Valentine

Question 1

Valentine overview

Answer 1

Duffy uses her poem as a vehicle highlight the uncertainties and dangers of love in order to cast doubt upon traditional views and cliches of it. She was known to be a feminist who broke convention which may be the reason for her stance on love,

Question 2

Valentine para 1 quote 1

Answer 2

“Not a red rose or satin heart”

• the use of rose and heart both connote love and are archaic symbols of love in the time.
• she breaks convention by saying these aren’t fully representative of love

Question 3

Valentine pare 1 quote 2

Answer 3

“I give you an onion”

• unusual gift to a person with love
• the use of “onion” suggests she feels love isn’t completely great but instead it is complicated and multilayered like an onion

Question 4

Valentine para 2 quote 1

Answer 4

“It will blind you with tears like a lover”

• creates an impression that love is painful
• the use of the simile “tears like a lover” suggests Duffy believes love will always end in sadness
• the use of “blind” suggests love is deceitful because it seems great but can be lethal

Question 5

Valentine para 2 quote 2

Answer 5

“It’s fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful”

• creates an image of love being dangerous through the use of “fierce”
• suggests love is animalistic and something one should avoid
• the use of the phrase “faithful and possessive” suggests there is a fine line in love between being a good partner and being too good so that you are controll8ng
• therefore demonstrating the dangers of love

Question 6

Valentine para 3 quote 1

Answer 6

“Lethal.”

• the term “lethal” connotes death and large amounts of danger
• the use of the one word sentence demonstrates how the dangers creep up on you and can be sudden

Question 7

Valentine para 3 quote 2

Answer 7

“It’s scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife”

• the repetition of the verb “cling” suggests the something unwanted will stay with you and you cannot get it to go away which seems like a warning from Duffy
• the use of the noun “knife” connotes a severe threat and is symbolic of how Duffy believes love is a severe danger

Question 8

Valentine structure

Answer 8

Uneven rhyme scheme shows inconsistency of love

Free verse