War Photographer

“Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. all the flesh is grass”

Biblical quote that means human life is temporary. Caesuras emphasise each individual place and show how widespread the suffering is.

“spools of suffering set out in ordered rows”

“ordered rows” could reflect a graveyard. Juxtaposition of chaos of war and order of photographs. Ironic that such a chaotic and horrific thing can be captured so neatly.

“he has a job to do.”

Blunt, short sentence and caesura give an impression that he has become detached from his work.

“the readers eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers.”

This quote shows the comfort of those at home who are not directly affected by the war. Domestic imagery contrasts with the suffering and pain throughout the poem

“running children in a nightmare heat”

This quote intends to make the reader understand the intensity of suffering caused by war. References a very famous picture. “children” are mentioned to remind the reader of the innocent lives affected by war.

“a hundred agonies in black and white”

the simplicity of a black and white photograph is ironic as it contrasts with the unimaginable horrors of war that are contained in them.

4 sestets (6 line stanzas)

reflects a common photo size 4×6. The chaos that is contained in the poems orderly structure reflects the chaos that is held tightly in a 4×6 photo. It is a literal snapshot of chaos, contained in a way that people can understand it, like in the poem.