War Photographer Carol Ann Duffy

1. War Photographer Carol Ann Duffy

2. Real Photographers “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) “The dilemma for the photographer... is the question of what to do - do I take the photograph? Or do I do something to help?”

3. 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

4. War Photographer In his darkroom he is finally alonewith spools of suffering set out in ordered rows.The only light is red and softly glows,as though this were a church and hea priest preparing to intone a mass.Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass. 6He has a job to do. Solutions slop in traysbeneath his hands which did not tremble thenthough seem to now. Rural England. Home againto ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel,to fields which don't explode beneath the feetof running children in a nightmare heat. 12

5. Something is happening. A stranger's featuresfaintly start to twist before his eyes,a half formed ghost. He remembers the criesof this man's wife, how he sought approvalwithout words to do what someone mustand how the blood stained into foreign dust. 18A hundred agonies in black-and-whitefrom which his editor will pick out five or sixfor Sunday's supplement. The reader's eyeballs prickwith tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers.From the aeroplane he stares impassively at wherehe earns his living and they do not care. 24

6. Markup End Rhyme Allusion Imagery Simile Consonance/AssonanceMetaphorAmbiguity Enjambment Third person pronoun Juxtaposition In his darkroom he is finally alonewithspoolsofsuffering set out in ordered rows.Theonly light is red and softly glows,as though this were a churchand hea priest preparing to intone a mass.Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.All flesh is grass.He has a job to do. Solutions slopin traysbeneath his hands which did not tremble thenthough seem to now. Rural England. Home againto ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel,to fields which don't explode beneaththe feetof running children in a nightmareheat.

7. Markup End Rhyme Allusion Imagery Simile Consonance/AssonanceMetaphorAmbiguity Enjambment Third person pronoun Juxtaposition Something is happening. A stranger'sfeaturesfaintlystart to twist before his eyes,a half formed ghost.He remembers the criesof this man's wife, how hesought approvalwithoutwordsto do what someone mustand how the blood stained into foreign dust.A hundred agonies in black-and-whitefrom which his editor will pick out five or sixfor Sunday's supplement. The reader's eyeballs prickwith tearsbetween the bath and pre-lunch beers.From the aeroplanehe stares impassively at whereheearns his living and they do not care.

8. Form • 4 stanzas • 6 lines each • 24 lines total • 9-12 Syllables • Rhyming couplets • Separated by one line • Trying to set order in chaotic emotions • Enjambment in most lines • Third person pronouns • (He, his, they) • Detachment from job • Distancing of Rural England from war zones

9. Literal Meaning • Speaker: a war photographer • Returned home after war • Trauma after experiences • Haunting images of war • Contrast of war zone and England • Develops pictures and remembers when and why it was taken • Editor choses pictures good enough for audience • Cycle is closed • Photographer goes to another war

10. Figurative Meaning and Ideas • Contrast of war zone and daily life in England • Carelessness and safety of common people • Disasters of war • Indifference of common people towards war • Only care on a superficial level • Strong images are considered inappropriate • War is censored by editors of audience • Difficulty of portraying a war without feeling guilty • Photographers dilemma when taking pictures • Traumatic images from war

11. Allusions • Biblical Allusion • “All flesh is grass” (6) • From Isaiah 40:6-8 • Life is fleeting and transient, a reminder that we are all mortal • War Zones • “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.” (6) • Globalizing poem • Contrast to “Rural England” (9) • “Sunday supplement” (21) • War is mentioned along with football games and traffic jams • Weekend headlines program • Press censoring information

12. Ambiguities • “A stranger's features / faintly start to twist before his eyes, / a half formed ghost” (13-15) • Developing pictures • Picture of dead person • Haunting memories • “A hundred agonies in black-and-white” (19) • Good vs. evil • Monochromatic colors • Numb feeling while printing picture

13. Figurative Language • Metaphor/Simile • “Spools of suffering set out in ordered rows” (2) • “As though this were a church and he / a priest” (4-5) • Juxtaposition • “Fields which don’t explode beneath the feet” (11) • “Pain which simple weather can dispel” (10) • “He earns his living and they do not care” (24) • Imagery • “Blood stained into foreign dust” (18) • “The reader’s eyeballs prick / with tears” (21-22)

14. What do you think? How would being a war photographer affect your morals and ideals? Do you think its correct for people to photograph what others are grieving and suffering for?

15. Bibliography Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3VoyjUP8hg Pictures: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8j4gE5jUpWE/T53edGLaBpI/AAAAAAAADQo/JGA4gk9AxDo/s640/james_natchwey_112803.jpg http://www.theasc.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/01_ashley_gilbertson_on_job_001.jpg http://www.pythiapress.com/letters/images/war12.jpg http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-wells/ken-guest-interview-part_b_352246.html http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2457/3913589127_d63366d3eb.jpg http://dorrys.com/tear-jerker/ http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c67.0.403.403/p403x403/578572_10151037077452611_1506197555_n.jpg http://www.gardennewb.com/wp-content/themes/boldy/images/gn/cultivator.jpg http://fineartphotographysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/modern-war-photography.jpg Information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-wells/my-exclusive-interview-wi_b_335136.html http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/11/9/6599/26052 http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=103194