war photographer example essay

War Photographer / Remains Essay

(grade 5-6).

Both ‘War Photographer’ and ‘Remains’ explore memories. In the second stanza of ‘War Photographer’, Duffy creates a vivid image of one of the photographer’s memories by writing ‘running children in a nightmare heat’. Duffy’s words create graphic, powerful imagery of innocent children caught up in the middle of a warzone, running in agony and terror away from a chemical weapon. Duffy suggests through these words that the photographer's mind is always filled with powerful and upsetting memories of the terrible things he witnessed while taking photos in warzones. Armitage makes clear the soldier cannot forget the memory of shooting the looter by writing ‘probably armed, possibly not’. Armitage’s repetition of these words in the poem emphasise that this particular memory, of whether or not the looter is armed, is very important. It is important because the soldier is wondering whether or not he needed to kill the looter. If the looter was not armed, the soldier killed an innocent person, who posed no threat to him. Armitage’s use of the word ‘possibly’ indicates that the soldier cannot be sure that the looter was armed, and runs this memory over and over in his mind. Armitage’s repetition of these words also emphasise the power of this memory, as it keeps flooding back into the soldier’s mind, even when he is home on leave. It is clear from both poems that being in or near war can deeply affect people, leaving them with lasting trauma.

Both ‘War Photographer’ and ‘Remains’ explore guilt. In the third stanza of War Photographer, Duffy makes the photographer’s guilt clear by writing that he sees a ‘half-formed ghost’ when he develops one of the photographs. Duffy’s imagery in the words ‘half-formed’ helps the reader to imagine the photograph slowly developing in front of his eyes. Her use of the word ‘ghost’ implies that the photographer is being haunted by the memory of this man and the cries of the man’s wife when she realised her husband was dead. Duffy suggests he feels guilty because he was not able to do more to help this man or his wife; all he could do was stand by and take a photograph. Similarly, in the closing lines of ‘Remains’, Armitage makes the soldier’s guilt clear by writing ‘his bloody life in my bloody hands’. Armitage uses the blood as a symbol of the guilt that the soldier feels; the soldier feels he has blood on his hands because he killed a person who could have been innocent. Armitage could have chosen to end the poem with this line because he wanted to demonstrate that the soldier cannot remove the image of the looter’s blood from his mind, and that the guilt he feels for killing the looter will stay with him forever.

Both poems explore struggle . In the final stanza of ‘War Photographer’, Duffy conveys the struggle of the photographer, who feels angry that his readers are not more moved by his pictures by writing ‘reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre lunch beers’. Duffy’s use of the word ‘prick’ to describe the readers’ emotions indicates that they barely cry when they see the photographs. Duffy’s suggestion is that, when we are so far removed from war, we cannot fully understand the pain that people go through. Duffy’s use of the words ‘bath’ and ‘beers’ remind the reader that in England we have many luxuries that people in warzones don’t have. This makes it very easy for us to forget the terrible lives that other people have, because we can go back to enjoying our own luxurious lifestyles. The struggle in Remains is different. In Remains, Armitage presents the soldier as deeply traumatised by what he experienced at war. Remains makes clear the soldier struggles to forget what he saw and did by writing ‘the drink and drugs won’t flush him out’.Armitage’s use of the word ‘flush’ implies that the emotions the soldier feels are like toxins within his body that he wants to get rid of. It is clear that the soldier has become reliant on addictive substances as a way of coping. Armitage conveys to his readers the terrible trauma that many soldiers experienced and tells the reader how difficult it was for them to return to normal life when they returned.

(Grade 8-9)

Both ‘War Photographer’ and ‘Remains’ explore the haunting power of memories. In the second stanza of ‘War Photographer’, Duffy creates a vivid image of one of the photographer’s memories by writing ‘running children in a nightmare heat’. Here, Duffy’s words create graphic, powerful imagery of innocent children caught up in the middle of a warzone, running in agony and terror away from a chemical weapon. This poetic image was inspired by a real-life photograph captured by a war photographer in Vietnam. Through this evocative imagery, Duffy suggests that the photographer's mind cannot shake the distressing memories of the terrible pain he witnessed while taking photos in warzones. Similarly, Armitage makes clear the soldier cannot forget the memory of shooting the looter through his use of the poem’s refrain: ‘probably armed, possibly not’. Armitage’s repetition of these words emphasise that this particular ambiguous memory, of whether or not the looter is armed, is haunting him. If the looter was not armed, the soldier would not have needed to kill him. Therefore, he is plagued by a feeling of potential guilt; ihe could have killed an innocent person, who posed no threat to him. Armitage’s repetition of these words throughout the poem also emphasise the power of this memory, as it keeps flooding back into the soldier’s mind, even when he is home on leave. It is an unwelcome and persistent reminder that is contributing to his post-traumatic symptoms. It is clear from both poems that being involved in or an observer of war can deeply affect people, leaving them with a lasting mental struggle.

Both ‘War Photographer’ and ‘Remains’ explore the intensity of guilt. In the third stanza of War Photographer, Duffy makes the photographer’s guilt evident by writing that he sees a ‘half-formed ghost’ when he develops one of the photographs. Duffy’s powerful metaphor helps the reader to vividly imagine the photograph slowly developing in a chemical solution in front of his eyes, while the word ‘ghost’ implies that the photographer is being psychologically haunted by the memory of this man and the terrible cries of the man’s wife. Perhaps Duffy suggests that the photographer feels guilty because he was not able to do more to help this man or his wife; all he could do was carry out his role by capturing the moment with a photograph for the media. TSimilarly, in the closing lines of ‘Remains’, Armitage makes the soldier’s guilt clear by writing ‘his bloody life in my bloody hands’. Armitage uses the blood as a symbol of the guilt that the soldier feels; the soldier feels he has blood on his hands because he killed a person who could have been innocent. Armitage could have chosen to end the poem with this line because he wanted to demonstrate that the soldier cannot remove the image of the looter’s blood from his mind, and that the guilt he feels for killing the looter will stay with him, or metaphorically stain him, forever.

Both poems explore an inner conflict or struggle . In the final stanza of ‘War Photographer’, Duffy conveys the struggle of the photographer, who feels infuriated that his readers are not more emotionally moved by his pictures by writing ‘reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre lunch beers’. Duffy’s use of the word ‘prick’ to describe the readers’ emotions indicates that they barely cry when they see the photographs, or that their emotion is transient because they cannot empathise with the people in the photographs as they are so far removed from conflict zones. Duffy’s use of the words ‘bath’ and ‘beers’ remind the reader that in England we have many everyday luxuries that people in warzones don’t have. This makes it easy and almost inevitable for us to forget the terrible lives that other people have, because we are so engrossed in our own luxurious lifestyles. While there is an emotional struggle for the soldier in Remains, the nature of the strife is different. In Remains, Armitage presents the soldier as deeply traumatised by what he experienced at war. Remains makes clear the soldier struggles to forget what he saw and how he behaved by writing ‘the drink and drugs won’t flush him out’.Here, Armitage’s use of the word ‘flush’ implies that the emotions the soldier feels are like toxins within his body that he wants to eject. It is clear that the soldier has become reliant on addictive substances as a way of coping with the devastating effects of war and its violent agony. Armitage conveys to his readers the terrible trauma that many soldiers experience, and exposes to the reader how difficult it is for soldiers to adapt to normal life when they return from war.

