In the beginning of the poem, Duffy makes clear Mrs Midas’ utter shock and disbelief at the idea of her husband having a wish granted. This is shown through her effective use of rhetoric, whilst simultaneously making use of double meanings in the following lines, “Look we all have wishes; granted, But who has wishes granted?”. In the first half of the line, Mrs Midas shows her acceptability of the fact that all human beings have inner desires and wishes, and that the word “granted” here, acknowledges this fact. However the second half of the line seems to counter this and shows her condoning her husband for his selfishness, whilst at the same time questioning the sanity in having these inner desires and wishes being realized. Thus it can be assumed here that Mrs Midas is portrayed by Duffy as believing that all fantasies should remain as fantasies, as having them transcend into reality could have unwanted and unnatural effects. This line can also be said to warn of the future events to come which would lead to the end of the Midas’ marriage. Despite this new development however, Duffy manages to present Mrs Midas as retaining a sense of humor when referring to how Midas transforms their spare room into “the tomb of Tutankhamun”. This satirical comment enables the reader to visualize the depth of change that Midas’ touch has brought about, similar to that of an individual going from rags to riches. This mentioning of Tutankhamun, an Egyptian pharaoh, also enables the reader to imagine the vibrant glamour of the room, now comparable to that of a king’s throne room.
Later though, Duffy begins to display to the reader the slowly deteriorating state of the marriage as shown through the lines “Separate beds”, in the beginning of the seventh sestet. These words enable us to visualize the rift that has been created due to Midas’ new ability to turn gold, as well as the gradual loss of intimacy it is creating. It is also interesting to note in this sestet, Duffy’s clever pun on the word “petrified”, with regards to Mrs Midas new found fear of her husband. Mrs Midas can be said to be have nearly frozen in fear of her husband whilst at the same time having narrowly escaped being petrified by her husband’s touch. Once again though, Duffy manages to preserve Mrs Midas’ sense of satirical humor and irony through the lines “the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art”. This suggests that secretly, Mrs Midas would not mind being turned to gold, because at the very least, she would have many admirers.
Unfortunately things become too unbearable for Mrs Midas, resulting in the physical separation of the couple. The development of this inability to cope is hinted upon, by the following line “My dream-milk burned in my breasts”. The use of the metaphors “dream” and “burned” by Duffy, symbolizes Mrs Midas’ passionate desire to have a child and tend to it, however she realize that this desire of bearing a child will be nothing short of a fantasy now. Some critics make the arguement that Duffy also plays a pun on the word “burned” here, with the second meaning referring to her growing bitterness towards her husband for his selfish actions. It can also be said that this is the first time Mrs Midas really gives the reader insight into her deeper thoughts and emotions, whilst at the same time openly displaying her sexuality. Duffy then portrays Mrs Midas as being the one who initiates this separation through the lines “So he had to move out”, which presents Mrs Midas as an individual who will not play the role of the stereotypical wife when important decisions need to be made. The emotional ties between Mrs Midas and her husband are eventually cut , despite the formers’ attempts to maintain what little remnants are left off their waning relationship. The lines “At first I visited”, portray Mrs Midas initial efforts to make things work (an action that is more commonly associated with men), however Duffy then presents Mrs Midas’ resolve as diminished through her description of Midas as “thin” and “delirious”. These words clearly present Midas as something similar to a wild, stray animal that has lost what little sanity it had previously, and it is through this description that the reader is shown the hopelessness of the situation. In the end, the reader finds that Mrs Midas has not completely cut off her feelings for her husband as shown through the final lines “I miss most even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch. These lines are rather ironic, as while Mrs Midas is aware of the danger of his now tainted touch, she cannot cast of her emotional desire and longing as a woman for a physical display of affection from him. Peter Cash (2002), also reiterates this point stating “The ultimate irony is that Midas possessed a magic touch all along: namely, the physical touch which had the power to transform her into a loving wife. There is also irony in the description of Midas’ hands as warm, when everything he touches now turns into cold, lifeless gold.
In the second poem “Frau Freud”, Duffy uses the dramatic monologue in creating the persona Mrs Freud, who can be seen to be presenting a case to an audience of fellow feminists, in what seems to be a rally regarding the penis (which can be considered the symbol of male sexuality), using her own marriage with the great psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (from whom came many theories on male and female sexuality) as an example. Thus throughout the poem it can be assumed that marriage and sexuality are the major themes.
In the first line of the poem, it can be seen that Duffy portrays Mrs Fraud as being a very assertive and outspoken speaker, through the opening word “Ladies”. This shows Mrs Freud to be a very authoritative woman who demands respect, as she is able to address all the women at the rally at the same time. When one considers the level of authority and respect that Sigmund Freud himself gained through the popularity of his theories and findings, it can be assumed that Duffy intentionally portrays Mrs Freud in this manner to show that she too has her own respectable identity outside the marriage like her husband. The pause after the word also presents Mrs Freud as a calm and rather mature individual, suggesting that she is far older and more experienced than the audience of women that she is addressing.
As one reads the poem further, it can be seen that Duffy through Mrs Freud, mocks and criticizes both male sexuality and Freud himself in a very humorous manner, thus effectively killing two birds with one stone. This is seen through Duffy’s employment of colloquial words such as “the night crawler” and “ pork sword”, in reference to the various nicknames men give their penises’, throughout the entirety of the poem. This in combination with the poems’ structure being in the form of a sonnet, and Duffy’s clever use of alliteration and assonance through other words such as “the dick, prick, dipstick and wick”, gives the poem the feel of a nursery school rhyme, whilst also emphasizing the comical attitude that Mrs Freud maintains throughout her presentation. It can also be said that this contrasts the original suggestion of Mrs Freud as a mature individual, however , some critics argue that her attitude merely reflects her own opinion and view of men, and the way in which they express their sexuality, her husband not being any different.
The last few lines of the poem can be said to be very effective in portraying the ferocity at which Mrs Freud has scathingly attacked the subject of male sexuality, leaving very little room for sympathy. The use of the word penis near the end of the poem, and Mrs Freud’s description of it as “average” and “not pretty”, can be said to show Mrs Fraud as getting to the heart of the issue, whilst at the same time, this clearly illustrates her as having stripped masculinity and her husband of their somewhat tough layers. The later personification of the penis as having an “envious solitary eye” and the following words “one’s feeling of pity”, is a twist on Freud’s “penis envy” theory, something that according to Mary Greens’ York Notes Advanced (2007), a feminist would say Duffy does “cleverly”. This theory states that adolescent girls are envious of men due to them having a penis, and the use of the metaphor “envious solitary eye”, suggests that it is rather men who are envious of women, and the second quote implies that Mrs Freud herself, pities her husband and all other men who believe otherwise.
Bibliography
Peter Cash,2002, Carol Ann Duffy: “The ultimate irony is that Midas possessed a magic touch all along: namely, the physical touch which had the power to transform her into a loving wife” ,
Mary Green, 2007, York Notes Advanced ,http://www.yorknotes.com, page50
Bibliography