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The language is colloquial, peppered with slang, to reflect the voice and outlook of an ordinary soldier in the ranks - often referred to as a ‘squaddie’. The lines are of unequal length to reflect the meaning, and there is no regular rhyme scheme, though Armitage uses a range of poetic devices like assonance and consonance to give the poem coherence and rhythm. The poem comprises eight stanzas, seven of four lines each, ending with a two-line stanza. It is enjoyed by the majority, as shown by the high quality of the contributions over the years - too many to be integrated. This poem has been studied by UK students for their GCSE exams. This poem is based on the account of a British soldier who served in Iraq. ‘Remains’ is from Armitage’s 2008 collection, ‘The Not Dead’, which looks at the effects of war on ex-soldiers - damaged, exhausted men who return from war alive, but never fully with their minds. He fails to come to terms with what he has done, suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and long-term damage to his mental health. The soldier’s responses are explored in the poem, especially his attempts to justify himself. ‘Remains’ refers to the dead body of the looter who was shot and killed, but also to the mental torment and guilt suffered by the soldier, which stays with him long after the period of action in the war zone. If the latter, the shooting was unnecessary and an act of murder. He shoots a looter as a response to orders, but is unsure whether the man was armed or not. This poem tells the story of a soldier in an unnamed conflict.