Poetry Anthology (WAR) - Key Quotes Analysed

The Manhunt

Repetition of 'only then' - demonstrates the relentlessness of the wife's rediscovery and the long journey to recovery for the soldier. It has taken a long time to rebuild their relationship and restore the intimacy that they lost due to war's damage on the soldier. 

'the frozen river which ran through his face' - metaphorically represents the irreparable ('frozen') scar on his face, sustained at war when the bullet travelled through his face. It could also represent his metaphorical tears that are imprinted on his face, leaving a permanent mark on his skin. 

'to handle and hold' - mimics the sound of wedding vows which links to their relationship as a married couple. Also highlights the fragility of the man - his psychological and physical injuries means he has to be handled with care and caution. This is created through the gently alliteration of the 'h' sound. 

'the damaged, porcelain collarbone' - the comparison of his collarbone to 'porcelain' shows how fragile and delicate it is after injury. Porcelain is a material that is easily broken which could suggest that his collarbone is frail which also means Eddie has to be approached with wariness.

'then I widened the search, traced the scarring back to its source' - demonstrates the fact that the wife had to trace back to the cause of his damage in order to gain a genuine understanding of his state post-war. 

'unexploded mine buried deep in his mind' - links to Eddie's PTSD and fractured mind. This implies the destruction caused by war is permanent and stays with the soldier years after war, causing an unstable mental health (e.g. depression/anxiety). It also suggests how Eddie's PTSD is a part of who he is as it is 'buried deep in his mind'. An 'unexploded mine' has connotations of war - it still poses a risk of detonation which could link to Eddie's sudden outburts of anger which is a side-effect of PTSD.

'Then and only then did I come close' - these lines have an emotional impact on the reader. It can be interpreted as the continuation of the wife's 'hunt' to rediscover her husband and their fractured relationship. She ony came 'close' and was not able to completely cure him, which reinforces the irreparable damage. 

Mametz Wood

'For years afterwards, the farmers found them - the wasted young' - as many battles during WW1 took place in rural areas of France, even hundreds of…