War Photographer By Carol Ann Duffy Learning Intentions

War Photographer By Carol Ann Duffy

Learning Intentions • To understand the context of War Photographer. • To have analysed each stanza. • To identify key themes/ideas, and discuss these in relation to the text. • To be able to identify compare this poem to the other poems we have studied.

“What’s in a name? ” • What is a war photographer? – Someone who photographs armed conflict, as well as documenting the consequences of war. – They generally do so because they want to draw attention to the atrocities of war. – This is a dangerous job – these photographers place themselves in harm’s way, and are sometimes killed, because the feel it is of utmost importance to get their message out their (through means of photography). • What might we assume the poem will be discussing?

War Photography

Real Photographers “The dilemma for the photographer. . . is the question of what to do - do I take the photograph? Or do I do something to help? ” “I remember all the associations connected to that photograph. . . it may just be a body, but I might know whose body that is. ” Ken Guest (Afghan war photographer)

Excerpt from documentary War Photographer (2001) • Directed by Christian Frei • Experience of James Nachtwey – "The worst thing, as a photographer, is to feel that I'm benefitting from someone else's tragedy. This idea haunts me. . . " - James Nachtwey

Context • Duffy was inspired to write this poem by her friendship with a Don Mc. Cullin and Philip Jones Griffiths. • She was especially intrigued by the challenge faced by these people – their job requires them to record terrible, horrific events without being able to directly help their subjects. • Throughout the poem, Duffy pushes the reader to consider their own response when confronted with the photographs that we regularly see in the media. • She also forces us to question why we have become desensitised to these images, and how we could possibly let this happen. • Duffy perhaps shares an affinity with these photo journalists - while they use the medium of photography to convey certain truths about the human condition, she uses words and language to do the same job.

The Poem • The poem is written from the POV of the photographer, perhaps so Duffy can reveal the difficulties of such an occupation (as well as the difficulties faced by the photographer’s subject matter). • By the end of the poem, it is clear her subject straddles two vastly different worlds, yet increasingly feels he belongs to neither.

Structure and Style Structure • The poem is laid out in four regular six-line stanzas, with each stanza ending in a rhyming couplet. • This structure is interesting since its very rigid order contrasts with the chaotic, disturbing images described in the poem. (considering that Duffy regularly uses the structure of her poems to reinforce chaos through enjambment – it is surprising that she approaches this poem differently!) • This organisation mirrors the actions of the photographer, who lays out his films in ordered rows, as though in doing so he can in some way help to restore order to this chaotic world. • The poem moves through a series of observations in the first three stanzas to a conclusion of sorts in the fourth. Style • The style is almost clinical and matter of fact, perhaps to imitate the detached approach required by people in this line of work to allow them to do their jobs under extreme pressure. • Unlike the readers of the newspaper he works for, this sense of distance is a necessary requirement for the photographer. • Unsurprisingly, in a poem that is so focused on images of human suffering, Duffy concentrates on the sense of sight throughout the poem and the final image is almost like a photograph itself, depicting the journalist surveying the landscape and its inhabitants

Reading the Poem I will first read through the poem with you. If there are words/phrases that you don’t understand, underline them as we read through – we can discuss them at the end.

Your Turn • Read the poem on your own at least twice. • In your jotters, make a note of any key themes or key ideas that you notice. • Be prepared to justify your choice. Example: Isolation, Love…

Themes • • • • War Death/ mortality Suffering/pain Brutality Isolation Uncertain identity Desensitisation Transition/change Order vs Chaos Safety/security – lack thereof Personal Experience Place People Ideas • Devastation of society • Reaction to conflict

Stanza One 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.

On your Own: 1. How does Duffy introduce a sense of order amidst the chaos of war? Focus on word choice in your answer. 2. How effective do you find Duffy’s use of religious imagery in these lines? Why? (Think about the red light, and comparison of photographer to a priest). 3. What do you think the phrase “All flesh is grass” means?

