Understanding how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt'
I can understand the story of the poem ‘The Manhunt’ and why it was written.
Understanding how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt'
I can understand the story of the poem ‘The Manhunt’ and why it was written.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- 'The Manhunt' is from a collection of poems, *The Not Dead*, which explores the effect of recent conflict on soldiers.
- The speaker in the poem is a wife looking to reconnect with her husband who has returned from war.
- The wife tenderly explores her husband’s physical injuries, discovering his considerable mental scarring in the process.
- The poem is based on the relationship between a soldier and his wife that Armitage interviewed as part of a documentary.
- The poem explores the harrowing physical and psychological effects of war on both soldiers and their loved ones.
Keywords
Harrowing - very distressing and/or traumatising
To caress - to touch or stroke gently and lovingly
Adversity - challenging circumstances or hardship
To comprehend - to be able to fully understand or appreciate something
PTSD - a mental illness resulting from trauma, in which the patient might experience flashbacks, depression, anxiety or hallucinations
Common misconception
Students often fail to appreciate the significance of the speaker being the soldier's wife.
The perspective the poem is written from is deeply significant. Perhaps Armitage chose to write the poem from the perspective of the wife because the soldier is too traumatised to speak of his own experiences.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Poetry anthology unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
- Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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