Analysing how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt'
I can analyse how Armitage presents the harrowing effects of war.
Analysing how Armitage presents the effects of war in 'The Manhunt'
I can analyse how Armitage presents the harrowing effects of war.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Armitage uses figurative language to illustrate the severity of the soldier’s injuries - both physical and mental.
- Armitage’s use of figurative language portrays the soldier as fragile and delicate, showing his vulnerability.
- The use of rhyming couplets arguably reflect the unified approach the couple are taking to the soldier’s recovery.
- Armitage's repetition could illustrate the constant and repeated support and care the wife demonstrates for her husband.
- Armitage’s use of enjambment could reflect the couple’s continuous journey or rehabilitation and reconnection.
Keywords
Harrowing - very distressing and/or traumatising
Vulnerable - able to be easily physically or mentally hurt
PTSD - a mental illness resulting from trauma, in which the patient might experience flashbacks, depression, anxiety or hallucinations
Rhyming couplet - a pair of successive lines of verse, rhyming and typically of the same length
Enjambment - the continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line, stanza or couplet
Common misconception
Students think that the entire poem is in rhyming couplets.
Only the beginning of the poem is written in rhyming couplets. The couplets fade to pararhymes and then to non-rhyming couplets by the end of the poem, possibly to reflect the soldier's pain fading and the healing process.
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
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), 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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