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War Photographer – Key Quotation Analysis “Finally” – word ..., Lecture notes of History of War

Emphasises the attitude of the editor – he doesn't appreciate what the photographer has seen, or the extent of the suffering. The editor only wants good photos.

Typology: Lecture notes

2021/2022

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War Photographer Key Quotation Analysis
Finally word choice connotations waiting for a long time for something,
he has been waiting for a long time for this time of quiet and reflection. He has been through an ordeal, so it has
seemed like a lifetime to get to this point through all the warzones he has witnessed.
spools of suffering set out in ordered rows imagery metaphor
- His films and camera equipment are being compared to something very structured, and ordered, which
shows both his professionalism and also makes the reader think of graves or coffins.
- You could say he is providing an order and dignity to the death and suffering that wasn’t afforded in their
own countries. Just as funerals and graveyards provide order and calm to a wide range of death and
suffering, so must he order his equipment after such a chaotic experience
“as though this were a church and he a priest preparing to intone a mass” – imagery simile
- Just as a priest would deliver a sermon in memory of someone who has passed, so he is remembering those
who have passed in his photos creating a memorial for them. Also, both have to deal with grieving. A priest
also takes his work very seriously, and solemnly as he does.
“Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.” – sentence structure.
- Short sentences do 2 things. 1) highlights the places he has been. 2) In reducing them to small, individual
sentences, and then moving on immediately. Why put these messy, complicated, incomprehensible conflicts
in single sentences? The sentences reduce them to almost nothing. To make them seem shocking? To show
his detatchment, so he can try to forget about them? Or is he bitter that the people who look at his pictures,
their perspective of them is also reduced to a simplistic, single image that does nothing to justify the
complex nature of the suffering.
He has a job to do”. – sentence structure.
- It’s almost as if he has to remind himself to remain detached, and not get too upset by the images. He must
stay objective now, as he was in the conflict.
Solutions slop in trays” – pun paronomasia play on words
- He describes the sound of the chemical splashing in the trays, but also he could mean “answers” to these
conflicts are ineffective. There are no easy answers to these conflicts, but it is his job to frame them anyway
make them understandable through an image.
Rural England.” – sentence structure
- Why put this phrase on its own? It’s a sharp comparison to the places he has been. Makes us think of nice
countryside. Is he almost spitting the words in disgust? In the context of the rest of the poem, this tone may
show his contempt for the country in which he lives.
ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel” – oxymoron word choice
- Very plain, calm, and boring words used to describe England CONTRAST. This mundane description of
England contrasts with the chaotic nature of the warzones he has visited. What is the Englishman’s
impression of pain? Very simple sufferings like bad weather almost disrespectful to call this pain, or
suffering or a problem.
“to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet” – ironic use of a metaphor
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War Photographer – Key Quotation AnalysisFinally ” – word choice – connotations – waiting for a long time for something, he has been waiting for a long time for this time of quiet and reflection. He has been through an ordeal, so it has seemed like a lifetime to get to this point – through all the warzones he has witnessed. “ spools of suffering set out in ordered rows ” – imagery – metaphor

  • His films and camera equipment are being compared to something very structured, and ordered, which shows both his professionalism and also makes the reader think of graves or coffins.
  • You could say he is providing an order and dignity to the death and suffering that wasn’t afforded in their own countries. Just as funerals and graveyards provide order and calm to a wide range of death and suffering, so must he order his equipment after such a chaotic experience “as though this were a church and he a priest preparing to intone a mass” – imagery – simile
  • Just as a priest would deliver a sermon in memory of someone who has passed, so he is remembering those who have passed in his photos – creating a memorial for them. Also, both have to deal with grieving. A priest also takes his work very seriously, and solemnly as he does. “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.” – sentence structure.
  • Short sentences do 2 things. 1) highlights the places he has been. 2) In reducing them to small, individual sentences, and then moving on immediately. Why put these messy, complicated, incomprehensible conflicts in single sentences? The sentences reduce them to almost nothing. To make them seem shocking? To show his detatchment, so he can try to forget about them? Or is he bitter that the people who look at his pictures, their perspective of them is also reduced to a simplistic, single image that does nothing to justify the complex nature of the suffering. “ He has a job to do”. – sentence structure.
  • It’s almost as if he has to remind himself to remain detached, and not get too upset by the images. He must stay objective now, as he was in the conflict. “ Solutions slop in trays” – pun – paronomasia – play on words
  • He describes the sound of the chemical splashing in the trays, but also he could mean “answers” to these conflicts are ineffective. There are no easy answers to these conflicts, but it is his job to frame them anyway
  • make them understandable through an image. “ Rural England .” – sentence structure
  • Why put this phrase on its own? It’s a sharp comparison to the places he has been. Makes us think of nice countryside. Is he almost spitting the words in disgust? In the context of the rest of the poem, this tone may show his contempt for the country in which he lives. “ ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel” – oxymoron – word choice –
  • Very plain, calm, and boring words used to describe England – CONTRAST. This mundane description of England contrasts with the chaotic nature of the warzones he has visited. What is the Englishman’s impression of pain? Very simple sufferings like bad weather – almost disrespectful to call this pain, or suffering or a problem. “to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet” – ironic use of a metaphor
  • The fields in the war – mine fields – are being compared to beautiful and peaceful meadows of the English countryside, which shows how opposite our impressions of these things are, and how he feels we take these things for granted “A stranger’s features faintly start to twist before his eyes” – metaphor – two things happening with this image
  • He can see the image beginning to develop in his tray, and also the movement of the image brings the image to life for him, and he remembers the movements of the dead man and the chaos of the scene “a half-formed ghost” – imagery –
  • The picture is half-developed, and also the person in the photo is half dead as well
  • Here, Duffy cleverly uses the photographs to bring back to life the action of these circumstances “do what someone must” – reminds us he is doing his solemn duty, he feels – even though it affects him horribly and traumatises him – it’s important for these scenes to be documented “stained” – word choice – connotations – something you can’t get rid of
  • Use of the word makes us reassess the meaning of blood stain – as something that will never disappear, just as the memories of these atrocities will never go away “ a hundred agonies … his editor will pick out five or six ” – word choice/tone
  • Flippant tone is created – he makes what he is writing about sound less serious. Why? Emphasises the attitude of the editor – he doesn’t appreciate what the photographer has seen, or the extent of the suffering. The editor only wants good photos. Maybe the editor has to be professional too – he can’t just stick in 100 photos, even if he wanted to. Does the war photographer realise this? He resents it, but does he realise it can never be any different? “supplement” – something extra, something not essential, that we could do without
  • It makes the photographs seem just superfluous, like they don’t matter at all “ prick with tears” – it’s almost an understatement – or litotes - it diminishes the emotion in the act of crying – since when you are pricked by something, it is only a minor, passing pain and does not last. This fits in with his attitude towards the readers – they don’t feel very affected by it, which angers him – “ they do not care ” “where he earns a living” – this is the phrase he uses to describe his home country. They don’t understand what he’s been through and what he sees, so he looks on it in disgust – his relationship with his home is reduced to a place where he makes money, and has no emotional attachment to it