** Opens in the intimate, tranquil setting of the speaker’s dark room. • Idea of peace within the “dark room” = surprising considering connotations, and common reactions, associated with darkness this job takes him to a dark place. • • • Inversion “finally alone” – emphasises isolation. • However “finally” indicates this is his respite, his safe haven he has longed to be here for a very long time. • “Alone” normally has connotations of abandonment, desertion and depression however here, the photographer only finds peace and comfort in his isolation. This is a private moment for him. • He is not a part of something – instead he is a solitary observer, both in his work, and in his life. • Creates order from the chaos that is war – he perhaps In his dark room he is finally alone recognises that he is unable to do anything for these people with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows. (aside from tell their stories), and takes comfort in the only Metaphor thing he can control. Refers to the film he has captured whilst working • He tries to make sense of (spool = cylinder which the film is wrapped around). what he has recorded. “suffering” = negative connotations of misery, pain, • Brings to mind the image of torment, and anguish. rows of tombstones(? ) or Emphasises fact that he has captured the horrors of ranks of soldiers(? ) creating a war in his photographs. link to the horrors of war Alliteration “s” – reinforces the sense that war is evil which are depicted on the and destructive + mirrors the repetitive way the films themselves. photographer arranges the spools.

Religious imagery is effective in not only conveying the dedication the photographer feels towards his occupation, but also in showing that, like a priest, he too is often exposed to death and suffering. ( all flesh is grass) Has connotations of the light that burns • “Softly glows” = gentle. continuously in Catholic churches to • Reinforces idea that this is haven. symbolise the presence of Christ and also of • This gentleness contrasts with the blood– a sight that the photographer must be brutality and harsh realities that he all too familiar with. has witnessed. The only light is red and softly glows, Enjambment = as though this were a church and he demonstrates the a priest preparing to intone a Mass. • Simile • 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 therefore takes on a spirituality – it is his place of prayer and reverence. • In likening him to a priest, Duffy emphasises the importance of what he teaches society: his photographs are his sermons, stressing how fragile we have become, and how short-lived our life has become continued struggle between chaos + order although he attempts to order his life, the images of war consistently reenter his mind, destroying focus + calm. However, instead of preparing for mass, the photographer is developing images of war– evidence of inhuman behaviour which only serves to contradict the fundamental teachings of the Church.

Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass. • Here, Duffy lists the places where the photographer has recorded images of conflict – these are all places which have suffered from the ravages of civil war or genocide (murder of entire ethnic/religious/national groups). • Duffy's deliberate use of full stops here helps to “fix” the images – the final part of the printing process - into the mind of the reader. • The stanza ends with the quotation ”all flesh is grass” which comes from the New Testament book of Isaiah. • Contrasts the shortness of human life with eternal religious truths. • Reinforces the religious imagery as well as emphasising the fragility of life – everything dies. • Alludes to the circle of life (we live, we eat things borne of the ground, and when we die, we fertilise those things which fuel the next generation etc). • From this, it can be suggested that the rhyming of ‘mass’ and ‘grass’ as well as the mention of Phnom Penh might also invoke the idea of mass graves or burial sites (demonstrating the extent of death caused by war), where the bodies of victims of genocide/war decompose and literally turn to grass in the soil.

Stanza Two 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.

In Pairs: 1. How does Duffy emphasise the unpredictable nature of war, through her use of word choice? 2. How does Duffy destroy the order created in the previous stanza?

• Literally refers to the job of developing the photos, but also refers to his overall job of war photography. • Short, simple and blunt: reflecting the blunt, matter-of-fact approach the photographer has to take to his work. • Perhaps this is a justification or excuse for his job? He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays beneath his hands, which did not tremble then though seem to now. • WC - “Solutions” literally refers to the onomatopoeic sound of the chemicals he is using to develop the pictures. • It also suggests ‘the solution to a problem’. • In this case, the answer/solution to the problem of war is sloppy. • The word ‘slop’ and the alliteration of the ‘s’ sound suggest the sloshing of the liquid. This emphasises how the ‘solutions’ (literal and figurative) are messy, volatile or difficult to deal with. • The contrast between the messiness of war and the orderliness of home is a running theme in the poem. • The photographer’s hands are steady when taking photos – they have to be, otherwise the pictures would be blurry and unsaleable. He must distance himself from emotional reaction in order to perform his job. • In contrast, when he gets home and he does not need to suppress his emotions, his hands tremble with fear/anxiety. • The enjambment emphasises the contrast by putting “though seem to now” on a new line.

