Valentine 1st Half Flashcards
“red rose or a satin heart”
•conventional gifts, speaker immediately rejecting these, both might be seen as unoriginal contrived symbols of love
“I give you an onion”
•along with the first line, takes reader by surprise as speaker rejects conventional valentine gifts in favour of an onion
“moon”
•literal reference to moon in shape and colour, also moon is a conventional romantic symbol of love and passion. Moon is associated with controlling women’s passion and desires.
“brown paper”
•onions skin, gift often wrapped in brown paper (significance of gift that lies beneath the paper)
“It promises light”
•literally because of its white colours and metaphorically in terms of enlightenment about the nature of love
“like the careful undressing of love”
•imagery-simile- the removing of the paper outer layers suggests the “undressing” of those who prepare to make love. “careful undressing”- sensual and romantic imagery. Also represents that people have different layers once you get to know them
“Here”
•single word command sentence, Duffy employs colloquial style to represent speech. Recipient appears to need encouragement to accept gift
“It will blind you with tears”
•in the literal sense of the onion making you cry and a possible metaphorical allusion to love being blind/love making you blind
“like a lover”
•enjambment changes meaning of line before and after and acts as a kind of warning. This simile also suggests that a person could make you blind through the emotional power of love
“It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief”
•metaphor alluding to seeing love or your reflection through tear-filled eyes. Continues with negative, warning tone. Links to ideas of loss, pain, hurt, grief etc.
“I am trying to be truthful”
- short sentence, shows confidence in what shes saying
- this confirms duffys intention to provide what she sees as an appropriate/important symbol of love- being truthful snd not hiding any lies from her lover