Both Duffy and Armitage use structure to reflect an attempt to control difficult emotions . In ‘War Photographer,’ Duffy deliberately uses a tight stanza structure with a clear rhyme scheme to mirror the order the photographer is trying to restore in his own mind. He is described as putting his photographs into “ordered rows,” just as Duffy carefully brings order to the poem. Perhaps she is suggesting that this sort of organisation is the only way he can eliminate the chaos and distress he struggles with. In Armitage’s poem, the soldier is less successful in containing his emotional outpourings. While the poem begins in an ordered way with regular stanza structures, it descends into irregular and erratic stanzas to perhaps symbolise his inability to control the traumatic memories which continue to flood his mind.

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War Photographer Summary & Analysis by Carol Ann Duffy

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"War Photographer" is a poem by Scottish writer Carol Ann Duffy, the United Kingdom's poet laureate from 2009 to 2019. Originally published in 1985, "War Photographer" depicts the experiences of a photographer who returns home to England to develop the hundreds of photos he has taken in an unspecified war zone. The photographer wrestles with the trauma of what he has seen and his bitterness that the people who view his images are unable to empathize fully with the victims of catastrophic violence abroad. The poem references a number of major historical air strikes and clearly draws imagery from Nick Ut's famous Vietnam War photograph of children fleeing the devastation of a napalm bomb.

• Read the full text of “War Photographer”

The Full Text of “War Photographer”

“war photographer” summary, “war photographer” themes.

Apathy, Empathy, and the Horrors of War

Lines 13-15, lines 15-18.

• Lines 19-24

Trauma and Memory

Lines 11-12.

• Lines 13-18

The Ethics of Documenting War

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “war photographer”.

In his dark ... ... in ordered rows.

The only light ... ... intone a Mass.

Belfast. Beirut. Phnom ... flesh is grass.

He has a ... ... seem to now.

Rural England. Home ... ... weather can dispel,

to fields which ... ... a nightmare heat.

Something is happening. ... ... a half-formed ghost.

He remembers the ... ... into foreign dust.

Lines 19-21

A hundred agonies ... ... for Sunday’s supplement.

Lines 21-22

The reader’s eyeballs ... ... and pre-lunch beers.

Lines 23-24

From the aeroplane ... ... do not care.

“War Photographer” Symbols

Photographs

• Line 2: “with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows”
• Line 7: “Solutions slop in trays”
• Lines 13-15: “A stranger’s features / faintly start to twist before his eyes, / a half-formed ghost”
• Line 19: “A hundred agonies in black and white”

“War Photographer” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• Line 2: “s,” “s,” “s”
• Line 4: “th,” “th”
• Line 5: “pr,” “pr”
• Line 6: “B,” “B,” “P,” “P”
• Line 7: “H,” “h,” “S,” “s”
• Line 8: “h,” “h,” “th”
• Line 9: “th”
• Line 13: “S,” “s,” “t,” “f”
• Line 14: “f,” “s,” “t,” “t,” “t”
• Line 16: “h,” “h”
• Line 17: “w,” “w,” “w”
• Line 20: “s”
• Line 21: “S,” “s”
• Line 22: “b,” “b,” “b”
• Line 6: “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass.”
• Lines 11-12: “to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet / of running children in a nightmare heat.”
• Line 6: “All flesh is grass.”
• Line 1: “I,” “i”
• Line 2: “o”
• Line 3: “o,” “o”
• Line 4: “ou,” “e,” “u,” “e”
• Line 5: “ie,” “a”
• Line 6: “e,” “a,” “e,” “e,” “a”
• Line 8: “i,” “i,” “i,” “e,” “e”
• Line 10: “i,” “i,” “ea,” “e”
• Line 11: “ie,” “o,” “o,” “ea,” “ee”
• Line 13: “i,” “i,” “i,” “a,” “e,” “u”
• Line 14: “ai”
• Line 15: “ie”
• Line 16: “i”
• Line 17: “o,” “o,” “a,” “o,” “o,” “u”
• Line 18: “oo,” “u”
• Line 19: “a,” “a,” “a”
• Line 20: “i,” “i,” “i,” “i,” “i,” “i”
• Line 21: “u,” “u,” “i”
• Line 22: “i,” “ea,” “ee,” “e,” “ee”
• Line 23: “a,” “a,” “a,” “e”
• Line 24: “i,” “i”
• Line 6: “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All”
• Line 7: “do. Solutions”
• Line 8: “hands, which”
• Line 9: “now. Rural England. Home”
• Line 13: “happening. A”
• Line 15: “ghost. He”
• Line 16: “wife, how”
• Line 21: “supplement. The”
• Line 1: “r,” “r,” “n,” “ll,” “l,” “n”
• Line 2: “s,” “l,” “s,” “s,” “t,” “t,” “r,” “d,” “r,” “d,” “r”
• Line 3: “l,” “l,” “l,” “l”
• Line 5: “pr,” “pr,” “p,” “r,” “t,” “t,” “ss”
• Line 6: “B,” “s,” “t,” “B,” “t,” “P,” “n,” “P,” “n,” “ll,” “l”
• Line 7: “H,” “h,” “S,” “l,” “sl”
• Line 8: “h,” “s,” “h,” “s,” “t,” “t,” “th”
• Line 9: “th,” “R,” “r,” “g,” “g,” “n”
• Line 10: “n,” “p,” “n,” “w,” “p,” “l,” “w,” “d,” “p,” “l”
• Line 11: “l,” “d,” “d,” “pl,” “d,” “th,” “th”
• Line 12: “n,” “n”
• Line 13: “S,” “str,” “r,” “s,” “t,” “r,” “s”
• Line 14: “f,” “t,” “st,” “t,” “t,” “t,” “st”
• Line 15: “f,” “f”
• Line 16: “w,” “h,” “w,” “h”
• Line 17: “w,” “w,” “d,” “d,” “w,” “eo”
• Line 18: “d,” “st,” “d,” “d,” “st”
• Line 21: “S,” “s,” “s,” “s,” “r”
• Line 22: “t,” “rs,” “b,” “tw,” “th,” “b,” “th,” “r,” “b,” “rs”
• Line 23: “s,” “r,” “ss,” “r”
• Line 24: “r,” “s,” “s”

End-Stopped Line

• Line 2: “rows.”
• Line 3: “glows,”
• Line 5: “Mass.”
• Line 6: “grass.”
• Line 10: “dispel,”
• Line 12: “heat.”
• Line 14: “eyes,”
• Line 18: “dust.”
• Line 22: “beers.”
• Line 24: “care.”
• Lines 1-2: “alone / with”
• Lines 4-5: “he / a”
• Lines 7-8: “trays / beneath”
• Lines 8-9: “then / though”
• Lines 9-10: “again / to”
• Lines 11-12: “feet / of”
• Lines 13-14: “features / faintly”
• Lines 15-16: “cries / of”
• Lines 16-17: “approval / without”
• Lines 17-18: “must / and”
• Lines 19-20: “white / from”
• Lines 20-21: “six / for”
• Lines 21-22: “prick / with”
• Lines 23-24: “where / he”
• Line 2: “spools of suffering”
• Line 6: “All flesh is grass”

Parallelism

• Lines 10-11: “to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel, / to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet”
• Lines 16-18: “how he sought approval / without words to do what someone must / and how the blood stained into foreign dust.”
• Lines 4-5: “as though this were a church and he / a priest preparing to intone a Mass.”

