How is suffering presented in the poem ‘War Photographer’?

805 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: On pain poem analysis

War photographer is a particularly powerful poem which conveys a sense of suffering as it sympathises with both the photographer and the person in need. Suffering is the main theme of the poem and it depicts an anonymous character going through the struggle between two completely different worlds, documenting the lives of those who are suffering but for completely different reasons. The poem does not just depict the two contrasting worlds but the two contrasting meanings of suffering. Is suffering through your own visually impacted hardship or the suffering of those in desperate need of our help. The speaker is an omniscient speaker, which acts as an observer. The tone of the speaker is definitely impassive. We can empathise more with an observation piece as if the poem were to be written in first person then it may seem as if they are asking for our sympathy. There seems to be a culture in modern day generations to react less to people talking about their own hardships rather than observations made on a particular person. Although the speaker has more knowledge then the reader does as he/she has access to the photographer’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. ‘He remembers the cries’, ‘a strangers features faintly start to twist before his eyes’ are examples of where the speaker has more knowledge then we can observe. These extra details of more raw emotion help to convey suffering in the poem. The setting is a key part when presenting suffering. The poem is set in a ‘darkroom’; the concept of being in a dark place (both metaphorically and theoretically) is associated with emotions such as suffering and depression. The dark room can not only signify his place in mind but also the darkroom could reflect his deepest and darkest thoug... ... middle of paper ... ...it also has a lot of symbolism in it. Whereas the second stanza is much more straightforward and meaningful. This could suggest suffering in the sense of how simple it is in England compared to the complexity of those less fortunate. This links back to the idea of two different types of suffering that are presented in the poem. In conclusion I think ‘War Photographer; is very effective in presenting suffering. The most striking thing about it is the contrast in the type of suffering and it is thought provoking when thinking about issues that we consider as suffering in our everyday life compared to those disadvantaged. It also poses the question of what actually is suffering? This poem presents it to be suffering through hardship and through visual impacts. The main theme of this poem was suffering so I think it was incredibly effective for the essay of the title.

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Imagery And Irony In All Quiet On The Western Front

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many soldiers who come back from the war need to express how they feel. Many do it in the way of writing. Many soldiers die in war, but the ones who come back are just as “dead.” Many cadets come back with shell shock, amputated arms and legs, and sometimes even their friends aren’t there with them. So during World War I, there was a burst of new art and writings come from the soldiers. Many express in the way of books, poems, short stories and art itself. Most soldiers are just trying to escape. A lot of these soldiers are trying to show what war is really like, and people respond. They finally might think war might not be the answer. This is why writers use imagery, irony and structure to protest war.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of David Vogel's 'How Can I Saw My Father Drowning'

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    This poem is telling a story, perhaps of someone grieving over the loss of someone lose to them, with no happiness nor hope left to have. “Here you sit beside me, Our shadows have outgrown us. The lamp goes out, The joy already came, already went. Our heart will grieve, We’ll sit here melancholy, Like children greatly punished. Here you sit beside me, Our shadows have outgrown us” Earlier within the poem it states “The joy already came, already went” which is meaning there is no joy left as it was once there, just sadness and sorrow left behind. This poem shows that he, and other people he was with, went through a great amount of sadness and loss because the Holocaust took loved ones and family members away and he may have felt as if he didn't have hope left any chance of happiness.

    Read More

  • How To Write A Speech About Life

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    The time period this work takes place in is a very gloomy and frightening time. He wakes up in a dark place by himself and in fear, which makes things worse. A common theme we can relate this dark place to is when we fall off of the path of God. Since God represents all things good, the dark is the exact opposite. Since everything is not so clear in the wood he his describing, the path back to God is even more difficult to attain.

    Read More

  • The Narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Under the orders of her husband, the narrator is moved to a house far from society in the country, where she is locked into an upstairs room. This environment serves not as an inspiration for mental health, but as an element of repression. The locked door and barred windows serve to physically restrain her: “the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.” The narrator is affected not only by the physical restraints but also by being exposed to the room’s yellow wallpaper which is dreadful and fosters only negative creativity. “It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions.”

    Read More

  • Without Pain There is No Happiness in A Rumor of War by Phillip Caputo

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    In all works about war, the element of pain is essential. Without pain, there is no real happiness. The men described in these works all endured vast amounts of physical and emotional pain on their tours serving the country and the accurate representations of their time overseas wouldn’t be able to be complete without this element.

    Read More

  • War Poems: Totoy’s War, State of Siege, and War is Kind

    1822 Words  | 4 Pages

    War poems usually deals with how the persona of a particular poem, reacts to life altering events such as war. “Totoy’s War” by Luz Maranan, “State of Siege” by Eric Gumalinda, and “War is Kind” by Stephen Crane are just three examples of the many war poems that exist. Each of the poems conveys different messages, as well as utilizing different methods to convey the said message, despite having one common theme.

