The only joy he gets out of ruining the snowman is he knows “ children will cry in the morning, life’s tough” I think that he is being sarcastic by saying “life’s tough” I think he wants someone to understand the way he feels, because he has had a tough life and thinks it is unfair. He doesn’t just steal a snowman he goes into people homes to have a look round “ I’m a mucky ghost”. This quote has a double meaning towards it, it may make people believe he is ghost meaning he is never caught but it also means he doesn’t leave the house without leaving a trademark which might mean writing on the walls. The robber doesn’t leave without taking anything “ I nicked a bust of shakesphere once”. He stealing things for the fun of it, most of the things he steals are no use to him, I think he does this to despite people.
Carol Ann Duffy uses very strong language to get the message across to us on how the man feels, going back to the snowman “ I started with the head” this puts across to us that it is not just a snowman, it is like he is cutting up a body. This poem uses more strong language “ I took a run and booted him” “ Again. Again.” This is very aggressive and it is repetitive. We can also link this idea of an outsider, which the robber may feel like, to another of Carol Ann Duffy poem, which is War Photographer.
The whole fourth stanza is about the anger and rage he is putting into destroying the snowman. It is as if he is using a punch bag to relive all his anger that is clotted up inside him.
Valentine uses a metaphor to describe love. The onion is the symbol and the poem talks about real love. The first sentence is a gift “ not a red rose or a satin heart” she is explaining to her lover that she doesn’t want to give her lover a present with no meaning and typical gift for that event, so she gives him an onion.
In the second stanza she says “ it is moon wrapped in brown paper” this is the start of the relationship it is the undressing of the first layer and getting to know each other. She explains to her that “ I am trying to be truthful” it is as if she is telling him that love is not a fairy tale but a relationship she goes on “ its platinum loops shrink” this is describing that the last layer is marriage. Valentine has small stanzas of up to six sentences or even one. This is only short but it gets the message across to her lover that love is hard to find and it needs work if it is to succeed. Valentine is about Carol Ann Duffy speaking where as stealing is about a listener. The mains bits for Valentines are the use of metaphor of an onion.
Both of these poems are unusual and strange. Stealing starts with a question and ends with a question. Where is Valentine is about a speaker who is offering an onion. If you where to read them they would be hard to understand a first. I preferred Valentine because of the extensive use of the metaphor. I could never imagine an onion to represent love. The last sentence that I liked of Valentine was “knife” this represents an end of a relationship, which probably is a broken heart.
RASHPAL BHENS
