valentine

Question 1

who wrote the poem?

Answer 1

Carol Ann Duffy

Question 2

what are the themes of the poem?

Answer 2

• love and relationships
• negative emotions

Question 3

what are the possible links?

Answer 3

• sonnet 43 (love)
• she walks in beauty (love)
• cozy apologia (love)

Question 4

what is the poem about?

Answer 4

• the speaker gives their partner an onion instead of a traditional gift
• the rest of the poem explains why the onion is a more appropriate symbol of love than other stereotypical gifts

Question 5

what form is the poem in?

Answer 5

free verse, stanzas are all different lengths, several of only one line, which makes the poem seem disjointed. some lines are made up of only one word which gives emphasis to the forceful tone of the speaker

Question 6

what is the structure of the poem?

Answer 6

7 stanzas, all different lengths
its a list of the way the onion symbolises love. it builds up and repeats words and ideas, which could mirror the different layers of the onion. the poem’s meaning is revealed gradually

Question 7

what is the tone like throughout the poem?

Answer 7

it begins quite playful but the speaker’s repeated insistence that their partner accepts their gift could be read as either encouraging or confrontational

Question 8

what does the onion represent?

Answer 8

represents love but is also used to symbolise the joy and intimacy and pain of love

Question 9

what kind of perspective is the poem from?

Answer 9

first person

Question 10

what does the direct address to the unknown partner do?

Answer 10

it makes it personal and forceful

Question 11

what kind of language does the poem use that is unusual for love poems?

Answer 11

dangerous language

Question 12

what are the main feelings and attitudes in the poem?

Answer 12

• love
• honesty
• danger

Question 13

why is the title ‘valentine’?

Answer 13

on the surface the title suggests the poem will be a simple expression of love however, like an onion, there are many different layers to the poem, surprising the reader as we ‘unpeel’ the meanings

Question 14

what is the first line/stanza?

Answer 14

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

Question 15

what are the annotations of ‘Not a red rose or a satin heart’?

Answer 15

• ‘Not’ makes it immediately clear to the reader that this is not a traditional love poem
• use of the stereotypical symbols of love implies they are cliched and lack meaning
• the line stands out and creates an assertive and negative tone which could surprise the reader. the confrontational tone is repeated throughout the poem emphasising the poet’s intention to challenge the stereotypical ideas of love

Question 16

what is the second stanza?

Answer 16

I give you an onion. / It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. / It promises light / like the careful undressing of love.

Question 17

what are the annotations of ‘I give you’?

Answer 17

use of personal pronouns highlight that this poem is meant for a specific person

Question 18

what are the annotations of ‘an onion’?

Answer 18

• onion becomes an extended metaphor/conceit
• its an unexpected contrast to the first line
• unusual but memorable metaphor
• onions have a strong, sharp, acidic taste, giving flavour and depth to a meal - suggests her love is very distinctive and cannot be ignored - perhaps overwhelming for some?

Question 19

what are the annotations of ‘a moon’?

Answer 19

• the moon is a traditional symbol of love and fertility
• although it is associated with love, it is also associated with mystery. could suggest that her love may be attractive at first but may bring darkness later (esp. paired with ‘it promises light’)

Question 20

what are the annotations of ‘brown paper’?

Answer 20

• emphasises that the onion is a plain, unsentimental gift
• could suggest that Duffy is being honest about herself; she is not dressing herself up to pretend to be something she is not

Question 21

what are the annotations of ‘careful undressing of love’?

Answer 21

hints at sexual or physical intimacy

Question 22

what are the annotations of ‘it will blind you with tears’?

Answer 22

• ‘it’ makes it unclear if Duffy means the onion or love
• could be a reference to a bad experience with love from her past, she knows the pain of lost love

Question 23

what two techniques are used in ‘ light / like’ and ‘tears / like’ and what does it do?

Answer 23

enjambment which breaks up the similes. it makes the poem feel disjointed and the separation also emphasises how unpredictable the similes are - the comparisons don’t necessarily end the way the reader expects

Question 24

what is the third stanza?

Answer 24

Here. / It will blind you with tears / like a lover. / It will make your reflection / a wobbling photo of grief.

Question 25

what is the fourth stanza?

Answer 25

I am trying to be truthful.

Question 26

what are the annotations of 'I am trying to be truthful'?

Answer 26

- first person and present tense to make the poem seem very personal and immediate - it is like we are watching her profess her love - the line is unconnected from any others and almost divides the poem in two. it could represent the heart of the poem - the speaker is trying to find the true meaning of love

Question 27

what is the fifth stanza?

Answer 27

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

Question 28

what are the annotations of 'Not a cute card or a kissogram'

Answer 28

alliteration makes them seem overly sentimental and makes the narrator seem disdainful of them

Question 29

what is the sixth stanza?

Answer 29

I give you an onion. / Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, / possessive and faithful / as we are, / for long as we are.

Question 30

why does Duffy repeat the line 'I give you an onion.'?

Answer 30

presents the speaker as insistent and forceful, establishing a sense of unease

Question 31

how does the language change in the second half of the poem?

Answer 31

it becomes increasingly dark and almost violent in the second half of the poem

Question 32

what are the annotations of 'Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, / possessive'?

Answer 32

love is described in physical terms, there's also a suggestion that it can be dangerous and possessive, creates a threatening tone to the poem

Question 33

what are the annotations of 'for as long as we are.'?

Answer 33

echoes the vows 'for as long as we both shall live'

Question 34

what is the last stanza of the poem?

Answer 34

Take it. / Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, / if you like. / Lethal. / Its scent will cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife.

Question 35

what are the annotations of 'Take it.'?

Answer 35

- imperatives could suggest she is confident in communicating her love - could hint at a desperate and needy side to her - could just be encouraging their partner to take the gift - or could be interpreted as confrontational, which makes the mood darker

Question 36

what are the annotations of 'wedding-ring, / if you like.'?

Answer 36

- could be a proposal but is undermined by the sense of hesitation in the next line - shows she intends to marry the man, which makes her seem very forward and almost obsessive

Question 37

what are the annotations of 'Lethal.'?

Answer 37

- by putting it alone on an end-stopped line, the speaker emphasises the idea that the onion symbolises danger and death; shocking and unexpected for a love poem - also makes her seem slightly unstable towards the end of the poem and adds to the threatening tone

Question 38

what are the annotations of 'cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife.'?

Answer 38

- repeated on different lines to emphasise the inescapability of its 'scent', also shows how love can be possessive and suffocating - also suggests that she isn't going anywhere until he returns her love - the 'knife' is a powerful, disturbing final image. there's a hint that it refers to something more sinister than cutting a onion but exactly what it could be is left unsaid - it implies that love has the power to wound