Satyamurti is a sociologist with an interest in the stories people tell about themselves.
The poem was published in the 1980s, against a backdrop of conflicts: the Falklands War and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The poem addresses the contrast between the atrocities of war and those safe at home.
The ‘story’ behind many images of conflict published by the media can often be misunderstood.
A war photographer's job is one with moral implications: they raise awareness of conflict but are powerless to help.

Common misconception

The woman in the poem didn't love her baby because she abandoned them when the bomb went off.

It's difficult to hold someone to account for their actions in a traumatic event like this. Furthermore, the description of the "burden" the woman abandons could also be interpreted as an emotional burden that the shock causes her to leave behind.

Keywords

Ekphrastic - a poem that describes or responds to an image or sculpture.
Semantic field - a group of words related by meaning, often within a specific context or topic.
Sociologist - studies human society, behavior, and institutions, analysing patterns, structures, and relationships.
Moral implications - judgements regarding right and wrong actions, often influencing behaviour and decision-making.
Desensitised - reduced sensitivity or emotional response, often due to repeated exposure to stimuli.

The poem deals with big moral issues of truth, accountability, trauma and responsibility. Encourage your class to debate these issues before and after reading the text together. You may wish to print out the four Oak opinions from leaning cycle 2 and encourage students to debate these ideas.

Teacher tip

Equipment

You need access to a copy of ‘War Photographer’ by Carole Satyamurti. This can be found in the Edexcel Poetry Anthology (we will be using the ‘Conflict’ cluster).

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.

'A struggle between opposing desires, beliefs, or emotions within oneself.' Which type of conflict is being described here?

military conflict

Correct answer: inner conflict

social conflict

interpersonal conflict

environmental conflict

Q2.

What is imagery?

words imitating sounds they represent

attribution of human emotions to nature

repetition of words at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses

Correct answer: vivid descriptions appealing to senses, creating mental images

comparison using "like" or "as" to show similarity between two different things

Q3.

Match each of these poetic terms to the correct definition.

Correct Answer:stanza,a group of lines forming a unit in a poem, sharing common patterns

a group of lines forming a unit in a poem, sharing common patterns

Correct Answer:structure,arrangement of elements within a poem, including stanzas and rhythm

arrangement of elements within a poem, including stanzas and rhythm

Correct Answer:form,overall pattern of a type of poem, including rhyme and poetic devices

overall pattern of a type of poem, including rhyme and poetic devices

Q4.

Starting with the first, put these periods of conflict into chronological order.

1 - Crimean War

2 - World War I

3 - World War II

4 - First Arab-Israeli War

5 - Falklands War

Q5.

What are 'morals'?

strong desires that drive someone's actions, often related to achievements

personal judgements on matters, often subjective and influenced by experiences

standards or goals that are considered perfect or desirable, guiding ambitions

emotions triggered by perceived threats or dangers, causing anxiety

Correct answer: principles or beliefs about what is right or wrong, guiding behaviour

Q6.

What does the word 'absurd' mean?

Correct answer: contrary to reason or logic; ridiculous or wildly unreasonable

feeling uneasy or apprehensive about something uncertain or imminent

charmingly old-fashioned or picturesque

easily seen through or understood; clear, honest, and straightforward

intentionally made unclear or confusing

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.

What is an ekphrastic poem?

a Japanese poem with 3 lines, 17 syllables, typically evoking nature and seasons

a narrative poem with alternating rhyme, telling stories of love and adventure

poetry without strict rhyme or meter, allowing for freedom of expression

Correct answer: a poem that describes or responds to an image or sculpture

Q2.

As well as a poet, Carole Satyamurti was also a sociologist who was particularly interested in...

how people deal with traumatic situations.

the moral implications of war and suffering.

Correct answer: the stories people tell about themselves.

the stories people tell about others.

Q3.

Which of these feelings might a war photographer experience when they think about their job?

envy

Correct answer: pride

Correct answer: guilt

indifference

contentment

Q4.

Why might a war photographer become desensitised to the suffering people experience in warzones?

Correct answer: Suffering is less shocking because they are exposed to it everyday as their job.

They will focus only on their deadlines and getting paid.

They won't often experience the suffering firsthand.

They will have been trained to distance themselves from their subjects.

Q5.

Complete the missing phrase in this sentence: 'The words "frame", "subject", "picture" and "caption" are all from the of photography in Satyamurti's 'War Photographer'.'

Correct Answer: semantic field

Q6.

Which of these quotations from 'War Photographer' suggests that the "girl['s]" story (when she runs from the bomb) has been misunderstood when reported in the media?

"blood"

"burden"

Correct answer: "almost-smile"

"Ascot"

"scream"