Mrs Midas Flashcards
“Heart of gold”
Metaphor, usually with positive connotations but is now negative, implies the difficulties to live with perfection
“perfect” “little” “precious”
Contrasting word choice and imagery, her dream of a child has became a nightmare. She realises they will never have a child together. Wanting a child- innocence contrasted by disturbing images
“Pupils like flies”
Negative image relating to baby, death in life, her hopes of having a child have died
“Burned in my breasts”
Metaphor emphasises her frustration, causes her pain since she can no longer have a child and has lost part of her female identity, harsh B sound creates sense of discomfort
“Streaming sun”
The alliteration reminds us that her world is always bright because of the gold, its unstoppable she is waking up from a terrible dream but it is became her reality, no relief
“So he had to move out”
Opens the stanza with a short sentence, establishes a pragmatic tone, she is a sensible character doing the right thing, declarative sentence marks finality she’s made her decision. She seems defeated and resigned
“Cover of dark”
Contrasts with the bright gold, she is ashamed and embarrassed of him so she tries to hide him away
“We’d a caravan”
Their earlier togetherness is contrasted with her determination to isolate him, all a measure of how separate they have become
“The woman who married the fool who wished for gold”
Narrative voice, she is blaming herself, wondering how she married the fool. A play on the phrase “fool’s gold” She has a negative view of her husband and by extension herself
“At first I visited, odd times, parking the car a good way off, then walking”
Mixed emotions, physical distance in case she is touched, suggests she loves him less but is still attached
“He sat in the back”
Plain and monotone. Orderly tone laying out what she does, a factual tone, Throughout the whole stanza it consists of these simple factual sentences almost like a list of actions. Absence of poetic techniques
“Thin”
Word choice, sensation of hunger and starvation due to his inability to eat anymore because of the wish. It makes us imagine his situation and feel eerie about his apperance
“Delirious”
Word choice, connotations of madness and going delusional suggesting that over time he is loosing his mind, uncomfortable to imagine his deterioration, he is suffering the consequences
“Golden trout”
Duffy uses enjambment to highlight mrs midas shock and surprise, she does not expect to see the trout she is taken back and frightened, “golden” effective word choice emphasises the point that everything he touches turns to gold, terrifying for both of them
“Beautiful lemon mistake”
Oxymoron, gold is beautiful but it was a mistake, reveals how beauty can be deceptive and useless
“The music of pan”
Pan was a Greek god of shepherds. Highlights his isolation. Ironic since a Greek god gave him his gift. “Listen” is a command to his wife suggesting he has gone mad and is hearing things uneasy and disturbing for her
“Lack of thought for me”
She is hurt and betrayed. Disappointed in him since his wish and carelessness has cost them their future which she has dreamt of.
“Pure selfishness”
Short and abrupt sentence, highlights her bitter tone and feelings, still angry and frustrated, tone of regret, regretting the situation and how her marriage ended, she still feels very betrayed
“I think of him in certain lights”
She remembers her husband at the times of day when the sky is golden, anything with associations of gold reminds her. Imagery shows a fondness and nostalgic atmosphere, she reminisces on her marriage and what they had
“his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch”
Poem ends on a nostalgic note where she remembers the times in her marriage. Repetition of “hands” emphasises the importance of touch and how she misses him. Symbolism of hands and sensory imagery throughout the last line shows irony, suggesting that the thing she misses most is ironically what ended her marriage. She has accepted the situation although she still loves and thinks of him. She suddenly realises what might have been
