SQA Past Paper SST flashcards

Question 1

Give 4 examples of language which suggest the war Photographers attitude towards his work:
In his darkroom he is finally alone with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows. The only light is red and softly glows, as though this were a church and he
a priest preparing to intone a Mass. Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass. He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays
beneath his hands, which did not tremble then
though seem to now. Rural England. 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

Answer 1

‘finally alone’ suggests a desire to be left
uninterrupted in his work
* ambiguity of ‘spools of suffering’ suggests that the
photographer has also endured pain/made great
sacrifices to capture these images
* ‘ordered rows’ suggests his desire for perfection in
his work/a need to be completely focused
* ‘The only light’ emphasises his detachment from the
outside world
* development of the extended image ‘as though this were a church…he a priest…Mass’ stresses the
serious/reverent way in which he approaches his
work
* ‘Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.’ minor sentences
naming each war-torn city suggests that his
experience of these places is like a sacred
rite/suggests his refusal to accept a generalised
view of war, and that each place is of specific
importance in his work
* blunt short statement ‘He has a job to do.’ emphasises his unwavering commitment/willingness
to do the work no matter what suffering lies ahead
* contrasting description of ‘hands which did not
tremble then…now’ highlights his calm acceptance of danger in pursuit of his work

Question 2

Give 2 examples of language which creates an unsettling mood in War Photographer:
Something is happening. A stranger’s features faintly start to twist before his eyes, a half-formed ghost. He remembers the cries
of this man’s wife, how he sought approval without words to do what someone must and how the blood stained into foreign dust.

Answer 2

placement of ‘Something’ at stanza opening
suggests lack of certainty/mystery
* abrupt sentence ‘Something is happening’ suggests
an impending threat
* ‘stranger’s (features)’ suggests isolation/alienation
* ‘stranger’s…faintly start to twist’ will o’ the wisp
comparison suggests intangible threat
* ‘(features start to) twist’ suggests expression of
pain/grimace
* imagery of ‘a half-formed ghost’ acts as a sombre
reminder of the death of this man
* ‘the cries (of this man’s wife)’ suggests pain and
desperation
* ‘to do what someone must’ suggests an unpleasant
duty/dirty task
* ‘the blood stained’ suggests violence and/or
inability to be rid or this painful memory
* ‘foreign (dust)’ reinforces the idea of
isolation/alienation contained in earlier mention of ‘stranger’s’
* ‘(foreign) dust’ final word in stanza is evocative of
death/funeral orisons

Question 3

Give 4 examples of language which conveys the different views of the photographer to those who view his work:
A hundred agonies in black and white from which his editor will pick out five or six for Sunday’s supplement. The reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers. From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where
he earns his living and they do not care.

Answer 3

The photographer
* ‘a hundred (agonies)’ specific reference to the large number of photographs suggests his despair/ frustration at the many conflicts he has witnessed
* ‘agonies’ suggests his empathy for the victims of
war
* ‘black and white’ pun used to suggest an unflinching
view of the tragedy of war
* ‘he stares impassively’ suggests his determination to continue with his work
* ‘where he earns his living’ understatement/ everyday description used to describe war zone highlights his acceptance of his role in this place
* juxtaposition of ‘he…they…’ in final line emphasises
the vast gulf between his involvement and his
audience’s detachment

Those who view his work
* ‘a hundred…pick out five or six’ contrast emphasises
the very different priorities of editor and photographer
* ‘Sunday’s supplement’ suggests that the editor
and/or public view the photographs as a diversion
not worthy of main news
* ‘prick with tears’ suggests a lack of real emotion,
especially in comparison to earlier mention of
‘agonies’
* ‘between the bath…beers.’ suggests the photographs are only given cursory attention/the audience are more interested in their own welfare
* placement of the blunt statement ‘they do not
care’ at end of poem acts as a powerful reminder of
the uncaring attitude shown by those unaffected by
conflict

Question 4

Along with War Photographer, what are some of the other poems which explore the impact of memories on the individual. (Give the commonality)

Answer 4

• Originally the speaker reflects on how her younger
  self was able to adapt when her family moved to a new country, but these memories also reveal her
  confusion about self-identity
• The Way My Mother Speaks the speaker’s memories of her mother’s Glaswegian speech patterns allow her to reflect on the love she has for her mother
  and how this relationship has shaped her as a person
• In Mrs Tilscher’s Class the speaker has strong memories of being happy in her primary classroom
  ‘Mrs. Tilscher loved you’ but recognises that her
  teacher’s refusal to provide certain answers sparked
  a pivotal period of emotional change
• Mrs Midas while giving her memories of the
  circumstances surrounding their separation, Mrs
  Midas admits that she misses their physical
  closeness ‘warm hands on my skin’
• Mrs Midas reference to ‘Miss Macready’ suggests the persona is aware of the contrast between the
  uncertainty of her present situation and the security
  of her schooldays