Year 10 - English
Understanding the poem 'Remains'
'Power and Conflict'
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in three groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how Armitage comments on the traumatic effects of war in 'Remains'.
Key Notes
- The poem's title may reflect the long-lasting unpleasant effects of war.
- In 'Remains', Armitage explores the PTSD and other disorders that many veterans deal with.
- The poem is taken from a collection called 'The Not Dead', based on interviews with soldiers from Iraq and Gulf Wars.
- The speaker's battle with PTSD may reflect the long-term effects of conflict that are left unnoticed by society.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Trauma: the emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience
- Veteran: an ex-member of the armed forces
- Aftermath: the consequences of a significant unpleasant event
- Atrocities: extremely violent acts
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- War links to conflict solely due to the violence and brutality between opposing sides whilst fighting.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
The poem's title may reflect the long-lasting unpleasant effects of war. In 'Remains', Armitage explores the PTSD and other disorders that many veterans deal with.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Trauma'
the emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: War links to conflict solely due to the violence and brutality between opposing sides whilst fighting. Correction: War can also link to mental conflict long after the fighting is done as we see in Armitage's poem.
More Lessons In This Unit
- An introduction to themes in the Power and Conflict poetry anthology Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of power and conflict in Blake's 'London' Study Guide
- Analysing the concept of power in Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Bayonet Charge' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Charge of the Light Brigade' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Exposure' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Extract from The Prelude' Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'My Last Duchess' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Poppies' Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Remains' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Storm on the Island' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Comparing 'Poppies' and Duffy's 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Comparing 'Power and Conflict' war poems Study Guide
- Comparing conflict in war poems from the Power and Conflict anthology Study Guide
- Comparing Romantic poets' attitudes to nature Study Guide
- Comparing the presentation of power in 'My Last Duchess' and 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Developing interpretations of 'Remains' with Simon Armitage Study Guide
- Power and Conflict poetry: developing comparative essay writing skills Study Guide
- Understanding the connections between Romanticism and Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Bayonet Charge' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Charge of the Light Brigade' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Exposure' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Extract from the Prelude' Study Guide
- Understanding the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'London' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Poppies' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Storm on the Island' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Writing introductions and topic sentences for poetry comparison Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 10 English guide library.