Valentine Flashcards
“Not a red rose or a satin heart.”
Cliché
Duffy decides that she not give her love any old Tracy gift
“I give you a onion.”
Antithesis
This diverts the reader’s expectation of what she would give her lover
“It’s a moon wrapped in brown paper.”
This diverts the reader’s expectation of what she would give her lover
“It’s a moon wrapped in brown paper.”
This is written as she believes regular wrapping paper is tacky
“It promises light”
Simile
Like the full moon it is light but can never promise for fill meant
“Like the carful undressing of love.”
Metaphor
The metaphor is used to compare delaying a onion to undressing someone personally or undressing their clothes
Here
Monosyllabic
Single word, minor sentence, domineering
“It will blind you like a lover”
Ambiguous
Onions (the gift) will blind your tears
“It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief”
Tears can distort your reflection.
Wobbling: love has the ability to disorientate
“I am trying to be truthful.”
It’s a simple sentence. It perfectly sums up the theme of the poem.
Not a cute card or a kissogram
“This reflects back to the first line of the poem where the speaker would rather give their lover a onion than any old Knick knack.
lethal
Is normally associated with violence or great bodily harm. Entails the main theme of how love can be used as a weapon if used incorrectly
