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"Valentine" by Carol Ann Duffy is an unusual but very meaningful love poem which goes into detail about what love is really about.

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Introduction

Valentine - Carol Ann Duffy "Valentine" by Carol Ann Duffy is an unusual but very meaningful love poem which goes into detail about what love is really about. Throughout the text Duffy makes it clear that she thinks that traditional Valentines are a tradition which she feels are overused and meaningless, which is why she uses and onion to convey her feelings. She goes into deep detail about what love can really be about. She shows that love can be good, but also hurtful and difficult. Duffy uses both positive and negative statements to show the way she feels about love. ...read more.

Middle

'Not a red rose, or a satin heart'. ... 'I give you an onion'. By this she is stating that she will not give her lover a conventional valentine present. The make up and use of these consonants portrays a feeling of harshness and sets the tone of the poem. Duffy uses an unconventional metaphor of an onion to imply the presence of romance within the relationship. Duffy attempts to convey a sense of love and romance when she compares the onion to a moon which was described as being wrapped in brown paper. ...read more.

Conclusion

In the last stanza Duffy shows her real worry. She warns us of the pain emotional turmoil that love can cause, but she doesn't warn us NOT to fall in love. Duffy recognises falling in love is something we can't stop, but can be prepared for. 'platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring' ... 'Here' ... 'Take it' ... 'It's sent will cling to your fingers.' ... 'Cling to your knife' She is trying to convey that love isn't all cute and perfect but that's its hurtful, difficult and unpredictable. Love isn't about possessions, it's about the work and the pain and the raw simplicity of it all. ...read more.

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