Analysing the Poem 'Remains'

Armitage uses language and structure to expose the traumatic events in war and the effects of conflict. Enjambment and caesura may reflect the soldier’s disturbed mind and lack of control over his emotions. Syntactic parallelism is used to demonstrate the soldier’s ongoing battle with his accountability. Imagery in lines 26-29 contrasts the distant warzone, highlighting the public’s false view of their separation from war. The present tense reflects the power of the past in the present.