War Photographer Flashcards
(28 cards)
War photographer in a nutshell
War Photographer was written by the poet Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2019. Published in 1985, War Photographer depicts the solitary experience of a photographer at home in England developing photographs taken in conflicts around the world. The poem comments on the personal distress of the photographer at what they have seen in warzones, and how people back home respond.
Lines 1-2
In his dark room he is finally alone
with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows.”
Translation of lines 1-2
The poem narrates the moment a war photographer begins to develop the photographs taken in warzones:
A dark room is a room with low lighting designed for processing film
The narrator describes the spools of film containing images which display the tragedies of those in conflict
Intentions of lines 1-2
Duffy alerts readers to a moment of relief for the photographer when he is alone in his dark room:
This implies the photographer’s distress in the external world
Duffy highlights the many painful images the photographer has taken in conflict which he is about to process
Lines 3-5
The only light is red and softly glows,
as though this were a church and he
a priest preparing to intone a Mass.”
Translation of lines 3-5
Duffy sets the scene with soft red light and religious imagery
She compares the photographer’s task with a religious ceremony
Taking Mass or taking the sacrament is a ritual in Catholicism which represents sacrifice
Intentions of lines 3-5
Duffy evokes a solemn mood to present the significance of his work
She compares the processing of photographs of war with a religious ritual of sacrifice
The allusion to sacrifice highlights the sacrifice of those in the photographs
Lines 6
Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass.”
Translation of line 6
Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass.”
Intentions of line 6
Duffy’s list of warzones connects the photographer’s “spools of suffering” to particular places, highlighting the reality of the persona’s job
Duffy refers to a famous photograph, “The Terrors of War”, to remind readers of the power photography can have
The biblical line alludes to the fleeting lives of those in the photographer’s photos
Lines 7-8
He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays
beneath his hands, which did not tremble then”
Translations of line 7-8
Here, the narrator tells us the photographer sees his work as a job which must be completed, a duty
The photographer, now developing the photographs, feels the impact of his memories where before he had to keep a steady hand
Intentions of lines 7-8
The narrator begins to explain the photographer’s feelings about his task to convey the perspective of a war photographer
The narrator explains that he finds it emotionally painful to remember the conflicts he has witnessed
Whereas before he had to stay in control, here, the photographer begins to weaken
Lines 9-12
“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.”
Translation of liens 9-12
The narrator comments on how life in England is ordinary compared to warzones:
Duffy refers to the weather as something that causes people pain but can easily change
The narrator refers to a warzone filled with landmines and bombs:
The reference to children running through “nightmare heat” alludes to a famous photograph of a child running from a bomb in Phnom Penh
Intentions of lines 9-12
These lines present a contrast between life in the English countryside and life in warzones to show the photographer’s displacement:
The phrase “ordinary pain” contrasts the violent action of “children running” to show the problems in England as trivial compared to those in areas of conflict
Duffy’s contrast of bad weather and “nightmare heat” shows how different things are in England compared with war-torn areas
She highlights the devastation of conflict on vulnerable children
Lines 13-15
“Something is happening. A stranger’s features
faintly start to twist before his eyes,
a half-formed ghost. He remembers the cries”
Translation of lines 13-15
The persona describes the moment the photograph begins to develop and the image of a man caught up in conflict begins to form in the film
This reminds him of the moment he took the photograph
Intentions of lines 13-15
These lines depict the slow-forming image reminding the photographer of the horrors of conflict:
The “half-formed ghost” implies the person in the photo was killed in conflict
Duffy depicts the agony of the man and how vividly clear the memory is to the photographer, conveying the suffering experienced by all involved in conflict
Lines 16-18
“of this man’s wife, how he sought approval
without words to do what someone must
and how the blood stained into foreign dust.”
Lines 16-18 translation
The persona refers back to the moment he asked if he could take the photograph
He refers to the man’s death in vivid description
Intentions of lines 16-18
Duffy depicts the difficult moment the photographer intruded into others’ tragedy:
The speaker implies a sense of duty to take the photograph
The modal verb “must” shows his sense of moral obligation to try to change things
The vivid description implies the photographer is haunted by the images and highlights again the distance between England and the war zones
Lines 19-22
“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.”
Translation of lines 19-22
The narrator represents the tragedies in the photographs as numerous and with much suffering
Referring back to the photographer’s job, the narrator tells readers that of all the images developed, only a few will make it into the newspaper
Duffy describes how the readers respond to the photographs: a temporary sadness that is quickly replaced by daily activities
