War Photographer: Themes; The Horror of War

Overview of “War Photographer”

“War Photographer” is a poem by Carol Ann Duffy and is a part of her collection called ‘Standing Female Nude’.
The poem examines a War Photographer’s experience as he develops photographs from war zones.
Duffy explores the alienation of the war photographer who struggles to reconcile his gruesome work with his ordinary home life.
Told from a third person perspective, the poem peels away the surface to reveal the impact of the responsibility borne by the photographer.

The Horror of War in “War Photographer”

Duffy uses the war photographer’s story to depict the horrors of war. These are brought to life through the photographs developed by the protagonist.
The visual imagery portrayed in the photos paints a vivid and disturbing picture of the inhumanity inherent in military conflicts.
This theme is echoed in the contrasting descriptions of the serene, safe “home” versus the violent and dangerous war zones.
The use of religious allusions hints at the sanctity of life and the sacrilege that occurs in a war. For example, the phrase “All flesh is grass” alludes to a biblical quote suggesting the fragility of life.
The war photographer’s role in documenting such atrocities is akin to that of a priest.
Duffy uses specific words that connote violence, bloodshed, and suffering such as “exploding”, “blood stained” and “agonies.”
The poem is critical of the apathy and detachment who only experience war through photographs in newspapers. The recurring idea is that the suffering of others becomes simplified and distant when viewed from the comfort of our homes.

Analysis of Language and Imagery in “War Photographer”

To depict the horror of war, Duffy uses a range of powerful and emotive language. For instance, the use of words like “spools of suffering” brings to mind images of endless pain and suffering that is ‘reel’ and continuous.
The use of dark and melancholine imagery juxtaposes the photographer’s quiet darkroom with the violent realities depicted in his photographs.
Duffy uses metaphors like “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass” to depict the universality of human suffering due to war and conflicts. These disparate locations linked by conflict emphasise the commonality of war’s destruction.
Enjambment is employed to give a sense of the photographer’s disjointed memory, the trauma of his experiences and the mental toll the horrors of war have taken on him.
The poem’s final stanza encapsulates the futility of the war photographer’s attempt to communicate the brutalities of war to an uninterested audience. The phrase “they do not care” is a damning condemnation of the apathy of the reading public.

In conclusion, “War Photographer” is a thought-provoking poem that harshly criticises the human apathy to the horrors of war. It paints a bleak picture of war and its aftermath, forcing the reader to confront the reality that is often ignored or brushed aside. Through the lens of the war photographer, the poem holds up a mirror to the humanity’s insensitivity towards the brutality and violence of war.