“War Photographer” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• "All flesh is grass"
• Sunday's supplement
• Impassively
• (Location in poem: Line 1: “dark room”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “War Photographer”

Rhyme scheme, “war photographer” speaker, “war photographer” setting, literary and historical context of “war photographer”, more “war photographer” resources, external resources.

"War Photographer" Read Aloud — Listen to the poem read aloud.

Trailer for the Documentary "War Photographer" — Watch the trailer for the 2011 documentary War Photographer, which explores the responsibilities of photographers in war zones, focusing on photographer James Nachtwey.

"The Terror of War" — Explore Nick Ut's image from the Vietnam War, "The Terror of War." This famous photograph may have inspired "War Photographer." Note the second photographer at the right of the image examining his camera as children run by him, burnt and naked.

Carol Ann Duffy Biography — Learn more about Carol Ann Duffy, Britain's first female Poet Laureate, on Poets.org.

Interview with War Photographer Nick Ut — Watch this NBC interview with Vietnam War photographer Nick Ut about taking his famous photo depicting the naked "Napalm Girl" and the responsibility of photographers in war zones. Ut's comments intersect potently with the themes explored in "War Photographer."

LitCharts on Other Poems by Carol Ann Duffy

A Child's Sleep

Anne Hathaway

Before You Were Mine

Death of a Teacher

Education For Leisure

Elvis's Twin Sister

Head of English

In Mrs Tilscher’s Class

In Your Mind

Little Red Cap

Mrs Lazarus

Mrs Sisyphus

Pilate's Wife

Pygmalion's Bride

Queen Herod

Recognition

Standing Female Nude

The Darling Letters

The Dolphins

The Good Teachers

Warming Her Pearls

We Remember Your Childhood Well

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War Photographer

By Carol Ann Duffy

‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy is an interesting poem. It depicts the unrest in the world from a photographer’s perspective.

Carol Ann Duffy

Nationality: Scottish

She is recognized for her straightforward, unrelenting approach to gender issues.

Poem Analyzed by Dharmender Kumar

Degrees in English Literature, Mass Communication, and Law

‘ War Photographer ‘ begins in a very private setting , which is “In his darkroom,” which means a place of peace and tranquillity. The man (photographer) has been to all the trouble spots of the world, such as “Belfast, Beirut, and Phnom Penh.” This shows the extent of unrest in the world. The photographer is then shown working in a familiar part of the world which is peaceful in comparison to the places mentioned, for example; “Rural England. Home again.”

This gives the impression of an idyllic setting, and this is where he belongs. When the poet says, “Fields which don’t explode beneath the feet,” the emphasis is again laid on the safety and peaceful life at home, shocking image, and contrast with the violence abroad. The photographer has returned to England from an assignment abroad.

Explore War Photographer

• 3 Structure
• 4 Literary Devices
• 6 War Photographer Analysis
• 7 About Carol Ann Duffy
• 8 Similar Poetry

In ‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy, the photographer finds himself alone in his darkroom. He notices as photographs develop before his eyes. He thinks of the differences between the places he has just visited and the place he calls home. He remembers the people in the photos and what they were doing when he was taking their images.

He recollects how he looked to one man’s wife for permission to take a photograph of him suffering. The photographer realizes that people are not influenced by his work for more than a short time. He knows that all of his work will be reduced to just a few pictures in a glossy magazine. Talking to himself, he says that nobody cares about either him or the people he shows in his photos.

War photographers are those real people who endanger their lives to take photographs of war and help people visualize the horrors of war anywhere in the world. The photos we see in Sunday supplements, embellishing headlines or posters are taken by these courageous people. Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘War Photographer’ depicts the poet’s opinions toward society and the agonies of war, in addition to the lack of interest of mankind toward it.

Moreover, Duffy wrote the ‘War Photographer’ inspired by his friendship with Don McCullin and Philip Jones Griffiths. Both of them were well-respected stills photographers, with a specialization in war photography. Duffy is immensely fascinated by what makes someone do such a job and how they feel about being in situations where a choice often has to be made between either helping or recording horrific events.

However, the poem also shows the poet’s views toward society and the agonies of war, along with the lack of interest of mankind toward it. In all, it gives the best picture of those photographers who endanger their lives to capture the disastrous scenes of war.

‘War Photographer’ consists of four stanzas and each stanza has six lines in it. The poet uses an interesting rhyme scheme in the poem. Except for the slant or imperfect rhymes , the poet uses the ABBC DD rhyme scheme. So, each stanza ends with a rhyming couplet . As an example, in the first stanza “rows” and “glows” rhyme together. And, “Mass” rhymes with “grass” in the last two lines. The lines of the poem get connected by the use of enjambment . There are some caesura and occasional use of pauses in the poem.

Apart from that, the poet uses the anapestic meter , iambic meter , and spondee in the poem. The poem also contains some trochaic feet. As an example, “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh” contains trochaic feet or falling rhythm . This section sounds like military footsteps, significantly depicting the ambience of war.

Literary Devices

‘War Photographer’  contains several literary devices. Likewise, in the line, ‘spools of suffering set out,’ the poet uses alliteration as well as a metaphor wherein the harsh ‘S’ sound reminds us of the harsh world he operates in. In ‘as though this were a church and he a priest; he employs simile , which means how he sees himself and his mission – to show the truth and to convert people.

Besides, there is a use of Emotive (fields which don’t explode beneath the feet of running children, which means the innocent always suffer) and imagery (blood stained into foreign dust) which means Blood is often spilt and cheap in these places. The poet has made the skilful use of a short-direct sentence, such as ‘Something is happening,’ to create tension, a prolepsis, or anticipation.

‘War Photographer’  contains several themes. In this poem, the poet uses the themes of the brutality of war, destruction, death, terror, impassivity, and ignorance. The most important theme of the poem is the brutality of war. Through the pictures taken by the photographer, the poet presents how shocking the effect of war is. Even the pictures threaten the poetic persona of the poem. Moreover, the last stanza of the poem depicts the ignorance of mankind.

The poet criticizes the editors who aren’t even compassionate with those who capture the horrid scenes of war. Apart from that, the impassive outlook of his countrymen is present in these lines, “From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where/ he earns his living and they do not care.” However, the terrifying photographs along with the description of the photographer’s mental state collectively present the horrendous nature of war.

War Photographer Analysis

In his dark room he is finally alone with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows. (…) a priest preparing to intone a Mass. Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass.

Though the title is ‘War Photographer’ , in reality, it brings to light the difference between “Rural England” and places where wars are fought (Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Cambodia), between the indifference or comfort of the newspaper editor and its readers and the suffering of the people in the photographs. There is no name given to the photographer. He is anonymous and could be any of those who do the recording of war scenes. He is neither an observer nor a recorder of others’ lives. He is just an outsider (“alone/with spools of suffering”) who keeps moving between two worlds but doesn’t feel comfortable in anything.

Through the words like “ordered rows” of film spools, the poet may mean to suggest the way the photographer tries to bring into order what he has recorded, and interpret or make sense of it. The image also brings to mind the visions of a graveyard scene where the spools of the film are gravestones.

A simile where the poet compares the photographer to a priest represents his seriousness toward his job, and how by taking their photographs, he helps those who are helpless. His darkroom is the resemblance to a church wherein his red light is similar to a coloured lantern. The poet has appropriately used this image here, as similar to a priest; he also gives sermons on how fragile we have become, and how short-lived our life has become.

