Comparing ideas of art in Duffy's 'War Photographer' and Ghose's 'Decomposition'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can compare how Duffy and Ghose present ideas of art and futility in ‘War Photographer’ and ‘Decomposition’.
Key learning points
- Arguably, we might see Duffy’s poem as a critique of the viewer and their response to suffering in art.
- We might see Ghose’s poem as a critique of humanity and the artist.
- Arguably, we might see Duffy demonstrating the futility of using art to inspire action against suffering.
- Potentially, we might see Ghose suggesting the futility of trying to capture human suffering through art.
Keywords
Obligation - something that a person feels morally or legally forced to do
Chide - to speak to someone severely because the person has behaved badly
Presumption - behaviour perceived as arrogant, disrespectful, and inappropriate
Futility - the fact of having no effect or of achieving nothing
Common misconception
Taking a photograph of someone's suffering is an effective way of showing their suffering to others.
Arguably, both Duffy and Ghose reveal the futility of using art as a means of showing their suffering to others.
Teacher tip
It might be useful to recap Ghose's 'Decomposition' and Duffy's 'War Photographer' before this lesson.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the Eduqas 2025 Anthology of this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is an accurate summary of Ghose's 'Decomposition'?
Q2.Which of the following is an accurate summary of Duffy's 'War Photographer'?
Q3.Both Ghose's 'Decomposition' and Duffy's 'War Photographer' consider the theme of _________.
Q4.Which of the following is a definition of a topic sentence?
Q5.'Something that a person feels morally or legally forced to do' is the definition of which word beginning with 'o'?
Q6.Is the following statement true or false: 'Duffy's 'War Photographer' suggests that photographs of human suffering during war make a difference to society.'
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Both Duffy's 'War Photographer' and Ghose's 'Decomposition' both consider art as which of the following?
Q2.Which discourse marker might you use to show that you are beginning a concluding sentence?
Q3.'To chide someone' means which of the following?
Q4.Ghose's 'Decomposition' suggests that the speaker feels that taking the photograph of human suffering was which of the following?
Q5.The speaker of Duffy's 'War Photographer' compares their photography studio to a .
Q6.'The fact of having no effect or of achieving nothing' is the definition of which word beginning with 'f'?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Comparing ideas of art in Duffy's 'War Photographer' and Ghose's 'Decomposition', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Comparing ideas of art in Duffy's 'War Photographer' and Ghose's 'Decomposition', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Poetry anthology (Assessment from summer 2027) unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.