Essay of war photographer

War Photographer

Carol Ann Duffy brings to light the tribulations of those afflicted by war. She delineates this agony through the use of emotive lexis, when the photographer thinks about the throes of those he photographed, and he sees “running children in a nightmare heat.” This is the photographer remembering children who have been hit with napalm, and have no chance of surviving. Literally, the use of the word “heat” refers to the napalm used on the children, and how much suffering and agony they sustain. Also, the fundamental cruelty of humans is brought to light, as innocent children are dying and suffering, on the whims of others. Furthermore, Duffy’s use of “nightmare” refers to the fear, and terror felt by the victims of war. The anguish of the children is reflected through the nightmare, as a nightmare in its simplest forms is an embodiment of human’s darkest fears and terrors. Often children wake from a nightmare terrified, but the temporary anguish is replaced with the comfort of ones parents. Duffy shows how in war, this is taken away from them, turning their very existence into a living nightmare. Furthermore, a living nightmare is often attributed to hell, and the abomination of war is perfectly captured by the use of the word “nightmare”. This almost forces the reader to feel disgusted, and focus on the disparity war breeds. When the photographer arrives in his darkroom, to develop his photographs, the sight that greets him are “spools of suffering set out in ordered rows”. Duffy uses these words to describe the images laid out in front of the photographer, ready to be developed, as the photographs need to be painstakingly developed over time. However, the contrasting word choice between “spools of suffering”, which refers to the chaotic and destructive nature of war, and “ordered rows” which gives it all order, and its own place. The juxtaposition of these two concepts forces the reader to almost become confused, as the contrast between order