Exam code: 8702
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Power & Conflict
Where is the photographer at the start of the poem?
in a war-torn street developing film on site
in a makeshift camp near the battlefield
in his darkroom developing spools of film
in a helicopter returning from conflict
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Which set of places is listed in the poem?
Belfast, Beirut, Phnom Penh
Belfast, Basra, Phnom Penh
Berlin, Beirut, Phnom Penh
Belfast, Beirut, Paris
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Which short line signals how temporary life is?
“Dust to dust”
“Time devours all”
“All souls fade”
“All flesh is grass”
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As an image develops, what appears before the photographer’s eyes?
“a blur of light”
“a fading soldier”
“a half-formed ghost”
“a shadow of hope”
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What contrast is drawn between England and war zones?
England’s “summer skies” versus soldiers in “winter cold”
England’s “ordinary pain” versus children in “nightmare heat”
England’s “gentle rain” versus villages in “dust storms”
England’s “daily cares” versus refugees in “endless night”
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What does “hands… which did not tremble then” imply?
He was confident and controlled in the war zone.
He was arrogant and careless under pressure.
He was naïve, too young to feel nerves.
He stayed steady while shooting; emotion shakes him later.
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“A hundred agonies… editor will pick out five or six” suggests…
Lots of suffering is reduced to a few chosen pictures.
Editors are immune to horror through overexposure.
Every image is printed without selection.
Most photos are sold to art galleries.
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What does “he stares impassively… they do not care” convey?
The public remain unmoved despite his disturbing images.
He admires how strong the public are under pressure.
He hopes the photos will eventually inspire compassion.
He trusts readers to understand his personal sacrifice.
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What does the ending (flying back to war) suggest overall?
The editor demands he covers another domestic story.
The public encourage him to take more photographs.
The cycle of violence and his work continues without change.
The government rewards him for his commitment to service.
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What atmosphere is created by “in his dark room he is finally alone”?
a brief moment of calm between assignments
a quiet solitude that soothes yet unsettles him
a sense of triumph at professional success
a detached mood that rejects reflection
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What effect is created by comparing the scene to a church service?
It mocks faith and undermines belief.
It distracts from the sadness of war.
It uses irony to make religion seem foolish.
It makes his work seem sacred and serious.
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What is suggested by the list “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.”?
that the speaker recalls each place with nostalgia
that war’s reach is constant and repetitive
that he finds excitement in new experiences
that the cities are fictional and symbolic
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What contrast is developed between “Rural England” and “running children in a nightmare heat”?
that England hides the pain it helps to cause
that both scenes share equal emotional weight
that home comfort opposes war’s chaos abroad
that weather is the main cause of suffering
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What mood is suggested by “Solutions slop in trays beneath his hands”?
uneasy movement echoing his emotional instability
calm precision that restores his concentration
restless anger building during the process
indifference that replaces compassion for others
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How does third-person narration affect our view of the photographer?
It removes emotion and creates cold distance.
It maintains restraint yet hints at inner strain.
It glorifies him as the poem’s moral hero.
It implies the story comes from his editor.
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How do War Photographer and Kamikaze explore the struggle between doing one’s duty and following one’s own conscience?
Both poets show people who obey orders but secretly question them, later feeling guilt and regret.
Both poems show how duty can trap people, leaving them lonely and cut off from their true feelings.
Duffy’s photographer follows rules to show truth, while Garland’s pilot chooses freedom as a brave act.
Duffy shows calm obedience hiding inner conflict, while Garland shows a clear moral choice. Both reveal that freedom brings honesty but also isolation.
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How do War Photographer and Remains present endurance after conflict?
Both poets show survival as fragile — men haunted by duty who keep going through habit or memory.
Duffy’s photographer copes by detaching, while Armitage’s soldier survives by confessing. Both show endurance as pain that never ends.
Duffy and Armitage present endurance as being stuck: the photographer’s routine and the soldier’s memories trap them instead of healing them.
Both poets show pain fading with time, turning endurance into acceptance and peace.
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How do War Photographer and Exposure differ in their tone towards suffering and the hope of renewal?
Both poets treat human endurance with respect, showing suffering as meaningful and peace as possible after war.
Duffy’s tone is calm and detached, showing compassion as useless in a numb world, while Owen’s tone is sad and prayer-like, turning despair into dignity.
Both poets sound bitter about human cruelty, but Duffy’s cynicism gives no hope, while Owen’s anger looks for moral change through pity.
Duffy’s photographer and Owen’s soldiers both seem numb, suggesting pain loses meaning when it happens again and again.
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