Carol Ann Duffy - TWMMS

Question 1

“I say her phrases to myself”

Answer 1

• Use of 1st person perspective immediately highlights the personal element of this poem, this is specifically about the relationship between Duffy and her mother creating a sense of delicacy and vulnerability

Question 2

“Under the shallows of my breath”

Answer 2

• Shallow breathing is often associated with feelings of anxiety or tension, so this could be showing how Duffy finds comfort in her mothers familiar phrases

Question 3

“Too blue swapped for a cool grey”

Answer 3

• Blue has connotations of sadness or depression, whereas a blue sky is a good thing, and has connotations of being sunny and happy
• The contrast between the two connotations of the same word could symbolise the conflicting feelings of Duffy as she tries to discover her own thoughts and feelings
• ‘swapped for a cool grey’ could symbolise Duffy moving from a happier, innocent time in her life to a darker, more confusing period of adulthood

Question 4

“Nothing is silent. Nothing is not silent.”

Answer 4

• The double negative used here implies that even your memories, past, childhood etc. still has an impact on your life and stays with you well into adulthood

Question 5

“I am happy and sad”

Answer 5

• Oxymoron to show Duffy’s confusing emotions, literally stating that she feels two opposite feelings at the same time - She is sad to be leaving her mother/childhood but positive about what the future holds for her (represents shift from childhood to adulthood)

Question 6

“I am homesick, free, in love with the way my mother speaks”

Answer 6

• This line unites some contradictions from the poem - she is “homesick” for her childhood/familiar memories, but “free” to explore being an adult and establish her own identity
• Mentioning her mother in the last line also highlights the importance of her in Duffy’s life and shows that she really is at the back of her mind always