Download
1 / 6
E N D
War Photographer • This is a poem written by Carol Ann Duffy. The speaker is an anonymous photographer, who tries to capture the reader’s attention through the theme of Death and War. The poem explores the way we are able to become numb from the horrors and deaths happening around us. The photographer portrays these ideas through his job.
The metaphor 'spools of suffering' conveys the effects of war. Camera spools are usually filled with happy memories, but in this case are filled with the terror of war. Colour could symbolise blood from death. Cities which have been affected by the war. This is a metaphoris taken from the Old Testament of the Bible. It means that life is short.
This quote shows the effect of war on the photographer’s mental state. He is scarred with all the pain he has photographed. His life seems meaningless now that he has witnessed the horrors of war and all the pain innocent people have to endure. The word ‘solutions’ has a double meaning. It could mean the liquid used to develop photos, or a solution for the war. The photographer compares his daily pains and problems to those of the children who live through a constant nightmare of pain and death. His life seems so insignificant, and his problems petty in comparison with those of children in war.
The image is beginning to appear as the photo develops. The image shows a person who is in serious agony. Someone who is dying, ‘a half-formed ghost’. The photographer remembers the wife of the soldier in the photo. He wasn’t able to ask for approval to take the photo, maybe because he didn’t speak the language, or because there wasn’t enough time.
The word “agony” conveys the unthinkable amount of pain brought onto the lives of the people suffering in the war. “Black and white” could have a double meaning. It could be referring to the photos which are literally black and white, or it could symbolise Good and Evil. Also, Duffy could be suggesting that it is important to tell the truth through these photos. Despite the importance of everything going on in each photo, the editor will only pick the most triggering ones to suit the article. The rest will be thrown away. The tone is very cynical. Duffy is suggesting that even those these images might evoke some sadness in the viewer, they will forget about it the second something else comes up. The photographer’s feeling towards society are clearly shown. It all seems pointless to him because he knows that the readers or viewers “do not care”.
