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A poem that explores the psychological and moral dilemmas of a war photographer who captures the suffering and violence of conflicts around the world. The poem contrasts the photographer's dark room with the scenes of horror he witnessed and the ordinary pain of his rural home.
A poem that depicts the trauma and ethics of a war photographer who returns home to develop his photos. The poem references historical air strikes and a famous Vietnam War photograph of children fleeing a napalm bomb.
- Summary
- Context
- Structure
- Literary Devices
- Themes
- War Photographer Analysis
- About Carol Ann Duffy
- Similar Poetry
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In ‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy, the photographer finds himself alone in his darkroom. He notices as photographs develop before his eyes. He thinks of the differences between the places he has just visited and the place he calls home. He remembers the people in the photos and what they were doing when he was taking their images. He recolle...
War photographers are those real people who endanger their lives to take photographs of war and help people visualize the horrors of war anywhere in the world. The photos we see in Sunday supplements, embellishing headlines or posters are taken by these courageous people. Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘War Photographer’depicts the poet’s opinions toward societ...
‘War Photographer’ consists of four stanzas and each stanza has six lines in it. The poet uses an interesting rhyme scheme in the poem. Except for the slant or imperfect rhymes, the poet uses the ABBC DD rhyme scheme. So, each stanza ends with a rhyming couplet. As an example, in the first stanza “rows” and “glows” rhyme together. And, “Mass” rhyme...
‘War Photographer’ contains several literary devices. Likewise, in the line, ‘spools of suffering set out,’ the poet uses alliteration as well as a metaphor wherein the harsh ‘S’ sound reminds us of the harsh world he operates in. In ‘as though this were a church and he a priest; he employs simile, which means how he sees himself and his mission – ...
‘War Photographer’ contains several themes. In this poem, the poet uses the themes of the brutality of war, destruction, death, terror, impassivity, and ignorance. The most important theme of the poem is the brutality of war. Through the pictures taken by the photographer, the poet presents how shocking the effect of war is. Even the pictures threa...
Stanza One
Though the title is ‘War Photographer’, in reality, it brings to light the difference between “Rural England” and places where wars are fought (Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Cambodia), between the indifference or comfort of the newspaper editor and its readers and the suffering of the people in the photographs. There is no name given to the photographer. He is anonymous and could be any of those who do the recording of war scenes. He is neither an observer nor a recorder of others’ lives. He...
Stanza Two
In the second stanza of ‘War Photographer’, when Carol Ann Duffy writes, “He has a job to do,” readers notice the photographer justifying his work. And this is when he comes in front of the true reality, and contradicts his calm nature while photographing. The fact that he is home in “Rural England” may also suggest why he finds his hands shaking, and why it is so personal. The second stanza brings out the differentiation between the two shelves of the photographer. On his first shelf, he rem...
Stanza Three
In the third stanza of ‘War Photographer,’ Carol Ann Duffy creates a bizarre situation for the readers. She creates suspense, thrill telling that ‘Something is happening.’ She says the war photographs have now begun to come through onto the print in the tray of solutions. The poet once again takes the photographer to his painful memories. The photographs taken in the war start appearing on the print like a half-formed ghost of the dead man’s photograph. While developing the pictures, he sees...
Carol Ann Duffy, on May 1st, 2009, became the UK’s twentieth Poet Laureate. She is the most admired and recognized poet in Britain. Through her poems, she appeals to those who usually don’t like to read poetry and they appear in the national curriculum.
Like ‘War Photographer’, one of Carol Ann Duffy’s best poems, here is a list of a few poems that present the horrid pictures of war. 1. War Photographer by Carole Satyamurti – This poem by Carol Satyamurticenters around a war photographer and how he visualizes the war. 2. The Next War by Wilfred Owen – Like his other poems such as ‘Dulce et Decorum...
A poem that explores the horrors of war and the role of a war photographer. The poet contrasts the peaceful rural England with the violent conflict zones and criticizes the indifference of the editors and the public.
Learn about the courageous and influential war photographers who captured the horrors and humanity of war. From Robert Capa to Lynsey Addario, discover their stories, photos, and awards.
Scottish poet Carol Ann Duffy (former Poet Laureate of the UK) examines the life of a war photographer who takes pictures of conflicts for British newspapers. Duffy takes us inside the man’s ...
Learn about Carol Ann Duffy's poem War Photographer, which depicts the solitary experience of a photographer at home developing photographs taken in conflicts around the world. Explore the poem's meaning, methods, context and comparison with other poems in the Power and Conflict anthology.
John McCosh, a surgeon in the Bengal Army, is considered by some historians to be the first war photographer known by name. [3] [4] He produced a series of photographs documenting the Second Anglo-Sikh War from 1848 to 1849.
