New
New
Year 10
AQA
Analysing the Poem 'Remains'
I can explore how Armitage uses language and structure to explore the long-lasting trauma of war.
New
New
Year 10
AQA
Analysing the Poem 'Remains'
I can explore how Armitage uses language and structure to explore the long-lasting trauma of war.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- 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.
Keywords
Trauma - the emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience
Harrowing - extremely disturbing
Intrusive - causing disruption through being unwanted
Common misconception
Students may not initially notice the structural choices within the poem such as tense and enjambment.
Explain how language, structure, perspective and tense are always constructed meaningfully by the poet to match their purpose.
Consider if your students would benefit from learning more about Armitage's documentary 'The Not Dead' to enhance their understanding of Armitage's message.
Teacher tip
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Match the type of pronoun to the correct example.
I, me, my
you, your
he, she, they
Q2.
'Us' is an example of a collective pronoun. What impact could the pronoun 'us' have when used in a text?
puts the focus on a single person
Q3.
Starting with the first, order the key points of 'Remains' in chronological order.
Q4.
The way a poem is organised is also known as the ...
Q5.
The use of punctuation to pause in the middle of a line of poetry is called...
enjambment
volta
Q6.
The method where by one line of poetry continues on to the next is known as...
blank verse
free verse
in medias res
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
The poem 'Remains' is written in which tense?
past
future
Q2.
In 'Remains' the use of enjambment and caesura may reflect...
the soldier's feelings about the distant warzone vs home.
Q3.
In 'Remains', what method is used to show the force of the intrusive thoughts the speaker experiences when he is back home, through the use of the word "bursts"?
hyperbole
enjambment
Q4.
At the start in 'Remains' the speaker sounds like he's telling an anecdotal story but by the end it is clear that he feels....
fear
nonchalance
Q5.
Causing disruption through being unwanted is known as being...
Q6.
Why might Armitage have written the poem 'Remains'?
to memorialise fallen soldiers
to criticise soldiers in war