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Year 10 - English

Analysing the poem 'War Photographer'

'Power and Conflict'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in three groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explore how Duffy uses language and structure to present complex emotions.

Key Notes

  • 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.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • 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

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students may zoom into the suffering within the photos and not realise the complex emotions in the photographer himself.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key 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.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Indifference'

lack of interest, concern or sympathy.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students may zoom into the suffering within the photos and not realise the complex emotions in the photographer himself. Correction: 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.

More Lessons In This Unit

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