The quotation, “All flesh is grass” belongs to the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, wherein the latter contrasts the shortness of human life with eternal religious truths. The poem also has a list of several places’ names wherein he says life is too short to be normal, due to wars only.

Thus, ‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy discusses the aftermaths of war and death. War and Death are correlative as when there is war, there must be the death of human beings.

When the poet says, “The only light is red and softly glows,” he brings to light the connotations of danger and blood lost in the war but it may also relate to the light in the room wherein the photographer does the development of the photos that he has taken during the war.

Besides, there is a plethora of religious imagery in the poem, for example; “intone a Mass,” and “…this was a church and he a priest,” Here the meaning of ‘Intone a Mass’ is to recite a religious ceremony without any intonation.

He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays beneath his hands, which did not tremble then (…) to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare heat.

In the second stanza of ‘War Photographer’ , when Carol Ann Duffy writes, “He has a job to do,” readers notice the photographer justifying his work. And this is when he comes in front of the true reality, and contradicts his calm nature while photographing. The fact that he is home in “Rural England” may also suggest why he finds his hands shaking, and why it is so personal.

The second stanza brings out the differentiation between the two shelves of the photographer. On his first shelf, he remains very calm, cool, and dedicated to his job. But when he comes back into his darkroom and starts developing the pictures, his hands start trembling and he is not calm as before. He sees the ghosts of dead soldiers and dead people in the prints of the photographs that he has developed. This means that the impact of the photographs doesn’t leave him even after he has arrived home.

The use of words like “Solutions” in the poem not only means the developing fluid in the trays, but it also means to suggest the idea of resolving the political problems which primarily cause war. Duffy also distinguishes the fields in England from those abroad – as if the photographer believes English fields are not minefields. This is shocking imagery, as he believes that land mines are explosive not under soldiers but under “the feet of running children”.

Stanza Three

Something is happening. A stranger’s features faintly start to twist before his eyes, (…) without words to do what someone must and how the blood stained into foreign dust.

In the third stanza of ‘War Photographer,’ Carol Ann Duffy creates a bizarre situation for the readers. She creates suspense , thrill telling that ‘Something is happening.’ She says the war photographs have now begun to come through onto the print in the tray of solutions. The poet once again takes the photographer to his painful memories. The photographs taken in the war start appearing on the print like a half-formed ghost of the dead man’s photograph.

While developing the pictures, he sees the “half-formed ghost” of a man. This emotive language suggests how he is now seeing the soldiers die instead of when he was taking their photographs. He thinks that everyone must know what is happening in the war, but at the same time, there is the depiction of doubt and guilt when the readers are told, “How the blood stained into foreign dust”.

The picture of the dead man’s wife also starts coming to his mind. He remembers her cries and thinks about how he was able to seek the approval of that dead man’s wife. Though getting her permission to take her dead husband’s photograph was tough enough, yet he could make it without speaking even a single word to her. This was a very traumatic situation for the photographer. It is as if the wife should allow him to record the event while the bloodstains “into foreign dust”.

Stanza Four

A hundred agonies in black and white from which his editor will pick out five or six (…) From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where he earns his living and they do not care.

In the last stanza of ‘War Photographer’ , the poet talks about the process of photo selection by the photographer’s editor, the mixed reactions of the readers when they will read it, and the photographer’s agony. The photographer says that though he has got a collection of hundreds of war photographs, the editor will just pick five to six photos, as per his requirements, and publish them with the story covered relevant to the war.

Through the use of a phrase like “A hundred agonies”, the poet brings to light the contents of the photos and it depicts how devastating and important war is even in the harmless form of a photo. However, the readers are very well aware of the fact that merely a small selection would be opted for having an impact on the readers. “The reader’s eyeballs prick,” but it isn’t permanent as the readers would soon shift their focus from here to something else “pre-lunch beers”.

Moreover, the poet says that the photographer knows that it is going to be very late for the readers to see the photos taken by him, but they may surely look at the photographs on Sunday morning either while having a bath or a beer at lunchtime.

Of course, there may be some readers who will bring tears to their eyes after looking at the photos, but the photographer knows well that they will never understand the sufferings of the victims and the pain the photographers had while taking these war photographs. The readers are just confined to their small world, full of their worries and needs. They can never be like the photographer who himself has seen the difference between the world of war and the world of baths and beer. In the last two lines, the photographer looks at the place from an aeroplane, ‘he earns his living and they do not care.’

About Carol Ann Duffy

Carol Ann Duffy , on May 1st, 2009, became the UK’s twentieth Poet Laureate . She is the most admired and recognized poet in Britain. Through her poems, she appeals to those who usually don’t like to read poetry and they appear in the national curriculum.

Similar Poetry

Like ‘War Photographer’ , one of Carol Ann Duffy’s best poems , here is a list of a few poems that present the horrid pictures of war.

• War Photographer by Carole Satyamurti – This poem by Carol Satyamurti centers around a war photographer and how he visualizes the war.
• The Next War by Wilfred Owen – Like his other poems such as ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ and ‘Futility’ , in this poem, Wilfred Owen , one of the famous British war poets , presents the dark and cynical images of war.
• Does it Matter? by Siegfried Sassoon – In this poem, Siegfried Sassoon describes the physical and mental injuries soldiers receive on the battleground.
• John Brown by Bob Dylan – In this poem, Bob Dylan talks about the futility of war from the perspective of John Brown, a wounded soldier.

You can read about 10 of the Best War Poems here .

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war phtographer is so hot ngl

It’s a great poem – but hot?

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this poem can go with the topic of coursework (places)

Thanks, that’s a good suggestion.

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Kumar, Dharmender. "War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/carol-ann-duffy/war-photographer/ . Accessed 6 September 2024.

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War Photographer

By carol ann duffy, war photographer essay questions.

Describe how Duffy uses literary elements (for example, symbols, metaphors, irony, and setting) to connect the four stanzas. What similarities and contrasts are there across the stanzas in terms of literary elements?

We can point to many connections across the stanzas. The themes of suffering, memory, trauma, and religion are developed throughout the poem. For example, the first stanza describes "spools of suffering"; the second describes "ordinary pain"; the third stanza describes the "cries / of this man's wife"; and the fourth stanza references "agonies." By using many synonyms for pain (suffering, pain, agonies), Duffy conveys the same theme of suffering across different stanzas. There are also concrete symbols and objects that are connected across different stanzas. The chemical baths implied in the second stanza ("[s]olutions slop in trays") are described in the fourth stanza as finished photographs—"[a] hundred agonies in black and white." The reference to "grass" in the Bible verse "[a]ll flesh is grass" in the first stanza is reinforced in the third stanza, where the metaphorical grass is turned into blood-stained "dust."

We can also identify many contrasts. Each stanza represents a discrete step in the photographic development process: stanza one describes organizing the rows of trays; stanza two describes submerging the photographs in the trays to develop them; stanza three depicts the photographs beginning to develop; stanza four portrays the completed photographs. There is also a difference in tone across the stanzas. The first stanza is reflective and somber, describing the empty dark room, the "softly glow[ing] light," and the photographer "preparing" to work. The tension builds throughout the poem, with stanzas two and three using visceral imagery to depict the photographer struggling with his traumatic memories. The fourth stanza reduces this tension and returns to the introspective mood of the first, describing the photographer as cynically reflecting on the impassivity of his readers.

How does Duffy use sibilance in this poem?