• This minor/short sentence shifts the poem to the photographer’s home. • The word ‘rural’ connotes a idyllic countryside life: leafy, green, peaceful, natural and calm. • Contrasts with the other place-names in stanza one which were exactly the opposite: urban, harsh, volatile and dangerous Rural England. Home again to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel, • Pain, by definition, is something unexpected – a reaction to something unusual and unpleasant: it is never ordinary. • The oxymoron ‘ordinary pain’, then, makes the reader consider what is meant. • The kind of pain experienced in ‘rural England’ is not really pain at all, but unhappiness which can be solved by “simple weather” (sunshine) • This makes us wonder what kind of pain in experienced abroad: it must be terrible, agonising, serious and real pain.

• This seems a peculiar sentence: of course we don’t expect fields to explode. • In England, fields are part of comfortable, rural life. These lines emphasise the terrible contrast between this life, and the ‘nightmare’ life in a war zone (which might contain minefields). • ‘Our children’ don’t need to worry about this – contrastingly children in the aforementioned places do. to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare heat. • The reader is reminded of the famous picture of the naked child Kim Phuc running from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. • This photograph helped to end this conflict, however in this poem it emphasises just how indifferent we have become today when similar images fail to resonate with us. • “Nightmare” = connotations of fear, horror, trauma • “heat” = discomfort alludes to the heat of the bombs as well as warmth of these countries.

Stanza Three 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.

In Pairs: 1. How does Duffy introduce and develop theme of mortality in this stanza? Refer to evidence + analyse. 2. What does the line “he sought approval/without words” suggest? How does this line develop theme of isolation?

Word Choice • “stranger’s” reinforces the photographers isolation and sense of otherness. • Reminds us of the fact he maintains an emotional distance from his subjects, however also introduces a Something is happening. A stranger’s features sense of loneliness – he is alone in this experience, faintly start to twist before his eyes, and has no one to share the burden with. a half-formed ghost. Short sentence • Injects drama and suspense into the poem and suggests the photographer is not wholly in control of the development process • Similar, introduces an urgency to the poem - something is happening now! • Duffy allowing us to “see” the horrific photograph develop before our eyes. • Emphasises the fact that he is witnessing this first-hand, and that it is happening now – “start”. • “Twist” has gruesome connotations – of change and distortion, pain, anguish and horror – emphasising the extent to which this stranger has been altered by war. • This may be because the man in the photo is dying or in pain, or it may reflect the anguish of the photographer himself. • Describes the way the figure is gradually appearing on the paper, while also alluding to the fact that since he no longer exists he has effectively become a ghost – links to mortality + loss. • Ghost = the memory has been so impactful that he still recalls it: a ghost is a lingering presence. • The impact of this memory on the photographer is clear.

• As the photograph begins to come to life, so too do the photographer’s memories of the incident. • Extra senses are described: the sound of the wife’s sorrow and the colour/texture of his blood soaking into the earth. • “Cries” = emphasises the emotional impact this situation has had on the wife. • Demonstrates the severity of the situation – she is mourning/lamenting the loss of her husband. He remembers the cries of this man’s wife, how he sought approval without words to do what someone must • The photographer recalls how, unable to speak the • same language, he sought approval through the unspoken exchange of looks with the victim’s wife. • Again the analogy to a priest is effective here as they, like this photographer, must tend to people in their final moments. • • Incident highlights the moral dilemma faced by war photographers. They have a job to do (“to do what someone must”) but they are intruding on other people’s misery. The photographer obviously feels awkward about this as he seeks the wife’s permission. Just like a priest, he feels his job is a vocation - a calling rather than a career as he asserts he does what someone must. Although he is aware of the intrusiveness of his occupation, he conducts himself with the utmost compassion and sensitivity.

