War Photographer

themes

• suffering

• war

• duty

message

• Duffy exposes the increasing indifference to victims of war

• also exposes injustice by comparing those at war vs those living in countries that are not at war

structure

every stanza is the same length, symbolising how it is impossible to make a change during war

h h a j t d

he has a job to do

• short sentence and monosyllabic words show it is a duty not a pleasure

a p p t i a m

a priest preparing to intone a mass

• Religious simile

• Shows how he appreciates his job and takes care, contrasting the readers who discard the stories

h f g

half formed ghost

• Reminds the photographer of the agonies of war

• Shows how he is affected by seeing these people and what they face

r e p w t b t b a t p l b

Readers eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and the pre-lunch beers

• Readers cannot comprehend the horrors of war because they are not directly affected

• Lack of permanent impact - only the "prick[ing]" of tears

• Internal rhyme gives it a jovial turn and doesn't appreciate the severity of war

f t a h s i a w h e h l a t d n c

From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where he earns his living and they do not care

• Contrasts countries in war vs not in war as the photographer is safe in the plane

• The photographer goes back to do his duty of documenting history, even if it doesn't have an impact now, for the hope that someone will care in the future