War Photographer Flashcards
Form for ‘War Photographer’
Duffy uses a tight form of six lines per stanza as well as a constant ABBCDD rhyme scheme. Thid rigidity of the form is at odds with the chaos caused by conflicti and perhaps reflects the order of “rural England”. The structure doesn’t change throughout, it can be interpreteted that War photographers lack the power to change anything.
Structure for ‘War Photographer’
The structure reflects the meticulous way in which the photgrapher works, as he places his photos into “ordered rows”. His sombre, careful ritual is perhaps his way of trying to maintain a sense of normality or attempting to control his thoughts, emotions and memories, which perhaps threaten to overwhelm him. (His hands “tremble” in anticipation of what will be revealed and therefore relived)
Cyclic structure for ‘War Photographer’
The poem ends by describing the photographer returningnto the warzone he came from on “the aeroplane”. This cyclical structure creates a sense of futile repetition and continuation of past mistakes and acts as evidence that the photographer’s work has not changed anything, leaving the listener with his realisation “he stares impassively at where he earns his living andnthey do not carw”. In this way, the poem ende on a defeated note. The photographer!s sense of the readers’ indifference (or superficial sentimentality) contrasts with the firm sense of vocation that he expresses earlier “do what someone must” and the religious similie in the first stanza that suggests his work is as important as a priest’s.
Context (Carol Ann Duffy)
Duffy was the UK’s poet laureate from 2009 to 2019. She is friends with two famous war photographers hence why she is interested in the difficulties and responsibilities posed by their role.
Context (War photographer)
The poem was published in 1985, ten years after the end of the Vietnam war. A contemporary reader would be aware that the line “running children in a nightmare heat” is a reference to a famous photo of a girl in a napalm attack. That photo did however, have a large impact on the public who protested and campaigned against the war. This contrasts with society today in which war photography is largely ignored.
Theme of response to conflict in ‘War Photographer’?
The sibilant alliteration in “solutions slop in trays” highlights the phrases significance. The literal meaning is that he is trying to offer solutions to the conflicts that he witnesses by raising public awarenesses of them, an awareness that might in turn lead to the public putting pressure on their government to help end them.
The painful connotations of “twist” in “a stranger’s features … twist before his eyes” shows the pain the images capture as well as the painful memories they induce in the photographer his role allows him to preserve the memory of those who have died; which is reflected in the paradoxical metaphor “half formed ghost”
There is a juxtaposition throughout the poem between lexis from the semantic field of violence and Religious imagery to suggest that people are not doing enough to prevent war. The photographer is compared to “a priest preparing to impart mass” which reminds the listener of the Christian value of peace but is in opposition to the descriptions of violence also featured in the poem. This implies that people are hypocritical because in theory they are agaisnt violence but are doing nothing to stop it when it’s actually coming.
Theme of suffering in ‘War Photographer’?
Duffy’s use of sibilance in “spools of suffering” creates the impression of the true nature of war being hushed and quitened so people can continue with their everyday lives. By describing the photographer as having to “pick out five or six” photos, Duffy shows how the public will only want to see a few photos before the reality of the situation is too horrifying to continue viewing. This shows how people do not care about suffering that does not directly impact them as they can easily ignore it. The description of the dust as “foreign” creates a distinction between the two places that the people of England can easily make.
Theme of extensive scale of conflict in ‘War Photographer’?
Duffy uses asyndetic listing in “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh” to refer to a wide range of conflicts. The plosives in this list create an aggressive sound, highlighting the way in which war impacts so many people. Meanwhile the caesura causes the speaker to pause over each word and consider it individually.
Perspective in ‘War Photographer’?
The poem is written in the third person despite it describing an emotionally fraught moment for the man. This reflects the feelings of detachment the photographer experiences at the scenes of conflict, which allow him to continue with his job. The speaker sets himself off from the British public by the use of the accusatory pronoun “they”. He appears a solitary figure who is alienated from his fellow citizens.
