War Photographer

• What is War Photographer about?

  • A war photographer is developing photos of war-stricken locations around the world, he reflects on the morality of his job as he contemplates the apathy of the western world that view his photographs in the media
  • Duffy uses the poem to critique how the western world has become desensitized & indifferent to the suffering of war, she juxtaposes the overt agony ride within war zones with the impassivity of those in England
• What is the contextual significance of the Vietnam War?

  • Line 12: “running children in a nightmare heat” is an allusion to Nick Ut’s ‘Napalm Girl’ photograph.
  • This was a photo of a nine-year old girl (Kim Phuc) running naked towards the camera in agony during the Vietnam War, it received a lot of attention within the media & was published on the front page of the New York Times
  • Phuc was named a United Nations goodwill ambassador in 1997 & gives speeches around the world
• What is the contextual significance of war photography?

  • Duffy may have been critiquing how over time the impact of war photography is depleting, emphasising that this single famous photograph is not enough recognition of the suffering that endures all over the world
• What quote reflects pain & suffering?

  “spools of suffering set out in ordered rows”
• How does “spools of suffering set out in ordered rows” reflect pain & suffering?

  • The metaphor “spools of suffering set out in ordered rows” creates the imagery of war graves
  • It is paradoxical that the chaotic suffering of war is wielded into an ordered form; the pain of war is seemingly calmed for the eyes of the western world
  • The sibilance of “spools of suffering” is a metaphor for the ways in which the agonies of war were silenced as the ‘s’ sound is reminiscent of whispering
• What quote reflects detachment from conflict?

  “church”, “priest”, “Mass” juxtaposed by “explode”, “tremble” & “twist”
• How does “church”, “priest”, “Mass” juxtaposed by “explode”, “tremble” & “twist” reflect detachment from conflict?

  • Extended dichotomy (divison into two opposite groups) between religion & violence throughout the poem -> distance between war zones & England
  • Semantic field of religion -> “church”, “priest”, “Mass” -> harshly juxtaposes rhetoric of war by verbs “explode”, “tremble” & “twist” -> photographer’s role is almost ceremonial -> has to make concept of death acceptable almost mirroring a Priest at a funeral
• Alternative interpretation: “church”, “priest”, “Mass” juxtaposed by “explode”, “tremble” & “twist” reflecting detachment from conflict?

  • Alternatively, it could be used to expose the hypocrisy of those in the western world who claim to endorse the Christian values of peace but allow the suffering to happen
• What are the two pieces of form in the poem?

  • Equal stanzas
  • Regular rhyme
• What is the effect of equal stanzas?

  • There are four stanzas of equal length with a regular rhyme scheme
  • The poem is “set out in ordered rows” much like the photographer’s spools of film -> could be a metaphor to reinforce the way order & structure is shallowly imposed over the chaos & disorder of war
  • The lack of change to the rigid form throughout the poem could be a metaphor for the photographer’s failure to change the perspectives & actions of his audience, he is powerless
• What is the alternative effect of equal stanzas?

  Alternatively, it could be Duffy conveying that as a poet, she emphasises with the role of the photographer, taking care of the presentation of her message
• What is the effect of regular rhyme?

  • There is a regular ABBCDD rhyme scheme to once again reinforce this imposed order over the chaotic suffering of war
  • Even audibly, the notion of war is softened for the reader much like the horrors within the photographer’s photographs are made acceptable for his unreceptive audience
• What is the structural significance of enjambment?

  Represents the gradual revealing of the image as the photograph develops
• What is the structural significance of caesura?

  • Caesura is used to reiterate the notion of detachment, for example, “Rural England”, is separated between two full stops
  • This highlights how unmistakably isolated “rural England” was from the war zones by installing a visual & audible barrier between it & the rest of the poem
• What is the structural significance of caesura?

  • Caesura is used to reiterate the notion of detachment, for example, “Rural England”, is separated between two full stops
  • This highlights how unmistakably isolated “rural England” was from the war zones by installing a visual & audible barrier between it & the rest of the poem