Poetry - Mrs Sisyphus

Question 1

Who is Sisyphus?

Answer 1

Greek mythological figure:

• He was the cunning king of Corinth
• He was eventually punished by Zeus and was doomed to spend eternity rolling a boulder up a hill in the depths of Hades.

Question 2

Describe Mrs Sisyphus’ narration of the poem.

Answer 2

• 1st person narrative voice
• Dramatic monologue
• Present tense
• Conversational tone

Question 3

How does Duffy use structure to convey meaning in Mrs Sisyphus?

Answer 3

• 3 irregular stanzas = indicate characters lack of control (over her emotions + situation)
• Stanza 1 and 3 focusing mainly on narrator = suggests she’s marginalised while he is central

Question 4

How does Duffy use structure to convey meaning in Mrs Sisyphus?

Answer 4

Both full and half rhyme

• All include consonant ‘K’ = harsh sound reflecting the characters anger
• Extent of rhyme reflects the never-ending task he has to do –> lack of variety

Question 5

How does the taboo lang in Mrs Sisyphus create comedy?

Answer 5

It lends contemporary relevance to the poem despite its mythological basis
- Incongruity theory