Starter quiz
- Who may Duffy have based her poem 'War Photographer' on?
- her son who was a soldier
- her own experience of war
- her friend, a photojournalist ✓
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- Which war might the poem 'War Photographer' be based on?
- World War One
- Korean war
- Crimean war
- Vietnam war ✓
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- In Duffy's 'War Photographer', the reference to pain that is "ordinary", suggests the relative ______ of the photographer's home country compared to the war zones he photographs.
- discomfort
- safety ✓
- peace
- suffering
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- Why might the war photographer in Duffy's 'War Photographer' see his job as a sacred duty?
- it takes a high level of skill
- he does it voluntarily
- it can contribute to social action ✓
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- What does Duffy accuse the reader/citizens of in the final stanza of the poem 'War Photographer'?
- supporting the causes of war
- being indifferent to suffering in war zones ✓
- not doing jobs that are morally driven
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- What tone does there seem to be in the final stanza of Duffy's 'War photographer'?
- upbeat
- patriotic
- critical ✓
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Exit quiz
- Which emotion is *not* explored in Duffy's 'War Photographer'?
- trauma
- guilt
- joy ✓
- frustration
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- Which word best suggests the way in which the horrors of war haunt the photographer in Duffy's 'War Photographer'?
- "cries"
- "stained"
- "ghost" ✓
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- In 'War Photographer', which technique is used to show the separation of the photographer's hometown with the war zones?
- enjambment
- alliteration
- caesura ✓
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- What is true of the stanzas in 'War Photographer'?
- they are of different lengths
- they are all of the same length ✓
- there are two of equal length and two that subvert this pattern
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- The structure of the poem 'War Photographer' can be described as...
- unpredictable.
- unruly.
- controlled. ✓
- irregular.
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- Why might Duffy have chosen a predictable structure for the poem 'War Photographer'?
- to show how pictures depict war easily
- to reflect the chaos of the warzone
- to show the stagnant indifference of citizens away from war zones ✓
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The poem reveals the difficult and complex emotions that a war photographer may experience.
- The symbolic space of the dark room might suggest isolation and depression due to trauma.
- The use of a tight and predictable structure in the poem may contrast the chaos of war with the order of civilian life.
- The final stanza has a caustic tone created through sharp plosives and mocking the insensitivity of indifference.
- There is a sense of disillusionment communicated through the poem’s simple monosyllabic final line.
Common misconception
Students may zoom into the suffering within the photos and not realise the complex emotions in the photographer himself.
Duffy, having seen her friends do the job of photojournalism, may have been privy to the complex and difficult emotions involved in this job. This could be why she focuses on the quiet trauma within the photographer.
Keywords
Indifference - lack of interest, concern or sympathy
Repress - to keep something under control and not let it come to the surface
Disillusionment - disappointment and lost faith over something once regarded as good
Caustic - sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way
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