War Photographer Flashcards
“In his dark room he is finally alone”
“finally” suggests he has been longing for this silence and peace from the war. “dark room” emphasises the loneliness and isolation he is feeling.
“spools of suffering set out in ordered rows.”
Refers literally to the photos of the war pegged on the line drying but provides reference to the war graves which are set out in similar manner and is ironic as the war is crazy and disorganised while these photos are precise and ordered.
“The only light is red and softly glows”
“light is red” literally refers to the colour of light required to process photos while the metaphor refers to Christ’s blood (suffering). Gives the sense that the darkroom is a confessional. The “red” could also link to the blood shed in war. “softly” implies relaxing and peacefulness which sharply contrasts with the war raging on outside and builds on the sense of comfort the photographer feels while he is in the darkroom.
“as though this were a church and he a priest preparing to intone a Mass.”
“priest” shows that he takes his work very seriously. “as though this were a church” implies he sees this as somewhat of a sacred place and ties the religious metaphors together.
“Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.”
‘B’ sound is plosive and implies the horror of the war while the tricolon and minor one word sentences emphasise this.
“All flesh is grass.”
Synecdoche as the “flesh” refers to the dead soldiers and the “grass” refers to the fields while the word choice of “all” shows there has been so much carnage that they have almost morphed into one, emphasising the horrors of war.
“He has a job to do.”
Declarative monosyllabic statement. Introduces change in tone (not as peaceful) and suggests he suppresses his emotions in order to properly do his “job”.
“Solutions slop in trays beneath his hands”
“Solutions” refer literally to the fluids used to develop photos while the metaphorical meaning refers to the fact that the photos are the missing factor that can fix the war (solution means answer). Emphasises the importance of his job as the “solution” to the war is in his possession.
“which did not tremble then though seem to now.”
“then” refers to when he was out photographing the war while “now” refers to when he is in the comfort of his home and shows that although he is safe from the war he is disturbed/horrified when he sees his work.
“Rural England.”
Short sentence sharply contrasts with the horrific feelings of war and brings peace/tranquility to the poem.
“Home again to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel, to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare heat.”
“ordinary pain” refers to the fact that in comparison to the war the pain is unremarkable and insignificant in places like England. It is so unimportant that “simple weather can dispel” showing that even small things can cure it, starkly contesting with war torn country’s. “fields which don’t explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare heat” refers to the napalm used in fields to clear them out and the word choice of “children” provokes extreme emotions from the reader as children are seen as innocent and harmless yet are still terribly effected by the war.
“Something is happening.”
Short declarative sentence, ambiguous. Could refer to either the photographs or to the photographer. Symbolic of the general publics knowledge of the atrocities of war and how they are unsure what is truly going on.
