War Photographer

1. War Photographer By Carol Ann Duffy

2. In his darkroom 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. Beiruit. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass. 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. 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. 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.

3. The Character of the War Photographer • Using your annotated copy of War Photographer, you are going to write a monologue based on the poem. • You can use the poem as a structure and take content from it. • You will write from the point of view of the war photographer. • Use your own words – don’t lift from the poem! • Include thoughts and feelings.

4. Word Choice Using your annotation, choose three of the following word choices and write a short paragraph for each explain the connotations and effects . • darkroom • spools of suffering • ordinary pain • nightmare heat • foreign dust • black-and-white

5. Imagery Using your annotation, choose three of the following images and write a short paragraph to explain the purpose of each. • “spools of suffering set out in ordered rows” • “as though this were a church and he a priest preparing to intone a Mass” • “A stranger’s features faintly start to twist before his eyes,a half-formed ghost” • “A hundred agonies in black-and-white” • “The reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre lunch beers”

6. Critical Essay Task: • The poem presents the scene of a photographer developing horrific images of war for inclusion in a newspaper. • Examine the character of the war photographer with reference to the poet’s use of techniques such as word choice and imagery.

7. Suggested Plan • Introduction – Title, poet, refer to task. • Summary – 8-12 lines explaining the content of the poem, relevant to task. • Word Choice – Analyse the poet’s use of word choice, using S>Q>A>E, presenting the connotations which make your examples effective. • Imagery – Using S>Q>A>E, examine the writer’s use of imagery. Present examples which you think are particularly striking. • Theme – What do you think is the theme of the poem? How do you feel the character of the war photographer is used to convey this theme? Explain your opinion in depth. • Personal Response –What is your opinion of the war photographer? • 800 words