Comparison : Remains and War Photographer

Question 1

Comparison points

Answer 1

S1. Both poems explore INESCAPABILITY OF WAR through GUILT

S2. Both poems explore a sense of indifference at home

D3. Difference in WAYS THEY FOCUS ON WAR. Remains explores rawness and experiences of war, but War Photographer focuses on creating order out of chaos

S4. Both poems explore nature of conflict as being graphic and violent

Question 2

Evidence for S1

‘inescapability of war through guilt’

Answer 2

Remains

• “Blood shadow stays on the street” - It is permanent
• “Sleep, and he’s probably armed, possibly not” - Disturbed sleep
• “His bloody life in my bloody hands” - Robbers death is in his hands

War Photographer
- “The cries of this man’s wife” - Haunting
- “A stranger’s features start to twist” - Imagery, Graphic
- “Spools of suffering” Alliteration, suffering
“Did not tremble but seem to now” - PTSD like

Question 3

Evidence for S2

‘Indifference of people at home’

Answer 3

Remains

• “Drinks and drugs wont flush him out” - No support
• “Some distant sun-stunned, sand-smothered land” - Alliteration, isolation, public dont care

War Photographer

• “Reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers” - Insignificant
• “editor will pick out 5 or 6” Careless, uncared for
• “He earns his living and they do not care” - Isolation in silent pain

Question 4

Evidence for D3

‘Remains explores rawness and experiences of war, War Photographer explores order from chaos’

Answer 4

Remains

• Enjambment - Chaotic nature of war
• Inconsistency in line lengths - Unpredictable
• Colloquial language “and I swear” - Inability to articulate words, therefore traumatic, speechless

War Photographer

• Chaos through irregular line lengths, but ABBCDD Rhyme scheme to resolve it
• ABBCDD makes it predictable, cyclicality of a War Photographer’s life
• 3rd person and religious imagery suggests loneliness “Priest beginning to intone a mass”

Question 5

Evidence for S4

‘Both poems explore nature of conflict as graphic and violent’

Answer 5

Remains

• “I see every round as it rips through his life”
• “sort of inside out”
• “Image of agony”
• “Tosses his guts back into his body”

War Photographer

• “Spools of suffering” - Alliteration
• “Explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare”
• “All flesh is grass” IMAGERY

Question 6

Context for REMAINS

Answer 6

• Inspired by “The Not Dead” documentary

- Wanted to highlight veteran suicide rate

Question 7

Context for War Photographer

Answer 7

• Catholic Upbringing (links to religious references)
• Interested in struggles that War Photographers had to go through
• “Explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare” - Could connote to famous image from Vietnam war of young children running from a Napalm Attack