valentine Flashcards
who wrote valentine?
Carol Ann Duffy
context and meaning of Valentine?
-Duffy is challenging traditional presentations of love- by choosing an “onion” over a “rose” or a “satin heart”- she is able to explore the complex side of love
-valentine argues that conventional love imagery is untruthful and misleading. Duffy wants to create a realistic and possibly darker representation of love
how does Duffy use an extended metaphor and analyse this?
extended metaphor of an onion- used to represent love. The speaker sees an onion as an honest symbol.- it symbolises the joy and intimacy of love but also the pain.
Its an unusual metaphor, which contrasts with more stereotypical romantic symbols, like roses and cards
analyse Duffy’s use of dangerous language.
-unusual amount of negative language for a love poem.
-words like “blind”, “fierce” and “lethal” have a dark undertone. The speaker implies that this is a possessive relationship, while the word “knife” at the end hints that it might be dangerous
analyse Duffy’s use of first person and direct address.
written in first person- directly addresses an unknown partner as “you”- it’s very personal. The speaker commands like “take it” which may seem forceful
-intimate feeling
describe and analyse the structure of valentine
poem is a list of ways that the onion symbolises love.
-words and ideas are built up and repeated throughout the poem.
-could mirror the different layers of an onion, as the poem’s meaning is revealed gradually.
-tone is initially quite playful but the speakers repeated insistence that their partner accepts their gift could be read as either encouraging or confrontational
finish the quote, “not a cute card…
or a kissogram’
analyse the quote “not a cute card or a kissogram”
finish the quote, “i give you an…
onion
analyse the quote, “i give you an onion”
-use of personal pronouns to make it intimate
-introduces the extended metaphor of love with an onion- contrasts the first line- honest symbol of what love is like
finish the quote, “Its scent will cling to your fingers…
cling to your knife”
analyse the quote, “its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife”
-its a powerful, disturbing final image
-it refers to something more sinister than just chopping an onion- but exactly what could be left unsaid- it implies that love has the power to wound
-the repetition of “cling” on two separate lines emphasises the inescapability of its scent. - the word also has a dark double meaning, it shows that love can be possessive and suffocating
