War Photographer Flashcards
Who wrote the poem ‘War Photographer’?
Carol Ann Duffy
Why does Carol Ann Duffy present the photographer as relieved to be alone?
Because he needs time to digest what he has witnessed.
The photographer arranges the photographs into ‘ordered rows’ because…
…he wants to bring order to the chaos he’s seen.
Carol Ann Duffy compares the photographer to a priest because…
…she thinks photographs can carry a message like a mass.
‘All flesh is grass’ means…
…life is fragile. It can come and go.
Why did the photographer’s hands not tremble when he took the photographs?
Because he had to remain professional and get the job done.
Which country was the photo ‘Napalm Girl’ taken in?
Vietnam
Why does Carol Ann Duffy describe the image of the dying man as ‘a half-formed ghost’?
Because the image is slowly developing in front of him, the man is now dead so seems like a ghost and the photographer finds the image haunting.
Why do you think the wife allowed the photographer to take a picture of him dying?
She wanted the world to see his suffering, give them a message and make them stop and help.
Why does the photographer describe his job as doing ‘what someone must’?
He feels that the world must learn of the horrors of war.
He feels he has a responsibility.
What is the theme of the poem?
Isolation and Suffering
What effect does the religious imagery create?
Conveys his dedication to his occupation
Shows how he is too often exposed to life and death
What is Sunday’s supplement?
A regular additional section placed in a Sunday newspaper
What is the colour of the light in the darkroom and what does it connote?
Red - connotations of blood and pain
Fill in the blank: “A stranger’s features ______ start to twist before his eyes,”
faintly
Fill in the blank: “The reader’s _______ prick with tears between the ____ and pre-lunch _____”
eyeballs; bath; beers
What was War Photographer based on?
Vietnam War
Fill in the blank: “…beneath his hands, which did not ____ then though they seem to now.”
tremble
Which quote shows our increasing indifference to the victims of conflict?
“stares impassively…and they do not care”