War Photographer Flashcards
“with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows”
His rolls of film contain so much pain and horror that ‘suffering’ seems to be all that is within them. The soft ‘s’ sounds help develop the calm atmosphere, contrasting with the disturbing content of the images captured.
“his hands, which did not tremble then though seem to now”
Tremble’ connotes fear and shaking This shows he is traumatised by what he has seen. Enjambment highlights he wasn’t affected at the time but seems to be affected now.
“start to twist before his eyes a half-formed ghost”
This description is dually effective since it both describes the way the figure is gradually appearing on the paper, while also alluding to the fact that since he no longer exists he has effectively become a ghost. The photograph haunts the photographer.
“The reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers”
‘prick’ suggests a tiny amount. The general public have an extremely limited amount of care or sympathy as they are desensitized to painful images.
Enjambment / Plosives Highlights the very limited time the public are willing to show sympathy. ‘Bath’ and ‘pre-lunch beers’ are also extremely luxurious – a huge contrast with those facing conflict.