and how the blood stained into foreign dust. • “Blood stained” = permanence of this violence: it has stained the ground. • “foreign” = reinforcing this sense of otherness again, separating the reader from the experience now – it is not here, but far away. Surprising as we would usually expect a poet to draw the reader into the situation. • “Dust” = dry, , bleak, harsh, unforgiving land represents the inhospitableness of this society. • Overall, this quotation emphasises the fact that this land has been tainted by war – war is now a part of it, it has soaked in, and will be extremely difficult to eradicate.

Stanza Four 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.

Duffy now beginning to make a comment on how people consume and receive war images – both editors and members of society. • In contrast to the ‘hundreds’ of pictures of suffering available, the editor has only room for a very few. • Representative of the limited space society has for these images – they can only really tolerate a handful. • Emphasises the extent of suffering which is happening across the world - these are the shortlisted pictures from myriad others. • “Agonies” = extreme pain, suffering invokes sympathy from reader as they realise the extent of this suffering. A hundred agonies in black and white The word ‘pick’ and the vagueness of ‘five from which his editor will pick out five or six’ perhaps suggest a criticism of the for Sunday’s supplement. editor for being casual/off-hand when • “Black and white” perhaps links to the idea of morality – good vs evil. • Demonstrates fact that these pictures plainly state what is happening in the world now – it is up to society to do something. dealing with these pictures. • Supplements = magazines and extra inserts contained in Sunday newspapers which include more varied news (often about culture, money, business, sport, fashion etc. . . ). • Perhaps an implicit criticism here: the photographer’s pictures aren’t considered important enough to be part of the main news section, but are relegated to the ‘extra bits’

• The phrase ‘prick with tears’ suggests the sensation of almost crying; considered alongside the short duration of the readers’ distress. • This = clear criticism of shallow response to horrifying pictures. • Despite the fact that these pictures depict extreme suffering, they are not enough to invoke a strong emotional reaction. • In the same way that these tears will not come forward and will eventually disappear, so too will the reader’s interest in this topic. The reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers. • The words ‘bath’ and ‘pre-lunch beers’ also suggest luxury and indulgence which is in stark contrast to the lives of those captured on film by the photographer. • Similarly, demonstrates the extent of their lack of interest – they are not giving such images their full attention.

By the end of the poem, there is a suggestion that the photographer has become numb to his job, a little like the editor and readers. • “Impassively” = he stares without emotion, not betraying his feelings. • “he earns a living” = repeats the idea from earlier in the poem that he must be cold and unflinching to do his job (‘he has a job to do’ & ‘to do what someone must’). • Similarly, might just be his coping mechanism – he is stepping back into his role as photographer, and is emotionally preparing himself for the job he must carry out. From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where he earns his living and they do not care. • The critical tone of ‘they’ condemns the newspaper readers / citizens for their selfishness. • The repetitive assonance of the ‘ay’ sound (‘aeroplane. . . stares. . . where. . . a. . . they. . . care’) helps create a monotonous feeling of drudgery: the photographer is resigned to the way things are. The poem definitely concludes on a negative note.

Textual Analysis 1. Explain how Duffy emphasises the unpredictable nature of war, through reference to at least two poetic techniques. (4 marks) 2. Discuss how Duffy explores theme of order vs chaos throughout her poem. (2 marks) 3. How effective do you find the concluding stanza to be, in concluding the key ideas of the poem? (4 marks)

10 Mark Questions 1. With reference to this text, and at least one other by Duffy, discuss how comparison is used to convey the key ideas of the text. 2. With reference to this text as well as at least one other, explain how Duffy develops a critical tone throughout the poem.