5.1.2
Themes
Contrast: Home and Away
Contrast: Home and Away
The contrast between the comfortable and safe lives of those in countries unaffected by war, and the indescribable horror of those living in war-torn countries is a running theme throughout the poem.
Images of pain
Images of pain
- “Running children in a nightmare heat”
- “Cries of this man’s wife”
- “Blood-stained”
- “Fields which don’t explode beneath the feet”
Images of comfort
Images of comfort
- “Rural England”
- “Ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel”
- “Sunday supplement”
- “Eyeball’s prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers”.
Uncaring Attitudes
Uncaring Attitudes
One of the biggest contrasts in the poem is the uncaring attitude of people at home compared to the terrible suffering going on in war.
Characters
Characters
- The editor in the poem and those who browse the images on a Sunday morning represent these uncaring attitudes.
- They represent the lack of empathy or thought that some people have for those affected by war.
Caesura/one-word sentences
Caesura/one-word sentences
- “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.”
- These one-word sentences/caesura (breaks in the line) give the poem a stop-start feel.
- This could reflect the casual and dismissive tone of those unaffected by suffering.
Role of a War Photographer
Role of a War Photographer
Carol Ann Duffy uses War Photographer to explore the complex and potentially controversial role of a war photographer. A war photographer is close to horrific events but can do nothing to help.
Practical approach to work
Practical approach to work
- The poem has a generally neat and ordered form on the page.
- This could mimic the way war photographers have to have a practical, emotionless approach to their work as they face the chaos of war.
- It could also signify the photographer’s serious and careful approach to his work.
Relief
Relief
- The opening phrase “finally alone” indicates a sense of relief. The photographer is able to separate himself from what he has seen and begin to process it.
Horrific events
Horrific events
- Carol Ann Duffy lets us see the horrors of war through the war photographer.
- “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.”
- The caesura (breaks in the line) and one-word sentences could reflect the photographer slowly considering each country suffering from war and respecting them.
1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
2London - William Blake (1757-1827)
3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
3.1Storm on the Island Analysis
4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)
5.1War Photographer Analysis
6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
7.1Extract from The Prelude Analysis
8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson
9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)
11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)
12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)
13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)
14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)
14.1Checking Out Me History Analysis
15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)
16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
Jump to other topics
1Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
2London - William Blake (1757-1827)
3Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
3.1Storm on the Island Analysis
4Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
5War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)
5.1War Photographer Analysis
6My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
7The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
7.1Extract from The Prelude Analysis
8Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson
9Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
10Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)
11Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)
12The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)
13Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)
14Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)
14.1Checking Out Me History Analysis
15Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)
16Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered