Starter quiz
- 'A struggle between opposing desires, beliefs, or emotions within oneself.' Which type of conflict is being described here?
- military conflict
- inner conflict ✓
- social conflict
- interpersonal conflict
- environmental conflict
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- What is imagery?
- words imitating sounds they represent
- attribution of human emotions to nature
- repetition of words at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses
- vivid descriptions appealing to senses, creating mental images ✓
- comparison using "like" or "as" to show similarity between two different things
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- Match each of these poetic terms to the correct definition.
- stanza⇔a group of lines forming a unit in a poem, sharing common patterns ✓
- structure⇔arrangement of elements within a poem, including stanzas and rhythm ✓
- form⇔overall pattern of a type of poem, including rhyme and poetic devices ✓
- Starting with the first, put these periods of conflict into chronological order.
- 1⇔Crimean War
- 2⇔World War I
- 3⇔World War II
- 4⇔First Arab-Israeli War
- 5⇔Falklands War
- What are 'morals'?
- strong desires that drive someone's actions, often related to achievements
- personal judgements on matters, often subjective and influenced by experiences
- standards or goals that are considered perfect or desirable, guiding ambitions
- emotions triggered by perceived threats or dangers, causing anxiety
- principles or beliefs about what is right or wrong, guiding behaviour ✓
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- What does the word 'absurd' mean?
- contrary to reason or logic; ridiculous or wildly unreasonable ✓
- feeling uneasy or apprehensive about something uncertain or imminent
- charmingly old-fashioned or picturesque
- easily seen through or understood; clear, honest, and straightforward
- intentionally made unclear or confusing
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Exit quiz
- What is an ekphrastic poem?
- a Japanese poem with 3 lines, 17 syllables, typically evoking nature and seasons
- a narrative poem with alternating rhyme, telling stories of love and adventure
- poetry without strict rhyme or meter, allowing for freedom of expression
- a poem that describes or responds to an image or sculpture ✓
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- As well as a poet, Carole Satyamurti was also a sociologist who was particularly interested in...
- how people deal with traumatic situations.
- the moral implications of war and suffering.
- the stories people tell about themselves. ✓
- the stories people tell about others.
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- Which of these feelings might a war photographer experience when they think about their job?
- envy
- pride ✓
- guilt ✓
- indifference
- contentment
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- Why might a war photographer become desensitised to the suffering people experience in warzones?
- Suffering is less shocking because they are exposed to it everyday as their job. ✓
- They will focus only on their deadlines and getting paid.
- They won't often experience the suffering firsthand.
- They will have been trained to distance themselves from their subjects.
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- Complete the missing phrase in this sentence: 'The words "frame", "subject", "picture" and "caption" are all from the ______ of photography in Satyamurti's 'War Photographer'.'
- 'semantic field' ✓
- Which of these quotations from 'War Photographer' suggests that the "girl['s]" story (when she runs from the bomb) has been misunderstood when reported in the media?
- "blood"
- "burden"
- "almost-smile" ✓
- "Ascot"
- "scream"
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Satyamurti is a sociologist with an interest in the stories people tell about themselves.
- The poem was published in the 1980s, against a backdrop of conflicts: the Falklands War and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- The poem addresses the contrast between the atrocities of war and those safe at home.
- The ‘story’ behind many images of conflict published by the media can often be misunderstood.
- A war photographer's job is one with moral implications: they raise awareness of conflict but are powerless to help.
Common misconception
The woman in the poem didn't love her baby because she abandoned them when the bomb went off.
It's difficult to hold someone to account for their actions in a traumatic event like this. Furthermore, the description of the "burden" the woman abandons could also be interpreted as an emotional burden that the shock causes her to leave behind.
Keywords
Ekphrastic - a poem that describes or responds to an image or sculpture.
Semantic field - a group of words related by meaning, often within a specific context or topic.
Sociologist - studies human society, behavior, and institutions, analysing patterns, structures, and relationships.
Moral implications - judgements regarding right and wrong actions, often influencing behaviour and decision-making.
Desensitised - reduced sensitivity or emotional response, often due to repeated exposure to stimuli.
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