Sibilance is the repetition of letter sounds that have a hushing or hissing quality. In the second line of the poem, Duffy utilizes sibilance by describing the "spools of suffering," the photographer is working with. This use of sibilance draws the reader to this line, emphasizing the pain and suffering that is contained within the spools. The words "spools" and "suffering" sound similar due to this use of sibilance, which rhetorically connects them together—the spools are closely attached to suffering because they physically contain depictions of the photographer's traumatic memories.

What does Duffy suggest about the documentation of warfare?

We are reminded throughout the poem that the photographer's job is to document the experiences of war. As such, this might bring up questions about people and organizations who profit from the documentation of warfare, and ask whether this is ethical or not. For example, the apathy with which the editor "will pick out five or six for Sunday's supplement" raises questions about the ethics of observing war but failing to intervene. At the same time, Duffy suggests that the photographer is "do[ing] what someone must" by depicting the violence. War photography can call people to action or serve to preserve memories of horrific warfare in order to help prevent it in the future.

War Photographer Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for War Photographer is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

what does the religious imagery in stanza 1 suggest about the photographer and his work

The priest imagery is a means of the photographer himself making sense of his work and using metaphor to shield himself from reality, which adds a further layer of meaning. Characteristic of those grappling with trauma, the photographer is unable...

why is the phrase "running children in a nightmare heat" effective

This seems like a powerful metaphor for the effect of war on children.

Study Guide for War Photographer

War Photographer study guide contains a biography of Carol Ann Duffy, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About War Photographer
• War Photographer Summary
• Character List

War Photographer | Summary and Analysis

Critical appreciation of war photographer by carol ann duffy.

War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy is a brief-yet-insightful  poem that provides a touching perspective into the agonies of war, internal struggle, ethics, trauma and ignorance.  Published by Carol Ann Duffy in 1985, War Photographer is a poem written in third-person. It depicts a photographer who has returned to his hometown to develop his photographs, all of which were taken at a warzone. Duffy captures it beautifully through the process of developing photos, rather than that of taking them. This adds to the emotion of the piece -in the dark room, the photographer is not required to remain as rational as he was on the battlefield. He lets his feelings sink in, even if it is just for a moment, and we are hence able to witness his internal struggle between professionalism and empathy. It also allows a calmer, less adrenaline-filled view on the topic of ethics in war photography, as compared to if the narrative had been during the war. The poem flows effortlessly, from the setting of context to the pain of war, to the traumatic memories and finally to the unfortunate ignorance of the public, encompassing a broad range of themes within four simple stanzas. Duffy’s distinct writing style aids this- she uses similes, metaphors, and imagery. She also inserts anticipation-inducing phrases at the start of her stanzas, which induce a sense of tense curiosity in her readers.

War Photographer | Summary

In the next stanza, we see that the photographer has a task at hand- developing his film. He holds a tray of solution in his hands- oddly enough, his hands, which did not tremble while taking the pictures at the warzone, tremble now . We learn that he is in Rural England, his hometown- a place where his suffering is minimal and his mood can be improved by simply the weather, where there are no bomb blasts and explosions within the sprawling fields, and where no children run in panic in an attempt to flee the scene of war,

A stranger’s features start appearing faintly, still translucent as the film continues to develop. When the photographer sees the man’s face, he remembers the moment he took the photo – the way the man’s wife cried, the way he wordlessly and quickly sought approval before taking the photo, and the way the man bled to death on foreign ground.

As the photos- hundreds of them- continue to develop in black-and-white, the photographer thinks of them as agonies. He knows that the editor of the magazine will pick only a few to publish in the Sunday supplement, and that the readers will s hake their heads with tears in their eyes , momentarily emotional in the late morning. As the photographer sits in the airplane, staring out the window and down at the warzones where he had taken so many photos, he knows that none of them truly care about where the images came from.

War Photographer | Analysis

War photographer | analysis, stanza 1.

In his dark room 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.

War Photographer | Analysis, Stanza 2

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.

The suddenness of the line “He has a job to do .” is an example of Duffy’s anticipation-inducing inserts . It jolts the readers from hazy imagination to reality , and this abrupt transition is symbolic of the emotional switch the photographer must exhibit during his job- between sadness and empathy for those wounded in war, and responsibility and focus on his task. However, the fact that “ his hands, which did not tremble then though seem to now ” shows that he is n ot quite able to shake off the intensity of his thoughts and memories. While he remained calm on the scene of the war, the recollection of the moments causes him to shake. This also hints at him being nervous to see the fully-developed photos, possibly afraid of reliving those moments . Duffy also employs the juxtaposition of the bomb-blasted warzones versus the serenity of Rural England . This provides an illustrious imagery of just how different life on the warfield is, and ties into the previous point of the photographer being able to escape the reality of war , unlike those who die there. The “ ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel ” describes just how normal life in Rural England is, where one’s suffering halts just because of pleasant weather. The “nightmare heat .” in the last line is the heat from the fire caused by the explosions.

War Photographer | Analysis, Stanza 3

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.

War Photographer | Analysis, Stanza 4

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.

“A hundred agonies in black and white ” represents the various traumatic photos that the photographer has captured. The use of the word ‘agonies’ suggests that despite maintaining his professionalism , that tinge of sadness will always remain – the pain of seeing such ruthlessness may be ignored while working, but cannot be forgotten . It is then mentioned that the editor will “ pick out five or six for Sunday’s supplement.” After all, these photos are for publishing . But after reading the previous three stanzas, it creates a disturbing feeling, realising that out of hundreds of heartbreaking, cruel tragedies, the editor will simply pick a few and discard the rest as though they do not matter. He will likely choose the most ‘aesthetic’ ones which fit the magazine, or the most horrifying ones which are certain to draw attention . There is a sense of discomfort at how people’s suffering and torture is used for commercialism.

Hiroshima by John Hersey | Summary and Analysis

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War Photographer: Form and Structure

Overview of “war photographer” form and structure.

• “War Photographer” is composed in four stanzas , each containing six lines . This consistent, rhythmic structure ties in with the meticulous nature of the war photographer’s work.
• The poem employs rhymed couplets , which brings a sense of order to the chaotic and brutal reality of war - reflecting the photographer’s attempt to provide structure and meaning through his photographs.
• The structure lets the poem progress from the darkroom, to the photographer’s memories, to the newspaper editor’s office, to the reader’s breakfast table, subtly revealing the journey these photographs take and the impact they have.

Analysis of Form in “War Photographer”

• The use of first person narration allows readers to closely associate with the photographer’s experiences, permitting a deeper understanding of his feelings.
• Free verse is employed, giving the poet freedom to bring forth the irregularities and harsh realities of the war.
• The poem follows a cyclical structure , starting and ending in the darkroom. This serves to highlight that despite the horrors captured and displayed, the cycle of war and suffering continues unabated.

Analysis of Structure in “War Photographer”

• The separation of the poem into four distinct sections could mirror the compartments in the photographer’s camera, each carrying a distinct, yet interconnected image and narrative.
• Each stanza transitions from the personal to the public domain , serving to illustrate the vast gap in understanding and empathising with the atrocities of war.
• The commas used provide a paused, reflective pace that mirrors the careful, deliberate process of developing photos, which also offers the speaker a chance to meditate on each scene he’s captured.

