In the poems I have studied writes have explored human mortality from differing perspectives and focusing on different ideas and issues. For example, in “Mother in a refugee camp”, Chinua Achebe explores the profound love between mother and child as well as the theme of premature death in a graphic and violent way. Furthermore in a different way, Carol Ann Duffy in “War Photographer”, focuses on the necessity of exploring the reality of what goes on in the world as well as the traumatic impacts of those that witness such a suffering for example the war photographer. Finally Dylan Thomas also explores this theme in a different way in “Do not go gentle into that good night” by expressing feelings that occur with the imminent death of a loved
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Additionally “all flesh is grass” is a biblical quote. This continues the religious theme found in the funeral metaphor and signifies the temporary nature of life, especially during times of conflict- when one death can mean so little. It also reminds us of the universality of death but it is ironic because we are all going to die but not in a horrific manner in the victims of war. A distance is created between the observer’s guilt and level of blame in “he has a job to do”. It is easier to call it a job and avoid the reality of the situation.
The poet also uses monosyllabic declaratives which gives a power to the statement.
It can be difficult for us to relate to suffering in faraway countries and so to make us feel angry and guilty about it Duffy has to use some disturbing and powerful images, images we would rather not think about, or really see:
Fields which don't explode beneath the …show more content…
This quotation is the most obviously taken from a photograph of the Vietnam War. The word “running” is in the present participle which represents action that took place in the war. We also associate children with innocence, and the idea of them being hurt brings out our protective instincts. The fact that Duffy does not tell us what these children are running from, some kind of 'nightmare heat', leaving it up to us to imagine our worst fears. Furthermore “nightmare heat” is metaphor that it visually interesting to the reader’s mind. In effect, this image is what happened before the images we have all seen on our TV's of children badly burnt, without legs or arms. We know while they are 'running' what will happen to
Additionally “all flesh is grass” is a biblical quote. This continues the religious theme found in the funeral metaphor and signifies the temporary nature of life, especially during times of conflict- when one death can mean so little. It also reminds us of the universality of death but it is ironic because we are all going to die but not in a horrific manner in the victims of war. A distance is created between the observer’s guilt and level of blame in “he has a job to do”. It is easier to call it a job and avoid the reality of the situation.
The poet also uses monosyllabic declaratives which gives a power to the statement.
It can be difficult for us to relate to suffering in faraway countries and so to make us feel angry and guilty about it Duffy has to use some disturbing and powerful images, images we would rather not think about, or really see:
Fields which don't explode beneath the …show more content…
This quotation is the most obviously taken from a photograph of the Vietnam War. The word “running” is in the present participle which represents action that took place in the war. We also associate children with innocence, and the idea of them being hurt brings out our protective instincts. The fact that Duffy does not tell us what these children are running from, some kind of 'nightmare heat', leaving it up to us to imagine our worst fears. Furthermore “nightmare heat” is metaphor that it visually interesting to the reader’s mind. In effect, this image is what happened before the images we have all seen on our TV's of children badly burnt, without legs or arms. We know while they are 'running' what will happen to