poetry - valentine Flashcards

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1
Q

“Not a red rose or a satin heart”

A

the isolation and bluntness of the opening line emphasises the strength of the speaker’s rejection of traditional gifts

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2
Q

“Not…”

A

the positioning of this word at the start of the line intensifies the speaker’s rejection of traditional symbols of love

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3
Q

“an onion”

A

given the mundane connotations of “an onion”, the incongruity of it as a symbol for love

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4
Q

“moon” “wrapped in brown paper”

A

the subversion of “moon” as a traditional romantic image as it is mundanely described as “wrapped in brown paper”

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5
Q

“moon”

A

traditionally associated with romantic evenings

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6
Q

“promises”

A

suggests devotion/commitment/fidelity

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7
Q

“light”

A

suggests something pure and life-enhancing

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8
Q

“undressing”

A

suggests something seductive and sensual

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9
Q

“blind you with tears/like a lover”

A

the development of the extended imagine in this quote highlights the pain and suffering that love brings

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10
Q

“wobbling photo of grief”

A

imagery suggests the pain/distress caused by a failed/complex relationship

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11
Q

“Not a cute card or a kissogram”

A
  • the single line stanza is an abrupt dismissal of more stereotypical love tokens/ a straightforward, no nonsense approach
  • the alliteration this quote also suggests contempt for predictable / insincere / unthinking view of love
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12
Q

“fierce kiss”

A

image to suggest the lingering taste of the onion suggests the difficulty of escaping the relationship/ an underlying threat or danger in the relationship

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13
Q

“possessive”

A

word choice suggests the constricting / controlling nature of the relationship

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14
Q

“possessive and faithful”

A

juxtaposition undermines the notion of commitment in a relationship

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15
Q

“for as long as we are”

A

the bluntness and positioning of this quote at the end of the verse suggests the impermanence of love

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16
Q

“Take it.”

A

moving to an acceptance of a “real” rather than a superficial view of love

17
Q

“platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring”

A

the onion becomes associated with the restrictive aspects of marriage/love

18
Q

“lethal”

A

suggests movement towards a dark conclusion/dark view of love

19
Q

“cling to your fingers”

A

echoes earlier ideas of the negative long term effects of a broken relationship / possessiveness within a relationship

20
Q

“knife”

A

leaves the reader with the final thought of love’s potential to wound