A poem which describes a persons experience is War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy.
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Introduction
War Photographer Essay Choose a poem which describes a person?s experience. Explain how the poetic techniques used to describe the experience make the poem more interesting. A poem which describes a person?s experience is War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy. The poem depicts a photographer who has recently returned from an assignment to a war-ridden country. It emphasises the harshness of war photography through the photographer?s thoughts on his experience abroad. In the first stanza, Duffy conveys the nature of the photographer?s profession and his experience abroad. The first sentence conveys a strong sense of relief: ?In his darkroom he is finally alone? The photographer has been in chaotic and busy environments and he has not been able to fully comprehend the things that he has seen. Duffy suggests here that he is comforted to be alone and there is a strong sense that he is overwhelmed by the scenes of pain and suffering he has observed overseas. Duffy gives the impression that the photographer laying out his photographic film has a deeper meaning: ?Spools of suffering set out in ordered rows? The ?rows? have connotations of the graveyards. ...read more.
Middle
children in a nightmare heat? This sentence shows the gruesome reality of war countries and portrays the horrific images which the photographer sees. The children are innocent victims of the war and this reminds us of the terror inflicted on average citizens in a country with war. Perhaps Duffy was referring to the famous photograph ?From the Killing Field? depicting naked children running from a bomb explosion in the Vietnam War in this sentence. The intense emotional scarring that the photographer has after seeing these horrifying scenes in real life is clear here. In the third stanza the photographs are developing and we get an insight into the events depicted in the photos: ?A stranger?s features faintly start to twist before his eyes? The word ?strangers? shows the anonymity of the people depicted in the photographs. The fact that the people are not named makes the photos less personal and less harsh. The image starts to ?Twist before his eyes? and literally the photos are developing but metaphorically he is remembering the scenes which he has captured. ...read more.
Conclusion
This idea is further highlighted when the poet shows the newspaper readers reaction to the article: ?Prick with tears between bath and pre-lunch beers? There is a contrast between the limited and shallow emotion of the readers and the cries and agony of the man?s wife. This shows that these photographs are actually very intrusive as they interfere in a very personal and emotional scene for the man?s wife whereas for the readers it is just an article in a newspaper. The phrase ?between bath and pre-lunch beers? also emphasises that the people are just reading this article to pass time and have no real feeling or genuine sympathy towards these people. The people reading the paper simply gain a voyeuristic pleasure from seeing these articles and images; this reinforces the superficial thoughts of the public and how the photographer sees this as very shallow. In my view it is clear that the photographers experience in his profession has changed his views on many things and overall it has changed him as a person. The idea of superficiality in the western world comes across strongly in this poem which, in turn, is what makes it so important in today's society. Words 1086 ...read more.
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