Carol Ann Duffy

 The titular character is alone in his studio in rural England, where he is developing photographs he has taken in war-torn parts of the world. As he does so, he reflects on the horrors he has seen, which have had a profound impact on him but seem to be met with indifference by his fellow countrymen.

 “dark room” – double meaning – it is literally dark to aid the development of the photographs, but also metaphorically “dark” as the content of the pictures is dark and disturbing.  “he is finally alone” – suggests he has been desperate to be by himself for some time. Perhaps this is because he has been eager to escape the chaos of the warzone. Maybe he wants peace and quiet to reflect on the horrors he has seen. Alternatively, he could want to seek sanctuary from his countrymen, who do not share his concerns about suffering in warzones across the world.

 “spools of suffering” – alliteration draws attention to the unusual nature of the photographic content. One would normally anticipate such spools to contain pictures of happy images – birthdays, wedding, etc. – but these pictures depict death and brutality.  “set out in ordered rows” – suggests that the photographer is trying to impose some order on the chaos featured in his pictures. “Ordered rows” also recalls the organisation of gravestones, which is appropriate given that the photographer takes pictures of those who have died in conflicts.

 “The only light is red” – Literally this is a reference to the colour of the light used in the development of pictures, but the “red” may symbolically represent blood of the victims in the photographs.

 “as though this were a church and he a priest” – simile - like a priest - who has to take funeral mass and administer last rites - the photographer is also surrounded by death. The two are also connected to the extent that both have a calling with a moral purpose – the priest uses his sermons to encourage people to live moral and Christian lives, while the photographer uses his pictures to try to motivate people to care about the plight of those suffering in violent parts of the globe.

 The reference to the red light may also have religious connotations, as it brings to mind the light of the sanctuary lamp that burns continuously in Catholic churches.  The ritualistic manner in which the photographer sets out the pictures in ordered rows also recalls religious rituals. The adoption of such rituals suggests that, like the priest, the photographer carries out his work with a sense of reverence and duty.  “All flesh is grass” – a reference from the Bible, which alludes to the fragility of life. The war photographer is familiar with this concept given that he has seen lives tragically cut short in the war zone.

 Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh – This list of troubled places around the globe emphasises the extent to which the photographer is familiar with human suffering and demonstrates its widespread nature.

 “He has a job to do” – suggests he takes his work seriously and he adopts a professional approach. He feels compelled to do this work in order to make the public aware of the some of the awful events that are taking place in warzones across the globe.  “Solutions” – double meaning – literally, the chemical solutions used to develop the pictures. “Solutions” may also suggest that the photographer hopes his pictures will inspire politicians and the public to demand solutions to the problems people experience in troubled parts of the world.

 “did not tremble then but seem to now” – counterintuitive – you would expect his hands to tremble in the warzone as he could actually be killed there. The contrast between his hands shaking at home and the calmness he shows in the field suggests he does not allow the emotional toll of what he witnesses when working to impact on him until he returns home. He must be dispassionate in the warzone so that he can accurately record the suffering of those in living amid combat.  “rural England” – the tranquillity of the pastoral setting at home contrasts sharply with the chaos of the warzone abroad.  “ordinary” – suggests commonplace, unexceptional and unremarkable.

 “simple weather can dispel” – the unhappiness people experience in England can be obliterated by a warm, sunny day. The suggestion here is that we, unlike those struggling for survival in war zones, have no real troubles.  “fields which don’t explode” – a reference to the minefields that often plague warzones. There is a clear contrast between fields at home and the foreign fields which are laden with bombs.  “running” – suggests desperately fleeing for their lives.  “children” – are associated with innocence, which suggests even those who are blameless and pure cannot escape the horrors of conflict.  “nightmare” – suggests a terrifying experience.  “nightmare heat” – hellish imagery is used here, suggesting that the warzone is hell on earth.

 “Something is happening” – a dramatic introduction to the stanza.  “Stranger’s” – suggest someone alien and unknown. Perhaps this explains the indifference of the people in England.  “twist” – the features may contort because the man is in agony.  “ghost” – double meaning – the man is a ghost insofar as he has a transparent, shadowy appearance as the image of him has not fully emerged in the photograph. He is also a ghost in the sense that he has died.  “cries” – suggests profound distress.

 “how he sought approval without words” – the photographer seeks the woman’s permission to photograph her dying husband non verbally – presumably through a sign or gesture. Perhaps this is because he could not communicate with the woman because they spoke a different language. Alternatively, perhaps there was insufficient time to discuss permission as photography relies on capturing a transitory moment.

 “to do what someone must” – suggests the photographer feels it is a moral duty to bring human suffering to the world’s attention. This line recalls the earlier conviction of “he has a job to do”.  “blood stained” – suggests that the bloodshed has left an indelible mark on this troubled region.  “foreign” – suggests something alien and conveys a sense of otherness. Perhaps this explains the indifference of Brits to the suffering of those who live far from them.

 “hundred” – suggests a significant amount of suffering.  “agonies” – suggests horrendous pain.  “black and white” – multiple interpretations – a) literally the colour of photographs b) the expression “in black and white” means the plain truth. The photographer captures the plain truth of the horrors of war with his pictures c) colour symbolism – white may represent the innocence of the victims; black the darkness of those perpetrating the atrocities.  “five or six” – contrasts sharply with the “hundred agonies. It is clear that the editor is indifferent to the majority of the suffering in front of him. The indeterminate number also helps to suggest his blasé attitude to the horrors captured by the photographer.

 “supplement” – the images are not deemed important enough to be put on the front page or occupy space in the main section of the newspaper. This is indicative of the public indifference to photographer’s work.  “The reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers” – bathos – the exalted empathy of “prick with tears” is juxtaposed against the everyday banality of “between bath and pre-lunch beers”. This suggests the British public’s compassion for foreign suffering is fleeting and superficial, as it is soon overshadowed by mundane concerns.

 “impassively” – the lack of emotion may suggest that the photographer is steeling himself for his return to the warzone, where he will have to be dispassionate and professional amid the suffering if he is to do his job properly.  “they do not care” – the indifference of the British public to foreign suffering is re-emphasised at the end of the poem. This contrasts with the attitude of the photographer, who is deeply moved by the suffering he witnesses.