valentine - Carol Ann Duffy Flashcards
what type of poet was she
a contemporary Scottish poet
what does Duffy often write about
ideas on gender, oppression and sexuality
what was Duffy the first of?
the first gay, Scottish, women poet
when was valentine written
1993
why was valentine written
a radio station asked Duffy to write an original poem for valentines day
what do you notice about the poems overall structure
- despite being a love poem, it doesn’t follow any of the conventions of traditional love of poetry e.g. it is not a sonnet, doesnt use rhyming couplets
- it uses free verse, a form that mimics the rhythm of natural speech
what is the importance of the title
- establishes the theme of love
- valentines day has connotations of roses and flowers, hearts and chocolates etc.
- make us expect it to be traditional expressions of love
“red rose” “satin heart”
traditional romantic images
“not”
shows reaction of the following ideas
“I” “you”
first person perspective
clear intended audience
“onion”
- central conceit
- metaphor of love = atypical, multi-layered natural
- love is very complicated and can take a while to get into the real stuff
“moon”
metaphor suggests that the onion is special and otherworldly
“brown paper”
ordinary object downplays how special the love is
“it promises light”
alluding to the positives of love
“like the careful undressing of love”
sexual and emotional intimacy are both important and positive parts of love
“here.”
this line creates the impression that the poems persona is presenting the onion
“blind you with tears”
“grief”
negative side of love is shown - breaking from the traditional love poetry
“like a lover”
this image suggests that love can be painful and sad
“I am trying to be truthful”
realistic love isn’t always happy or it can be difficult to always be honest in love
“not a cute card or kissogram”
repeated negative construction emphasizes rejection of traditional love ideals
“I give you an onion”
the repetition of this line now makes it sound quite forceful
“fierce kiss”
love can be aggressive or domineering
“possessive”
love can be controlling and insecure
“as we are, as long as we are”
the repetition of “as we are” shows insecurity and doubt in the relationship
