Valentine Flashcards
Line 1 - Not a rose or a satin heart.
‘not’ - starts poem off in negative way
‘red rose or a satin heart’ - common images of Valentine’s Day, very positive conn. cancelled out by ‘not’. showing the poem is not going to be a typical, romantic Valentine’s poem
Line 2 - I give you an onion
Very short, blunt sentence which emphasises this isn’t a typical Valentine’s poem. ‘onion’ has conn. of crying
Line 3 - It is a moon wrapped in brown paper
Use of metaphor makes the moon sound extraordinary, improves the neg. tone of poem so far.
Line 4 - It promises you light
Light’s positive conn. reinforces positive tone of Line 3. It is ambiguous as love could let you down even with a promise
Line 7 - It will blind you with tears (line 8 - like a lover)
Just as when you cut an onion, you cry, so too as you get deeper into a relationship, you become more emotionally attached, so you can cry as a result. Also ambiguous, could be tears of happiness
Line 9 - It will make your reflection
Line 10- a wobbling photo of grief
Dispels the ambiguity of line 7, shows that it is tears of pain and sorrow. The poem is becoming more and more negative.
Line 11 - I am trying to be truthful (central line of poem)
This shows the harsh reality of love and relationships. Alliteration draws attention to ‘truthful’ which is the central word In the poem and to ‘trying’ which gives conn. of effort and input, showing that a relationship takes a lot of effort and can be hard
Line 12 - Not a cute card or a kissogram
Shows her negative views on the stereotypical Valentines associations, linking to the first line of the poem, reinforcing her point. (parallelism - using same structure throughout a poem)
Line 14 - Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips
Just as an onions smell lingers and is unpleasant so too when somebody kisses you, it stays on your mind, and you feel attached to the person. The narrator is analysing her own symbolism
Line 15 - possessive and faithful
‘possessive’ very negative conn. , showing the negative aspects to a relationship
‘faithful’ this contrasts by having very positive conn. , showing the better side of a relationship.
Line 16 - as we are
Line 17 - for as long as we are
This shows there is an element of uncertainty in all relationships, as you never know what’s going to happen
Line 18 - Take it
Very aggressive and forceful. Imperative form of the verb, she’s giving an order.
Line 19 - Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
Line 20 - if you like
Shows the possessive and faithful nature, you’re drawn into a relationship not knowing how long it will last. Platinum is more precious than gold, but eventually it just shrinks down into a restrictive wedding ring.
‘If you like’ shows there is an element of choice to it but not really
Line 21 - Lethal
Minor sentence brings attention to the neg. conn. of the word, showing that for some relationships damage their life
Line 22 - its scent will cling to your fingers
Just as the scent of an onion stays on your fingers for ages, so too when you’re married, even if someone is unhappy, people find it very hard to get out of it. Clinginess, possessive, no escape. The after effects of a relationship will be painful as the thought of them will still be in your head.
