"Originally" Key Quotes Flashcards
“We came from our own country in a red room”
Use of pronouns “we” and “our” suggests that this is a shared experience of the family. There is also
a sense their need for a comforting group identity/defining event in family history
The word “our” is repeated suggesting a need for group identity in the face of these new
circumstances
“…our own country,” - assonance, gentle sound - sense of ownership/belonging.
The “red room” is a reference to the vehicle the family are travelling in. A sense of uncertainty/lack of understanding is demonstrated as the speaker is unable to explain their method of transport which could be a car or a train carriage. Probably reference to their family car.
Alliteration- simple, childlike.
Connotations of anger? At leaving what is familiar? Idea of danger? - facing the unknown?
The personification of “the red room which fell through the fields” suggests a loss of control or
helplessness of the speaker in the face of change which makes this journey seem slightly surreal.
“I stared at the eyes of a blind toy, holding its paw.”
Word choice has connotations of gazing/looking intently which suggests a stunned reaction.
It is almost as if she is willing the toy to be able to see.
Symbolism of “blind toy” like the toy the poet is unfeeling and unaware of what is
happening, she has no knowledge of what lies ahead.
Word choice of “holding its paw” suggests a desperate need for comfort/reassurance.
We are sympathetic towards the poet here. We are reminded of her youth and her fear
and uncertainty.
“All childhood is an emigration.”
The poem’s central concern - metaphor compares childhood to moving country.
Just as an emigration means to move from one country to another leaving all you have ever known behind, so Duffy
suggests that childhood is a journey from safety/security/the familiar into the unknown/to independence/potentially risky
situations.
Short sentence - simple statement of belief on which she then elaborates in the remainder of this stanza.
“Others are sudden. Your accent wrong.”
“Others are sudden” contrasts with the long sentence describing the gradual changes mentioned previously suggesting that some types of changes can take you by surprise
Abruptness of minor sentence “Your accent wrong.” suggests a lack of acceptance/sense of exclusion.
Highlights a key idea that she is set apart from others in her society and that she is aware of her original cultural identity.
“My parents’ anxiety stirred like a loose tooth
in my head.”
Simile - Interesting image. Just as a loose tooth is an irritation which is difficult to put out of
mind/irritating/nagging pain, so Duffy suggests that her parent’s concern was a persistent niggle
which she found difficult to ignore, she could sense their concerns which they tried to hide.
Word choice - “in my head” suggests that the parents’ concerns about the move are constantly on her mind
“But then you forget, or don’t recall, or change,
and, seeing your brother swallow a slug, feel only
a skelf of shame”
“But” use of conjunction at the opening of the stanza suggests a contradiction and change from her previous
outsider status to assimilating into the new environment.
The “or…or” construction suggests she doesn’t have a clear idea of what happened and offers a range of
possibilities.
It also suggests a gradual /indeterminable process of assimilation
Word choice “forget” and “recall” suggest losing something. The idea is repeated suggesting the continued,
failed attempts to remember.
The idea of “brother swallow a slug” links back to “eating worms” and suggests her brother’s acceptance of the local culture.
Word choice/dialect “skelf” suggests a hankering back to her previous home or limited influence of previous culture on her also suggests she still retains some of her Scottish roots.
Metaphor - “skelf of shame”. Just as a “skelf” is a splinter which is stuck under the skin and can be difficult to remove, so Duffy implies that her sense of shame in betraying her past is limited.
“Now, Where do you come from?
strangers ask. Originally? And I hesitate.”
The positioning/abruptness of “And I hesitate” suggests the poet’s uncertainty about her cultural identity or where she really belongs.
The word “hesitate” creates a pause - we learn of the speaker’s doubts.
Concluding the poem with “hesitate” emphasises her inability to answer strangers’ questions
The issue about her loss/change of identity is left hanging in mid-air, as if she has no answer.
“I remember my tongue
shedding its skin like a snake”
Simile - effective, suggests that just as a snake sheds its skin in order to grow and renew, so Duffy suggests that the poet is detaching herself from her old life and adapting to suit her new life. In this instance her accent has changed naturally over time and she has a new one. But she remains the same person underneath.
The image also suggests she views the change as something strange, not of her own volition
The word “snake” has connotations of betrayal which is a subtle hint that the poet may feel she has betrayed her original roots when her accent changed.
