Duffy poems Flashcards
War Photographer – What are the key themes? | Conflict
guilt
War Photographer – Name two techniques used in the poem. | Contrast (war zone vs peaceful England)
vivid imagery (“spools of suffering”).
War Photographer – “A hundred agonies in black-and-white” – What does it show? | The emotional impact of war
reduced to simple images the public views with detachment.
Valentine – What unusual object is used as a symbol of love? | An onion.
Valentine – What themes are explored? | Love
honesty
Valentine – “It will blind you with tears like a lover” – What does this suggest? | Love can be painful and overwhelming
not just romantic.
Mrs Midas – What myth is the poem based on? | The story of King Midas
who turned everything he touched into gold.
Mrs Midas – How is humour used in the poem? | Irony and domestic imagery contrast the myth with reality.
Mrs Midas – “I miss most
even now
Originally – What is the poem about? | A child’s experience of moving from Scotland to England and losing their cultural identity.
Originally – What themes are explored? | Identity
change
Originally – “My tongue shed its skin like a snake.” – What does it suggest? | Shows how the speaker’s language and identity have changed.
In Mrs Tilscher’s Class – What is the poem about? | A nostalgic memory of primary school and the transition into adolescence.
In Mrs Tilscher’s Class – What does the thunderstorm symbolise? | Puberty and the disruption of childhood innocence.
In Mrs Tilscher’s Class – What themes are explored? | Growing up
innocence
The Way My Mother Speaks – What does the train journey symbolise? | Transition in life; growing up and moving forward.
The Way My Mother Speaks – What themes are explored? | Family
identity
The Way My Mother Speaks – “Nothing is silent. Nothing is not silent.” – What does it mean? | Suggests the emotional complexity of change; conflicting feelings of loss and comfort.
