself to the horror in order to cope, suggesting an ongoing struggle with trauma.
Then I’m home on leave. But I blink
- ‘Then’ is an adverb, marking a shift in time and setting from the war zone to a more peaceful environment.
- The verb “blink” suggests a normal everyday action. The transition of the eye into the blackness or blindness of a blink allows the memory to return, unwelcome. Despite being away from the immediate danger, the memory intrudes upon his thoughts unexpectedly and in flashes. The transition to being “home on leave” highlights that these memories are not bound by geography—they intrude upon the soldier’s consciousness, reflecting the deep and lasting impact of trauma.
Stanza 6
and he bursts again through the doors of the bank.
- Enjambment from the previous verse creates the effect of these memories reoccurring and continuing without boundaries or control.
- Repetition of “again” indicates the recurring nature of this memory. It keeps replaying in the speaker’s mind, showing how the traumatic event intrudes into his consciousness repeatedly.
- Violent imagery in the verb “bursts” conveys suddenness and violence, emphasising the shock and intensity of the original event.
Sleep, and he’s probably armed, and possibly not.
- Repetition of this line from stanza 1 captures the anxiety and doubt the speaker felt during the event and continues to feel in its aftermath. The ambiguity (“probably armed, and possibly not”) highlights the tension and fear experienced during the encounter.
- The mention of sleep shows that the traumatic memory disrupts the speaker’s ability to rest, indicating how deeply it affects his subconscious mind. In this line there is another echo of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in which Macbeth cannot sleep after murdering Duncan. This reminds the reader of the important theme of guilt and repressed trauma in this poem.
Dream, and he’s torn apart by a dozen rounds.
- The graphic imagery of being “torn apart by a dozen rounds” suggests a deep sense of horror and possibly guilt. The speaker cannot escape the violent scene even in his dreams, indicating the severity of his psychological trauma.
- This line echoes the structure of the previous line, where a verb (‘Sleep’ and ‘Dream’) is used followed by a more detailed description. The effect is of snapshots and flashbacks which haunt the speaker, and create sympathy and fear for the reader.
And the drink and the drugs won’t flush him out –
- This line reveals that these coping mechanisms are ineffective. Despite resorting to substances to dull the pain, the memories persist, showing the depth and resilience of the trauma.
- The phrase “won’t flush him out” conveys a sense of desperation and helplessness. The speaker is unable to rid himself of the haunting presence of the looter’s memory, no matter what he tries. This is emphasised with alliteration and anaphora used in ‘the drink and the drugs’, along with the descriptive verb ‘flush’.
Stanza 7
he’s here in my head when I close my eyes,
- Repetition of the ‘h’ sound creates a haunting effect, prolonging the phrase ‘he’s here in my head’, causing the reader to imagine the impact for themselves.
- Metaphor is used as the looter is described as “in my head”.
- This line emphasises the psychologically invasive nature of the traumatic memory. The phrase “when I close my eyes” suggests that the memory is most vivid and unavoidable during moments of rest, highlighting its constant presence.
dug in behind enemy lines,
- Metaphor is used in the phrase “dug in behind enemy lines”. It is a military metaphor, suggesting that the memory of the looter is entrenched deeply within the speaker’s psyche, much like an enemy hidden in a fortified position.
- The verb “dug in” implies that the memory is resilient and difficult to dislodge, suggesting a prolonged struggle in the speaker’s mind.
- The enemy lines metaphor also implies an internal conflict, where the speaker’s mind is a battleground and the memory of the looter is the adversary entrenched within it.
not left for dead in some distant, sun-stunned, sand-smothered land
- Descriptive imagery and sibilance are used in “distant, sun-stunned, sand-smothered land”, evoking the setting of the traumatic event. This line highlights the harsh, foreign, and overwhelming environment where it took place.
- The phrase “not left for dead” suggests that despite the physical distance, the memory has not been left behind; it continues to live on in the speaker’s mind. The effect here is haunting.
or six-feet-under in desert sand,
- Armitage uses colloquial language in the phrase “six-feet-under”, a common phrase referring to burial, implying death and finality.
- The imagery of burial in the “desert sand” suggests a hope for the memory to be dead and buried, left behind in the past. However, the line indicates that this has not happened. AQA Power and Conflict students will be reminded here of the poem Ozymandias by Percy Shelley, in which desert sand (different desert, different context) is also destructive.
- This reinforces the idea that the memory of the traumatic event is not confined to the past or the place where it occurred; it persists and haunts the speaker continuously.
Stanza 8
but near to the knuckle, here and now,
- Alliteration is used to reinforce the sound of ‘near to the knuckle, here and now’
- ‘Here and now’ reminds us that the speaker cannot escape the past. It implies that the memory feels raw and immediate as if it happened just recently.
his bloody life in my bloody hands.
- The repetition of “bloody” emphasises the violence and bloodshed associated with the event. It suggests that the speaker feels a profound sense of guilt and responsibility for taking another person’s life.
- This line encapsulates the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by soldiers in combat. The phrase “his … life in my … hands” highlights the value and preciousness of human life, contrasting with the brutality of war.