'War Photographer' ( Edexcel IGCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English Content Creator

‘War Photographer’

Below you will find a guide to Carol Ann Duffy’s poem titled ‘War Photographer’ from the Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology (part 3: unit 1, section B). This guide includes:

Overview : a line-by-line breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

Form, structure and language : an exploration of the techniques and poetic choices that Carol Ann Duffy has used

Themes : an exploration of the themes and ideas in the poem

Comparing poems: suggestions on which poems to compare it to

Find out more about the poem to confidently answer an essay question in your exam by reading: 

A summary of the poem 

A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section

A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Duffy’s intention and message

A summary of the poem ‘War Photographer’

'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. 

‘War Photographer’ analysis

“ In his dark room he is finally alone

with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows. ”

Translation

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

Duffy’s intention

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

“The only light is red and softly glows,

as though this were a church and he

a priest preparing to intone a Mass.” 

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

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 

“Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass.”

The poet lists several places of conflict, referring to Ireland’s troubles and civil wars in Lebanon and Cambodia

The line, “All flesh is grass”, is a biblical reference which suggests life is temporary

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

“He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays

beneath his hands, which did not tremble then”

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

Duffy's intention

The narrator begins to explain the photographer’s feelings to 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

“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.”

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 

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”

The persona describes the moment the photograph begins to develop and the image of a man caught up in conflict begins to form on the film

This reminds him of the moment he took the photograph

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.”

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

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.”

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

Referring to the many photographs, Duffy emphasises the death toll and impact of war

to evoke sympathy from the reader 

Indirectly taking on the voice of the photographer, the narrator suggests the response from the readers, despite the sacrifices of those involved, is brief and temporary 

Duffy implies the English public are desensitised to war and the individual suffering of those involved

Lines 23-24

“From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where

he earns his living and they do not care.” 

The poem ends with the photographer back on the aeroplane going to his next job

The description of the photographer, looking down “impassively” on England, tells us he feels numb towards his homeland

The third-person reference “they” refers to the public below

Duffy’s poem ends without resolution to show the futility of the photographer’s job and the continuous and unrelenting nature of war

Duffy’s cynical tone comments on how the public have become numb and desensitised to tragedy in war

She suggests the photographer does not feel similar to his compatriots at home and is therefore left isolated and frustrated

Form, language and structure

When you consider how Carol Ann Duffy uses form, structure and language, try to link your analysis of these elements to focus on how she presents her ideas and why she has made these choices in ‘War Photographer’. You will gain more marks if you focus on Duffy’s themes rather than on individual poetic techniques. 

Here are some suggestions for key aspects of the poem you might want to consider:

The poem is a rigid, third-person narration depicting a war photographer’s complex emotions as he processes the photographs he has taken in warzones.  

The poem follows a cyclical structure which ends with the photographer going back to warzones, suggesting the futility of his work, as well as a sense of continuing conflict.

Duffy’s imagery describes a variety of settings, from a dark room in rural England to conflict zones around the world. The contrasting imagery conveys the very different lives of those involved in conflict to those safe at home.

While knowing the poem is important, you also need to be able to show the examiner that you can write an informed, personal response. Therefore, you need to develop a solid understanding of the theme, main ideas and events depicted.

It is still important to have an awareness of background information that is relevant to the themes in the poem, even though you are not explicitly assessed on context. This can help you develop a sustained, critical understanding of the text. 

To help you do this, the section below has been divided into two main themes that Duffy explores in 'War Photographer':

Impact of conflict

Suffering and powerlessness 

The poem, published in 1985, refers to a famous photograph called “The Terrors of War” , taken during the Vietnam War :

The powerful image shows a naked, terrified child running away from an exploding bomb

The line “children running in nightmare heat” connotes to this photograph

In the photo a photographer can be seen taking a picture of the child

This image had a powerful impact on the public at the time, and raised debates about the moral duty of those witnessing conflict  

Referring to this photograph helps raise awareness of the wide-reaching impact war photography can have

The emotive reference to the children highlights how conflict affects even the innocent

Suffering and powerlessness  

Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate in the United Kingdom between 2009 and 2019, was friends with two 'War Photographer's:

This may have influenced her to write from the perspective of a 'War Photographer'

In the poem, Duffy presents the photographer as haunted and traumatised by his work

This presents the suffering of all those involved in conflict

However, her poem encourages the public to pay closer attention to their work

Duffy’s poem depicts the suffering of a 'War Photographer' haunted by memories of the many horrors he has witnessed around the world:

She names international conflict zones he has been involved in to represent his repeated suffering:

She refers to the troubles in Belfast and the conflict in Beirut to remind readers of the reality behind her poem

Duffy’s message is that these are just examples of the many conflicts around the world, and the photographer feels powerless to change things

Comparing poems

In your exam, you will be required to compare two poems from the anthology so you must have a good knowledge of poetic form, content and meaning to compare the poems effectively. 

You must be able to explore links and connections between texts, which includes looking at both poets’ use of language, form and structure. 

Given that 'War Photographer' explores ideas of suffering and powerlessness and the impact of conflict, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

'War Photographer' and ‘Half-past Two’

'War Photographer' and ‘Blessing’

For each pair of poems, you will find:

Comparison summary

Similarities and differences between the ideas presented in each poem

Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

Comparison summary:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore the themes of memory, traumas and the passage of time through different experiences.

Similarities:

Differences:

Both poems are about the suffering of people who live in deprived areas of the world. Dharker highlights the poverty of people living in a slum in India and their joy at receiving water. Duffy highlights the hardships of people in war-torn, deprived areas by focusing on a photographer who has taken pictures of people in deprived and poverty-stricken parts of the world. Both 'War Photographer' and ‘Blessing’ employ powerful imagery to evoke vivid and poignant scenes, albeit in very different contexts.

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Author: Sam Evans

Sam is a graduate in English Language and Literature, specialising in journalism and the history and varieties of English. Before teaching, Sam had a career in tourism in South Africa and Europe. After training to become a teacher, Sam taught English Language and Literature and Communication and Culture in three outstanding secondary schools across England. Her teaching experience began in nursery schools, where she achieved a qualification in Early Years Foundation education. Sam went on to train in the SEN department of a secondary school, working closely with visually impaired students. From there, she went on to manage KS3 and GCSE English language and literature, as well as leading the Sixth Form curriculum. During this time, Sam trained as an examiner in AQA and iGCSE and has marked GCSE English examinations across a range of specifications. She went on to tutor Business English, English as a Second Language and international GCSE English to students around the world, as well as tutoring A level, GCSE and KS3 students for educational provisions in England. Sam freelances as a ghostwriter on novels, business articles and reports, academic resources and non-fiction books.

Comparing 'Poppies' and Duffy's 'War Photographer'

I can successfully compare ‘Poppies’ and Duffy's ‘War Photographer’.

Lesson details

Key learning points.

• For your ‘Power and Conflict’ essay, you will be given one poem and you have to choose one to compare it with.
• ‘Poppies’ could compare well with ‘Remains’, ‘Kamikaze’ or Duffy's ‘War Photographer’.
• ‘Poppies’ and ‘Kamikaze’ explore less-recognised perspectives of war and show that these are nonetheless painful.
• Duffy's ‘War Photographer’ and ‘Poppies’ explore powerful memories that are connected to their difficult experiences.
• ‘Poppies’ ends with a sombre but peaceful tone, Duffy's ‘War Photographer’ ends with a caustic and restless tone.

Common misconception

The title of the poem 'Poppies' may cause the students to immediately link 'Poppies' with another WW1 poem e.g. 'Exposure'.

