Valentine Flashcards
Author
Carol Ann Duffy
Structure/Form
The poem is written in free verse. Each stanza is very short, and several are only one line long. This form echoes the form of an onion itself, and the layers that go to make it up. There is a sense in which Valentine is within the tradition of list poems, as the speaker tells you what the onion is, and then what it is like.
The poem is a first person narrative, in the form of a direct address to “you”. We don’t know who the “you” is, but perhaps, as it’s the kind of person who would normally receive a “cute card” it’s a woman.
‘red rose’, ‘satin heart’, ‘cute card’, ‘kissogram’
Semantic field of cliché is love is evident through the ongoing reference to the ‘typical’ symbols often associated with love and Valentine’s day. This is evident throughout to foreground the idea that love is not actually represented well by these things
Not a
Red rose etc are prefaced by adverbial phrase ‘not a’. repeated twice in the poem and is an example of anaphora. This highlights how the speaker is continuously rejecting the cliché symbols of love, and feels as though these are not a fair representation of the complex concept. This also establishes an unsettling tone to the poem.
I give you an onion
The juxtaposition of the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘you’ potentially challenge gender stereotypes. The speaker could be female, in which case her giving a male a gift, goes against the typical stereotypes, and she is illustrating the truth behind love being non gender-specific (her as a feminist). The ‘onion’ is multi-layered and complex, like love. It is more than people give credit for.
I give you an onion cont
The line ‘I give you an onion’ further conveys the speaker’s imperative tone, as she does not ask her lover to receive the onion, but she makes it seem non-negotiable through the use of the imperative verb ‘give’. This signifies how Duffy is fervent in her dismissal as to what is and is not considered conventional when it comes to romantic relationships. This line further reveals the heterodoxy of the speaker.
‘Cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife’
The repetition of the verb ‘cling’ is negative and suggests annoyance and frustration. It suggests that love’s effects are ongoing and stay with you forever. The noun ‘knife’ is also negative and has connotations of pain and death – perhaps the effects of love can be really harmful and damaging?
‘Possessive and faithful / as we are / for as long as we are’
The juxtaposed adjectives ‘possessive’ and ‘faithful’ capture the two sides to love. The enjambment here reflects the ongoing struggles and continuity of love. The repetition of the plural first person pronoun ‘we’ alludes to marital vows, and is as though the speaker is accepting these realities.
Context
Her poetry has been the subject of controversy. She follows in the poetic tradition of, for example, Robert Browning, in writing monologues from the point of view of disturbed characters. Duffy often tackles difficult subjects, encouraging the reader to explore alternative points of view. Duffy’s poetry is often feminist in its themes and approach. Her collection The World’s Wife took characters from history, literature and mythology and gave them a female point of view, as a sister, a wife or a feminised version of a character.
