War photographer

• "In his darkroom he is finally alone"

  • The word "finally" has connotations of waiting a long time for something, eventually, long awaited, relief
  • effective as it suggests that photographer feels releif to be away from suffering
  • "Dark" also suggests a place that is away from the world, like a sanctury
  • Quiet, isolated, peace, place for reflection
• "Spools of suffering"

  • Duffy uses a metaphor in which the the spools literally become suffering
  • effective as it suggests that the spools contain only images of horror
  • sibilance - shows that suffering is never ending (Long S sound)
• "Set out in ordered rows"

  • WC of "Ordered" connotations - care, structure, neat, organised
  • War photographer takes care with his job - he has respect for people in his photos - needs to find some order out of the chaos he has witnessed
  • Trying to make sense of the war
• "As though this were a church and he a priest preparing to intone a mass"

  • IMAGERY/METAPHOR
  • PRIEST= connection to god, messenger of god, encourages word of god to be spread
  • WP= the same except trying to show public truth of war/whats happening in the world
  • PRIEST= holiness, trustworthy, honest, truthful
  • Both have witnessed suffering and death in their roles, but try to make a difference to people/public
• "Belfast. Beruit. Phnom Penh"

  • Duffy uses a list of minor sentences which is effective as it emphaises how many different war zones he has been to and how much suffering he has seen
  • Shows that WAR IS EVERYWHERE
• "All flesh is grass"

  • Duffy uses a metaphor to show that human life is fragile
  • Just as grass can easily dry up and die so too can human life in war zones can easily be destroyed
  • Emphaises how fragile life is in these places
• "He has a job to do"

  • Duffy uses a short sentence which is effective as it is blunt and suggests the photographer is reminding himself to get on with his job and not get emotional
  • Statement/ serious tone
• "Hands which did not tremble then, seem to now"

  • Duffy uses contrast of "Then" and "Now" to show how he was in control in the war zones so he could take photos, but now he is home and he can't help but feel guilty and helpless
• "Rural England"

  • Duffy uses a minor sentence to emphaise the difference between his home and the war zones
  • Word "Rural" connotations: countryside, peaceful, safe, calm to show how different his world is
  • effective as it helps us understand why he struggles with his two contrasting lives
• "Home again to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel"

  • Regular pain which is insignificant to the horror of war is dispelled by simple things such as weather wheras pain of war is incurable
  • war can vanish by weather
  • connotations: reslove, vanish, disappear
• " To fields which don't explode beneath the feet"

  • METAPHOR
  • Comparing rural landscape of farms which show comfort to the dangerous and deadly landscape in warzones
  • Connotations ("Explode") - erupt, destruction, death, unexxpection
• "Running children in a nightmare heat"

  • Children may symbolise innocence of humans running and being eliminated during war
  • Connotations: trying to escape, fear, panic, terror
• "Half-formed ghost"

  • Duffy uses a METAPHOR which is effective just as a ghost is a shadowy figure, so too is the developing image
  • "Ghost" connotations: haunting, soul, disembodied
  • suggests that the photographer feels haunted by the death of a man he is unable to forget
• "A strangers features faintly start to twist before his eyes"

  • "twist implies extremlely agonising pain
  • suggests that victims have stuck with WP
  • Can't forget them - left a stain in him - WP feels guilty
• "Blood stained into foreign dust"

  • WORD CHOICE
  • reminder that all of this horror occurs in "Foreign lands"
  • "Stained" implies lasting effects of war that he himself is experiencing
• "A hundred agonies in black and white"

  • METAPHOR
  • Connotations: extreme prolonged pain, intense physical suffering, anguish
  • Duffy uses a metaphor to suggest the photos have literally become agony because of the suffering they depict
  • effective as it suggests how he believes the photos should be treated
• "From which his editor will pick out five or six for sundays supplement"

  • WORD CHOICE
  • Phrase "Pick out" connotations: choosing casually without care, take some leave others, selective
  • suggesting the editor is not treating the photos with the respect they deserve
  • the photos are not even considered important enough for the main paper, only additional section
  • Effective as it shows the photographers anger at this lack of respect
• "The reader's eyeballs prick with tears"

  • WORD CHOICE
  • "prick" connotations: tiny, quick response, brief that does not last
  • effective as it suggests the readers response is superficial and they forget almost instantly - angers WP
• "He stares impassively at where he earns his living and they do not care"

  • WORD CHOICE
  • "Impassively" connotations: not feeling, without emotion, apathetic, unmoved, calm, serene, emotionless, detatched
  • effective as suggests he must detach himself from the situation and his anger or he would not be able to do his job
  • emphaises how different he feels to people back home - highlighting feelings of isolation