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Help!! Comparing War Photographer and Remains!!

So there is a month left for my ENG LIT GCSE and I am struggling in comparing War Photographer and Remains. I analysed them both properly and know all the important quotes.

My question is how would you compare the individual experiences in the poems.
Can someone tell me few points please so I can develop them myself afterwards?

Thank You

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Both speakers feel guilt as a result of warfare.
Both speakers detail horrors experienced by civilians due to war.
Both speakers have a hard time living at home remembering war.
Reply 2
Original post by elsaruus
Both speakers feel guilt as a result of warfare.
Both speakers detail horrors experienced by civilians due to war.
Both speakers have a hard time living at home remembering war.


Thank You but can you please explain the first point a bit maybe with quotes because I didn't understand it
Original post by I-ZAAA
Thank You but can you please explain the first point a bit maybe with quotes because I didn't understand it


The speaker in Remains is a soldier because of war, and shoots a looter because of the conflict. "His bloody life in my bloody hands"
"And the drink and the drugs won't flush him out"

In War Photographer, the speaker feels guilty due to the things they've done because of warfare (taken photos of dying people rather than helping them). "Sought approval" "He remembers the cries of this man's wife"
Original post by I-ZAAA
Thank You but can you please explain the first point a bit maybe with quotes because I didn't understand it


The photographer’s hands are shaking though they “did not tremble when taking the photo.”

The implication is that in order to function and do his job properly in the field, the photographer must be able to distance himself from the subjects of his photographs. However, he is able to let down his guard in the privacy of the darkroom as he finally allows himself to react to the terrible suffering he was forced to witness and record.

Perhaps you could find a quote of a similar theme in “Remains” and compare the War Photographer’s inner conflict/experiences.
Reply 5
Original post by elsaruus
The speaker in Remains is a soldier because of war, and shoots a looter because of the conflict. "His bloody life in my bloody hands"
"And the drink and the drugs won't flush him out"

In War Photographer, the speaker feels guilty due to the things they've done because of warfare (taken photos of dying people rather than helping them). "Sought approval" "He remembers the cries of this man's wife"


Thank You So Much
Reply 6
If anybody else want to share their points they can don't leave the thread thinking that I got my answer.
I need much help as possible,

Thanks to anyone who joins.
Original post by I-ZAAA
If anybody else want to share their points they can don't leave the thread thinking that I got my answer.
I need much help as possible,

Thanks to anyone who joins.


I’ve made a few pointers above. Hope they help.
War photographer has an ordered and tight/controlled structure which could mirror how the photographer takes pride in his work but could imply that the photographer wants to place order amongst all the chaos. writer may have done this to show how soldiers are not the only people involved in war who wants to promote peace.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by internet monster
War photographer has an ordered and tight/controlled structure which could mirror how the photographer takes pride in his work but could imply that the photographer wants to place order amongst all the chaos. writer may have done this to show how soldiers are not the only people involved in war who wants to promote peace.


but how can i link that to remains and individual experiences?
Original post by I-ZAAA
So there is a month left for my ENG LIT GCSE and I am struggling in comparing War Photographer and Remains. I analysed them both properly and know all the important quotes.

My question is how would you compare the individual experiences in the poems.
Can someone tell me few points please so I can develop them myself afterwards?

Thank You


In remains the speaker is really guilty. However I'm war photographer the speaker isn't really guilty.
Original post by (e^iπ+1)^-1
In remains the speaker is really guilty. However I'm war photographer the speaker isn't really guilty.


This is false. There are quotes and actions of the war photographer which symbolise guilt such as the shaking of his hands. It shows that he is deeply affected by his job.

“To do what someone must” - use of the word “must” illustrates that he knows taking photos of war is wrong and insensitive, but he has to do it. He is morally conflicted and feels guilty.
Original post by The Radiographer
This is false. There are quotes and actions of the war photographer which symbolise guilt such as the shaking of his hands. It shows that he is deeply affected by his job.

“To do what someone must” - use of the word “must” illustrates that he knows taking photos of war is wrong and insensitive, but he has to do it. He is morally conflicted and feels guilty.


His guilt is really small. His eyes "prick" . Notice how prickling is a small temporary pain ( like when pricking your finger). Also notice how in the same line the word "beers" rhyme with tears. This is really critical as when talking about being guilty the rhyming is internal and small to compliment to small and temporary guilt. The last line also shows this. The photographer experiences guilt but it isn't much to change his actions as he goes back to his life without much care. "100 agoniss" where "editor will pick 5/6" for the "Sunday supplement". Notice how 100 lives is the cost of a few pictures only making it to "supplement" to show that also society doesn't value life.

It determains on how one interperets each quote. I agree he is morally conflicted for a small while but just continues with his job.
Original post by (e^iπ+1)^-1
His guilt is really small. His eyes "prick" . Notice how prickling is a small temporary pain ( like when pricking your finger). Also notice how in the same line the word "beers" rhyme with tears. This is really critical as when talking about being guilty the rhyming is internal and small to compliment to small and temporary guilt. The last line also shows this. The photographer experiences guilt but it isn't much to change his actions as he goes back to his life without much care. "100 agoniss" where "editor will pick 5/6" for the "Sunday supplement". Notice how 100 lives is the cost of a few pictures only making it to "supplement" to show that also society doesn't value life.

It determains on how one interperets each quote. I agree he is morally conflicted for a small while but just continues with his job.


The photographers eyes do not prick with tears. It is the reader i.e the person reading the sunday supplement/newspaper who’s eyes “prick” with tears. It shows how this issue doesn’t really matter in our society and how we easily move on from it.
Original post by The Radiographer
The photographers eyes do not prick with tears. It is the reader i.e the person reading the sunday supplement/newspaper who’s eyes “prick” with tears. It shows how this issue doesn’t really matter in our society and how we easily move on from it.


That is good analysis. I think poems are pretty good compared to the other things in lit.
Compare the ways poets present ideas about personal experience in ‘Remains’ and in one other poem from Power And Conflict.
(30 marks)

Both poets present ideas about personal experience in many different ways by using the power of memory.

Simon Armitage presents ideas about his personal experiences in many different ways for example: the change of narrative voice, he starts of in first person plural using pronouns such as ‘we’ and ends in first person using pronouns such as ‘I’. The use of the change in narrative voice highlights how it was once a collective experience but now a personal experience. In addition, Armitage also uses the determiner ‘another’ this may suggest he has witnessed things similar to the shooting or it has happened more than once, justifying the amplification of war. This links to War Photographer, as the Photographer feels guilt just like the soldier due to the results of warfare for example: ‘He remembers the cries of this man’s wife’. The speaker feels guilty due to the things they have done because of warfare( taking photos of dying people rather than helping them).
For remains, for the quote and 'one of them legged it up the road probably armed possibly not' this could be linked to checking out me history because it is colloquial language as it is in formal this could link to in checking out my history the quote ' dem tell me dem tell me wha dem want to tell me'
how could you compare this with remains?
Original post by elsaruus
Both speakers feel guilt as a result of warfare.
Both speakers detail horrors experienced by civilians due to war.
Both speakers have a hard time living at home remembering war.


Thnx this helped me alot :smile: B)
You could say that they both have the theme of war and that they share personal experiences along with it or something like that

Original post by 1996anonymous
how could you compare this with remains?

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