War photographer

Question 1

What is the poem about (4)

Answer 1

1 a war photographer is developing pictures in a dark room under soft red light
2 his hands shake softly although they didn’t when he was in a war zone
3 he remembers the context of each photo including the death of a man and the cries of his wife
4 he is aware only a few pictures will be published and the reader’s reactions will be fleeting moments before they go back to their comfortable lives

Question 2

What form does the poem take

Answer 2

1 regular rhythming couplets between non rhyming lines representing the order he is giving to the chaos in the photos
2 third person point of view- creates and maintains distance between reader and photographer
3 omniscient narrator - knows photographers feelings

Question 3

What is the structure

Answer 3

1 4 stanzas 6 lines each - stanzas in ordered rows reflecting the order they try to impose on their job
2 e jam ent used to show the gradual revealing of the pphotos as they develop

Question 4

Key context

Answer 4

1 published in1985
2 Poet inspired to write by his friendship with a war photographer
3 photographers use images to convey truths she uses words

Question 5

What is the poets message

Answer 5

1 it is impossible to present the true horrors of war
2 people refuse to accept the true horrors of war

Question 6

Key quotes

Answer 6

1 all flesh is grass - biblical quote makes photographer sound like a priest
2 running children in a nightmare heat - emmotive language helpless panicked children in pain makes reader question point of war
3eyeballs prick with tears - speaker questions the publics attitude to war - they are apathetic

Question 7

which poem compare

Answer 7

poppies

Question 8

how

Answer 8

1both about suffering of war because of mother in poppies and people in photos in WP

2 both about effects of conflict on people not directly involved on the battlefield

3 the use of caesura - photographer realises what image he has taken once he gets home, he tries to compose himself once the images appear but becomes bitter.
The mother tries to remain calm and and composed but eventually breaks down as the break in verse implies chocking back the tears

4 both poems use images related to church to suggest effects of war should be remembered and death of soldiers should be mourned EP - ordered rows and all flesh is grass