It is better to look at comparing poems on the basis of themes and big ideas rather than the time periods in which they were based. 'Poppies' is not a WW1 poem but instead uses the symbol of a poppy in the title to explore grief and loss.

Caustic - sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way

Asyndetic - a list separated by commas not conjunctions

Complementary - combining to emphasise the qualities of one another

You will need a copy of the AQA Power and Conflict poetry anthology for GCSE.

Content guidance

• Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
• Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited ( 2024 ), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Starter quiz

6 questions.

Caustic -  

sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way

Asyndetic -  

a list separated by commas not conjunctions

Complementary -  

combining to emphasise the qualities of one another

Additional material

Chris Hondros: War Photographer Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Works cited.

Chris Hondros is one of the most famous US-based photographers who dwelled on the military situation in the Middle East during the beginning of the 21 st century. Hondros’ biography seemed to precede his professional successes in war photography due to the fact that both his parents were child refugees after World War II.

The photographer’s works developed over time, leaving the audience with mouths open wide because Hondros was never too scared to participate in the war process and stand in the middle of the battlefield to take the most thought-provoking and thrilling pictures. The feelings of presence and participation that are characteristic of Hondros’ photography allowed him to convey important messages about human life and situations that cannot be ignored.

The most common process for Hondros was to capture live emotions, which required the presence of people in the majority of photographs. Chris Hondros’ typical photographs tended to focus on distinct war situations, and the current paper is going to review the common topics that allowed the photographer to capture the most important split seconds of history by permitting the audience to relive those moments through unique imagery and style of photography.

Before getting to the three most common topics in Hondros’ camerawork, it may be indispensable to evaluate Hondros’ contribution to war photography. The famous motto that you cannot do war photography from a distance served him well, because Hondros always tried to push the boundaries in terms of how close he could get to military actions. Hondros died to a mortar attack in Lybia but he never backed down from the challenges of war photography, as he aimed to capture the moment as-is.

This unrepeatable bravery made Hondros a living legend among other photographers due to Hondros’ dynamic preparedness to share the brutal realities of war with the Western citizens who might have been unaware of the factual situation. This leads the author of the current paper to discovering the key three topics that have to be covered in order to evaluate Hondros’ contribution to war photography during the first decade of the 21 st century: the image of war, human emotions and suffering, and the lives of the innocent during the war.

The Image of War

Hondros had always had an interesting approach to picturing the war in his photographs and the war in Iraq was not an exception (Figure 1). The image of a US Marine taking down the portrait of Saddam Hussein is one of the most famous pictures of 2003. The fact that the action takes place in a school shows how the allegedly sacred places become unsafe during the war and then serve as the last resort of hope for those who are defending. Hondros carefully places both the Marine and the portrait in the middle of the scene in order to focus on their virtual fight.

Defeated Saddam Hussein has no chance but to descend, as there is no one else in the room (and probably in the whole country) who could stop the US Marines from achieving their objectives. Even if the Marine is actually checking for any explosives, it shows how the situation in the country changes when the war comes in and spoils the lives of all people from the ordinary citizens to high-profile governmental activists.

On the other hand, the cognitive dissonance that Hondros creates while showing both a school classroom and a fully equipped US Marine also serves as a reminder of the fact that there is no such place where one can hide from war. The warm colors in the photograph may represent the allegedly “hot” political and military situation in the country. Hondros discloses minimum information to the viewers and only shows the classroom, the portrait, and a picture that was most likely painted by a young student from that school. The war came too unexpectedly, and no one had time to wipe the backboard either.

This also shows how Hondros operates natural illumination and creates a visually attractive exposition with the help of mere straight lines that populate the whole photograph. Even though the photograph looks peaceful, the background that it carries speaks volumes in terms of how the war changes everyday lives and destroys the future of many children who were never prepared for the most brutal lesson in their life.

Human Emotions and Suffering

Another photograph that can be easily seen as one of the best works ever made by Hondros is a picture of an Iraqi girl whose parents were killed moments ago right in front of her (Figure 2). The moment of pain and despair that the photographer captured is most likely to show the audience that no one’s future is promised, especially during military conflicts that produce collisions of cultures, religions, and worldviews.

It is evident from the photograph that the girl was caught by surprise, and the accidental death of her parents affected her immediately. With no chance to take a step back and reflect on the situation, she sits there, covered in the blood of her parents, and cries in agony because her whole world had just been destroyed in a matter of split second owing to a drastic accident. The fact that Hondros captured such emotions also shows that he was able to take the most devastating seconds of human lives and turn them into a photography masterpiece.

As one may see, the person in the photograph is the main character in the miniature story offered by Hondros. Even though the girl is not positioned in the center of the picture, she is still the most important moving force of Hondros’ work. A reflection of the girl’s hand is also captured perfectly, with no shade of blur, which may be seen as symbolizing the girl’s hope to see the light again in the future. Nevertheless, half of her face is in the dark, depicting the actual face of war, where the suffering is both visible and invisible.

The girl’s trauma is going to affect her life majorly because she saw her parents die right in front of her, and the viewers may even see slight traces of blood on the girl’s hands. If it was not for Chris Hondros, the photograph would have most likely portrayed a mere crying girl, but the work on Figure 2 is much deeper because it leaves the audience afraid of what is there back in the darkness. The strongest feelings of human suffering were actually placed in the background, as Hondros only captured one side of the girl’s face and no dead bodies were placed in the frame.

The Lives of the Innocent during the War

The concept of human pain and suffering may be easily transformed into the topic of how the innocent living beings persevered through the war and found their way out. The third photograph by Hondros that perfectly outlines the notion of war photography (Figure 3) features a little Afghan girl, who is left with no parents right in the middle of a military conflict, with a local group of Kuchi tribal nomads being her only support.

Again, typically of Hondros, the human is placed in the center of the frame in order to highlight the fundamental role of human beings, even if the photo is taken in the middle of a war. The girl seems to be lost and anxious, but she has not lost her charm and still looks beautiful, especially with a slight trace of a smile on her face. The calm background should not fool the audience, as the ruins around the girl directly hint at the destruction caused by war. She is just an innocent human being who happened to participate in all this.

On the other hand, even though the photograph seems rather plain, there are several details that are important for a more thorough understanding of the message that Hondros tried to convey. For instance, a UNICEF (United Nations’ Children’s Fund) brochure that is intentionally left halfway out of the frame to indicate how the poor girl is detached from the society by the force of war and is almost certainly never coming back to her normal life.

Another important detail in the photograph is the presence of an excessive amount of lighting that creates a nimbus around the girl’s head. She is an innocent living being that did not choose to participate in the war but has to go through all the hardships in order to survive. It is not clear if Hondros’ intention was to introduce any Biblical references, but the willingness to depict the girl as innocent and peaceful was unconditionally real. The photographer’s imminent attention to detail allowed him to capture the horrors of war while taking a picture of a little Afghan girl who stood in the middle of ruins filled with light and slender tranquility.

Chris Hondros’ influence on war photography cannot be underestimated. As a progeny of child refugees of World War II, the photographer was most likely destined to see many battlefields and capture the most important moments. The fact that Hondros died right in the flashpoint during a US military operation shows that he was a devoted photographer, who always put artistry and high-quality work before anything else. The theme of human emotions and suspicions became central in Hondros’ photography because he perfectly depicted the anxiety and traumas that wars have always brought to humanity.