    Read More

  • Dulce Et Decorum Est - Critical Response

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through reading this poem several times I decided that the message from the poem is that war is full of horror and there is little or no glory. Methods which I found most effective were Full rhyme and metaphor.

    Read More

  • Comparing Beach Burial And I Was Only Nineteen, By Kenneth Slessor

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    Poetry has been used for centuries as a means to explore emotions and complex ideas through language, though individuals express similar ideas in wholly different forms. One such idea that has been explored through poetry in numerous ways is that of war and the associated loss, grief, and suffering. Two noted Australian poets shown to have accomplished this are Kenneth Slessor with his work ‘Beach Burial’ and John Schumann’s ‘I Was Only Nineteen’. Both of these works examine the complexities of conflict, but with somewhat different attitudes.

    Read More

  • The Use Of Multiple Literary Elements In Henley's Invictus'

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    Henley establishes the sense of suffering that the speaker is experiencing through the use of multiple literary devices. By beginning the poem with images of darkness and despair, Henley sets the tone for

    Read More

  • Anthem for Doomed Youth and Facing It

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    War is a patriotic act where one seeks the determination to lead their country. It can be viewed noble, cruel, inhumane and can make an individual a hero or a criminal. It effects everyone in a society, hoping their loved one is safe whether fighting in the trenches or waiting at home. It has led to severe individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. Two poems in war literature “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen and “Facing it” by Yusef Komunyakaa, the authors’ different perspectives will be presented. Owen portrays war as a horror battlefield not to be experienced and the glorious feeling to fight for one’s country. Komunyakaa on the other hand shows an African American that serves in Vietnam War and visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The poets’ choice of diction, setting of battlefield and various uses of poetic devices create a desired effect.

    Read More

  • Compare Dulce Et Decorum Est And Suicide In The Trenches

    1211 Words  | 3 Pages

    ‘Poetry can challenge the reader to think about the world in new ways.’ It provokes the readers to consider events, issues and people with revised understanding and perspectives. The poems Dulce Et Decorum Est (Wilfred Owen, 1917) and Suicide in the Trenches (Siegfried Sassoon, 1917), were composed during World War One and represented the poets’ point of views in regards to the glorification of war and encouraged readers to challenge their perspectives and reflect upon the real consequences behind the fabrications of the glory and pride of fighting for one’s nation.

    Read More

  • War In Brian Turner's 'Phantom Noise'

    896 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the times war has effected people immensely both physically and mentally. All people deal with their circumstances differently to help cope with what they dealing with. Whether it’s a fatality in the family, or post traumatic stress disorder most people find a way to heal from injury or emotional damage. In Brian Turners poem, “Phantom Noise,” he writes about the constant ringing he hears from the war he served in. The poem expresses that Turner seems to deal with his emotional damage by writing poetry about what he feels, hears, and sees during the time he spent in war and in civilian life. Even though Turner is no longer in war it still effects him greatly each day. The overall tone of the poem is very solemn and makes the reader

    Read More

  • How Photography Helped Change People's Opinions of The Civil War

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    Furthermore, The medium of photography also gave people a glimpse of improved weaponry such as canons and rifles; hardships faced by soldiers such as torn clothes and lack of food; armies on the move and wounded soldiers suffering at hospitals. In addition, pho...

    Read More

  • Comparision of 'Dulce Et Decorum Est' and 'War Photographer'

    2142 Words  | 5 Pages

    I am going to compare and contrast the two poems ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy. They both give a view of war. Owen gives first hand experiences he witnessed whilst fighting in World War One and where he unfortunately died one week before the war came to an end. Carol Ann Duffy may be writing about the feelings of her personal friends who were war photographers, showing some of the horrors they witnessed.

    Read More

  • Analysis of e.e. cummings' since feeling is first

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poem says that "since feeling is first" (line 1) the one who pays attention to the meaning of things will never truly embrace. The poem states that it is better to be a fool, or to live by emotions while one is young. The narrator declares that his "blood approves" (line 7) showing that his heart approves of living by feeling, and that the fate of feeling enjoyment is better than one of "wisdom" (line 9) or learning. He tells his "lady" (line 10) not to cry, showing that he is speaking to her. He believes that she can make him feel better than anything he could think of, because her "eyelids" (line 12) say that they are "for each other" (line 13). Then, after all she's said and thought, his "lady" forgets the seriousness of thought and leans into the narrator's arms because life is not a "paragraph" (line 15), meaning that life is brief. The last line in the poem is a statement which means that death is no small thi...

    Read More

More about How is suffering presented in the poem ‘War Photographer’?

Open Document