- The phrase ‘his bloody life’ can be interpreted in two ways: firstly, taking ‘bloody’ as an expression of anger at ‘his life’, and secondly, as a more literal interpretation of his body which is covered in blood. In both senses, it is clear the body of the looter haunts the speaker.
Analysis of form and structure
‘Remains‘ is written in the form of a dramatic monologue, with the speaker recounting a traumatic experience from his past. The use of first-person narration allows the reader to delve into the speaker’s psyche, experiencing his guilt, anguish, and haunting memories alongside him. The conversational tone and colloquial language add to the authenticity of the speaker’s voice, drawing the reader into his world and heightening the emotional impact of the poem.
Verse structure
‘Remains’ is composed of eight verses. The first seven verses are quatrains (four-line verses). This regularity continues almost until the end, reminding the reader of the regimented structure of the military environment the speaker is familiar with.
The final verse is shorter, taking the form of an unrhymed couplet (a two-line verse). The effect of this shorter verse is to disorientate the reader, reflecting the breakdown of the speaker and the incomplete nature of his story. The poem reads like a conversation which takes place in a therapist’s office, and is therefore the beginning of dealing with the PTSD suffered by the speaker, by with no conclusion offered.
Rhyme
‘Remains‘ has no consistent rhyme scheme. This lack of formal sound structure reflects the chaotic and fragmented nature of the speaker’s thoughts and memories, mirroring the disorienting effects of trauma.
Despite the absence of a traditional rhyme scheme, the poem’s rhythm is marked by enjambment, where sentences and phrases spill over from one line to the next and one verse to the next, creating a sense of continuous motion and urgency. This enjambment contributes to the poem’s overall sense of unease and tension, reflecting the psychological turmoil experienced by the speaker.
Rhythm
The rhythm of ‘Remains‘ is free verse, with varying line lengths, creating an inconsistent, irregular rhythm. There is no real pattern to the syllables, although the speaker does create a conversational tone. In many lines, caesurae are used to disrupt the natural flow, echoing the chaos of battle and the quick-fire flashbacks experienced by the speaker. Enjambment is also used to create flow in other parts of the poem, reflecting the lack of a decisive ending to the story, which continues into the present for the speaker.
Themes in 'Remains' by Simon Armitage
Trauma and guilt
The poem vividly portrays the trauma experienced by the soldier as a result of his involvement in a violent incident. The speaker grapples with overwhelming guilt and remorse for his actions, particularly the killing of a looter. The opening phrase ‘On another occasion…’ suggests that the incident described in the poem involving the looter was not the only incident which the speaker is struggling with. The haunting memories of the event continue to plague him long after it has occurred, illustrating the lasting psychological impact of war.
Moral ambiguity
Armitage delves into the moral complexities inherent in combat situations. The speaker and his comrades are faced with difficult decisions in the heat of battle, leading to actions that blur the lines between right and wrong, as shown in the repeated phrase ‘probably armed, possibly not’. The poem raises questions about the ethics of warfare and the individual responsibility of soldiers for their actions.
Dehumanisation and desensitisation:
Through graphic imagery and descriptions, Armitage depicts the dehumanising effects of war on both perpetrators and victims. The looter is reduced to a bloody, agonised figure, while the soldiers become desensitised to violence and suffering. This theme highlights the brutalising influence of war on individuals and societies.
Comprehension Questions
- What is the central event described in the poem?
- Referring to the whole poem, how does the speaker feel about his involvement in the event?
- Describe the imagery used to depict the immediate aftermath of the incident, in particular, the way the looter’s body is treated.
- How does the memory of the looter continue to affect the speaker after the event?
- What coping mechanisms does the speaker employ to deal with his trauma?
- How does the structure of the poem contribute to its overall meaning?
- Discuss the significance of the phrase “blood-shadow” in the poem.
- How does Armitage explore the theme of moral ambiguity in the poem?
- In what ways does the poem highlight the dehumanising effects of war?
- Which poem from your anthology would pair well with ‘Remains’ for a ‘compare and contrast’ essay? Make a mind map plan searching for points of comparison and of contrast between the two poems.
Quiz
Remains by Simon Armitage
Test your knowledge of the poem 'Remains' by Simon Armitage
Both poems explore the psychological impact of conflict on individuals, highlighting the trauma and emotional toll experienced by those involved. They both employ vivid imagery to depict the aftermath of violence and the lasting effects of war on both soldiers and civilians. Both poems use first-person narration to provide insight into the personal experiences and perspectives of individuals affected by conflict. They both examine the theme of memory and its role in shaping individual identity and consciousness, particularly in relation to traumatic events.
Both poems depict the visceral experience of conflict and warfare, exploring the physical and psychological toll it takes on individuals involved. They both use vivid imagery and sensory language to evoke the chaos, fear, and brutality of battle, immersing the reader in the immediacy of the experience. Both poems explore the theme of the dehumanising effects of war, depicting soldiers as individuals caught up in a larger, impersonal machine of violence. They both employ enjambment and irregular line lengths to create a sense of momentum and urgency, mimicking the disorienting and chaotic nature of combat.