The current paper discusses the image of war that he was able to create and the drastic difference between how the military forces and the innocent population get through the times of military conflicts. The photographer’s most shared aphorism revolved around the idea that decent war photography could not be made from distance. The cultural heritage in the form of timeless photographs that Chris Hondros had left behind after his untimely death will forever serve as a reminder of the horrors and hardships of war that ordinary people face because of hopelessness.

Kamber, Michael. Photojournalists on War: The Untold Stories from Iraq . University of Texas Press, 2013.

O’Flaherty, Erin E. The Art of War: The Impact of Aesthetics in War Photography . Dartmouth College, 2012.

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"War Photographer" Essay

                        "War Photographer" Essay                        

Choose a poem which explores the theme of loneliness or isolation. Show how the poet explores the theme and discuss, to what extent, your appreciation of the theme was deepened by the poet's treatment.

In your answer you may refer closely to the text and to at least two of the following; theme, imagery, contrast, mood or any other appropriate feature.

"War Photographer", a moving poem by Carol Ann Duffy, explores the theme of isloation. The poem, based on an interview the poet had with "War Photographer", Don McCullin, reveals the dilemma within his work and how this work results in his isolation. Through the use of theme and imagery, Duffy successfully deepens the reader's appreciation of the theme of isolation.

The opening line of the poem is ambiguous. Duffy, choosing not to expose the true and horrific nature to war, instead introduces the Photographer's "darkroom" where he will develop the photographs he has taken:

"In his darkroom he is finally alone"

This could suggests that the photographer uses his "darkroom" to reflect on the darkness of the events that he has winessed. The words "finally alone" imply that this place is a sanctuary for him, a haven to escape the brutality of warfare which he, himself has seen and captured.  Metaphorically, this "darkroom" could signify a confessional box in a church in which he feels he can face up to his sins and seek forgiveness for his work which he considers expoitative. In this first line, the reader is instantly given a real insight into this photographer's isolation, he chooses to isolate himself as he cannot face the public who don't understand the moral dilemma within his work.

        The theme of religion is predominent throughout the poem. The Photographer is repeatedly compared to a priest as they share many similarities both in their work and their isolation. Duffy suggests that the developing of these photographs is closely linked to the work of a priest:

        " The only light is red and softly glows/ as though this were a church and he/ a priest preparing to intone a mass."

This is a preview of the whole essay

The red light mentioned here, literally meaning the infra-red light in the darkroom, interestingly is often refered to as a "safe-light" which could further suggest the photographer's need to isolate himself away from the world. The word "softly" reveals the comfort and security the man feels when he "finally" gets to the developing stage of his work in a safe and secluded room. This "light" also has religious connotations as it could be interpreted as the small red candles in a chapel to represent the holy spirit. The reader is given the impression that the photographer, much like a priest, is a man on a mission – preparing to spread the words of truth. While revealing this, the two such different occupations become linked through the photographer and the preist's self inflicted isolation. They have both in a way, sacraficed themselves for the greater cause of informing the nation.

As the developing process progresses, so do the photographer's thoughts and memories of the horrors he has witnessed. The imagery used to represent this gives the audience a real insight into his line of thought and reveals the extent of which his work affects him psychologically:

"A stranger's features/ faintly start to twist before his eyes

a half-formed ghost"

The impersonality of "a stranger's features" reveals the widespread perception of these people as meerly another victim of a war-stricken country rather than a fellow human being. The fact that the victim appears to him "faintly" suggests that this is how the memory is coming back to him while the almost onomatopoeic use of "twist" implies real and immense suffering. This is all materializing "before his eyes" which reinforces that it was he, himself that took the photograph and therfore stood by and witnessed this tradgedy. An almost haunting atmosphere is given by the use of "ghost" while it could be a subtle reference to the spirit of Christ (often refered to as the "Holy Ghost") and its presence during Mass, it also suggests that the photographer will forever be reminded of these images – the price he must pay for doing his job. This gives the reader a deeper understanding of the photographer's moral dilemma in his work which inevitably keeps him secluded. It suggests that it's his knowledge of the world's problems and the public's ignorance of such problems that isolate him.

The Second stanza winesses the photographer faltering to develop the photograph. His emotions reveal to the audience that there's a reluctance within his work, that he forces himself to develop them just as he forces himself to do the job because he knows he must. The dilemma he faces everytime he takes a photograph is introduced in this stanza:

"He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays

beneath the hands which did not tremble then"

The abruptness of the ceasura in this first line reveals that the photographer, when he goes through the developing process, must keep his wits about him and remind himself of why he must get on with it while the use of "tremble" further reinforces his reluctance to do the job. The audience is given the impression that the photographer gets little job-satisfaction from taking these photographs. It's this job which cuts him off from the rest of the world as virtually him alone knows these horrors and is willing to damage himself psychologically for the chance to see others taking an interest in, not his work, but what his work represents – the effects of war on the human race on a personal and up-close level. He is willing to isolate himself for this cause.

Carol Ann Duffy's "War Photographer", an account of a photographer isolated by his moral dilemma, succesfully deepens the audience's appreciation of the theme of isolation itself. Through the effective employment of theme and imagery, Duffy explores his dilemma and how it isolates him from the rest of the world. Yet, he continues with his work to try and change the public's perception of these victims as meer foreigners. The photographer, with the hope that his work will one day make a difference, continues to take photographs in the face of evil and soul destroying suffering.

Word count – 984 words

Document Details

• Word Count 1074
• Page Count 3
• Subject English

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About this sample

Words: 514 |

Published: May 19, 2020

Words: 514 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

• Dowson, J., & Dowson, J. (2016). Voices from the 1980s and After. Carol Ann Duffy: Poet for Our Times, 87-121. (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/978-1-137-41563-9_3)
• Hughes-Edwards, M. (2006). ‘The House […] has Cancer’: Representations of Domestic Space in the Poetry of Carol Ann Duffy. In Our House (pp. 121-139). Brill. ( https://brill.com/display/book/9789401202817/B9789401202817_s010.xml)
• Dimarco, D. (1998). Exposing Nude Art: Carol Ann Duffy's Response to Robert Browning. Mosaic: A journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature, 25-39. ( https://www.jstor.org/stable/44029809)
• Schweik, S. (1987). Writing war poetry like a woman. Critical Inquiry, 13(3), 532-556 . ( https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/448407?journalCode=ci)

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GRADE 9 Example Essay - Kamikaze and War Photographer (Power and Conflict)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

23 July 2023

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Grade 9 model essay for AQA English Literature Power and Conflict poetry, comparing ‘Kamikaze’ and ‘War Photographer’. This was written by a Year 11 student and awarded full marks by a former AQA examiner.

Essay question: Compare the ways the poets present inner conflict in ‘Kamikaze’ and one other poem

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GRADE 9 Example Essays - AQA Power and Conflict Poetry

Grade 9 model essays for AQA English Literature Power and Conflict poetry. All answers were awarded full marks by a former AQA examiner and written by a Year 11 student. Perfect for using in class as model answers, revision material or as a way to introduce students to the mark scheme for AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 2. Essay questions include: * Compare the ways the poets present the power of humans in **'My Last Duchess'** and one other poem * Compare the ways the poets present inner conflict in **'War Photographer'** and one other poem * Compare the ways the poets present the power of memory in **'The Emigrée'** and one other poem * Compare the ways the poets present the power of oppression in **'London'** and one other poem * Compare the ways the poets present conflict in **'Bayonet Charge'** and one other poem * Compare the ways the poets explore conflict in **'Poppies'** and one other poem

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