Choose two poems of Carol Ann Duffy's poems you like best and write about them.
Choose two poems of Carol Ann Duffy's poems you like best and write about them The poems I am going to write about are called Stealing and Valentine. Stealing explains about the thing people will do when they are bored and maybe not loved. The person in stealing looks back at what he did whilst talking to a therapist. Valentine uses a metaphor to describe love in this case she uses an onion as the main metaphor. The first line of stealing is "the most unusual thing I have ever stole?" This gives us the impression that he is talking to a therapist or to a policeman so we find that he steals very unusual things. The robber replies "a snowman". This backs up the idea that he has no purpose or meaning to steal, he does it for his own enjoyment. The robber is isolated and alone " I wanted him as a mate". This shows he is alone, he has no friends or that there is no one to love him like a family member or a lover, this also has anti-social meaning. 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
In my essay, I have decided to compare two of Carol Ann Duffy's poems, Valentine and Stealing.
English Essay In my essay, I have decided to compare two of Carol Ann Duffy's poems, Valentine and Stealing. I decided to compare these poems because of the obvious differences in them. The way it's written and what it's about. Valentine is a poem about the deep, passionate love of a strong character and Stealing is about loneliness, cold heartedness and not wanting anyone. In Stealing, the character doesn't rely on anyone else and enjoys keeping himself to himself. However, the character in Valentine sounds like her world would fall apart if her lover left her alone and she relies heavily on her partner. Valentine isn't a particularly romantic poem; nevertheless, it does convey a strong sense of emotions and love. She compares love to an onion because of the different layers, like how as a relationship grows you find different layers of a person's personality. Onions also make your eyes water "It will blind you with tears like a lover" like how a relationship can cause you a lot of pain sometimes, enough to make you cry. Raw onions can leave a strong taste on your lips " its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful" meaning that the taste of the onion stays on your lips for a long time, like how the relationship will last for a long time. Onions are made up of rings "It's platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring" meaning a wedding ring a sign of love and
Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy Valentine and Mrs. Tilscher's Class both describe feelings of love and security, but in different ways. Valentine is a strong poem, about love (although it is an unusual poem - it is more harsh, and not sweet like most valentine's poems). The structure is uneven, and it has stanzas that vary in length. The first line immediately shows that the poem is unusual. It starts with, "Not a red rose or a satin heart." This is a sign that the poem is not a typical love poem. The next line is, "I give you an onion." The onion symbolizes many different things about love. It is strong and harsh and, throughout the poem, Carol Ann Duffy compares it to love. She does this by comparing the peeling skin to 'the careful undressing of love', and saying 'it will blind you with tears, like a lover.' Here, she compares the way an onion makes your eyes water to the tears and hurt often caused by love. She also mentions the strong scent and taste of the onion when she says, "Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips." Using the word 'kiss' compares it to love. She describes it as 'possessive and faithful', just as love is. In the last stanza, she says, "It's platinum loops will shrink to a wedding-ring." This is comparing the inner rings of an onion to a wedding ring; it is a suggestion of marriage. The final three lines are very strong and harsh. She uses the word
By close study of "Valentine" and "I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine" shows how Carol Ann Duffy and Liz Lockhead express their views on love.
By close study of "Valentine" and "I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine" shows how Carol Ann Duffy and Liz Lockhead express their views on love. Although Carol Ann Duffy and Liz Lockhead are both writing on their views and experiences to do with Valentine's Day and love in general, the tone varies greatly between the two. Liz Lockhead's "I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine" is satirising the idea of Valentine's Day, but still believes in love and her feeling about it are sincere. In contrast Carol Ann Duffy's "Valentine" is really just using Valentine's Day as a way of mocking the entire idea of love. Her poem comes across as being more aggressive, and uses a conceit, in the form of an onion, to mock the metaphysicals. In Carol Ann Duffy's "Valentine", a poem about Duffy and her views on Valentine's Day and love in general, the tone is really quite aggressive. One of the ways she expresses this is through the way that the poem is structured and by some of the language she uses. For example she starts off the poem by saying "Not a red rose or satin heart" in a one line stanza, which paints a very blunt, harsh, negative picture. This suggestion is further enhanced throughout the poem by the way she continues to use one line stanzas and by continuing to use negative statements such as "Not a cute card". All of these statements that she uses to describe love are very frank
Compare and Contrast Havisham and Anne Hathaway by Carol Ann Duffy
Compare and Contrast 'Havisham' and 'Anne Hathaway'. The poems 'Havisham' and 'Hathaway' are all written by Carol Ann Duffy, England's poet laureate. She became the first woman to be our poet laureate in late April 2009. Carol Ann Duffy was born on December 23 1955 in Glasgow. She worked as a freelance writer in London and has written poetry books such as: Standing Female Nude (1985), Selling Manhattan (1987), The Other Country (1990), Mean Time (1993), The World's Wife (1999) and The Feminine Gospels (2002). Both of these poems are monologues using female voices. In 'Havisham' and 'Hathaway' she talks about emotions and memories. In the poem 'Havisham' it is a popular belief that Duffy is writing from the perspective of a character from Dickens' Great Expectations, Miss Havisham, who was jilted by her scheming fiancé. She continues to wear her wedding dress and sit amid the remains of her wedding breakfast for the rest of her life, while she plots revenge on all men. In 'Hathaway' Carol Ann Duffy writes in the voice of a real person, Anne Hathaway, who was Shakespeare's wife. In the poem Anne sees her relationship with Shakespeare in terms of his own writing. She uses the sonnet form which Shakespeare favoured. She suggests that as lovers they were as inventive as Shakespeare was in his dramatic poetry. She mentions them using the "next best bed" but she still feels that
Duffy said of this collection "It's meant to be funny, but also has a darker side." How far do you agree with this assessment of 'The World's Wife"?
Duffy said of this collection "It's meant to be funny, but also has a darker side." How far do you agree with this assessment of 'The World's Wife"? Duffy's poetry, while being humorous, probes the darker aspects of today's society in great depth. The majority of her poems make cutting social observations while also succeeding in making the reader laugh. This ability is most obviously shown in the poem "Queen Kong". The humour in this poem is provided by the surreal situations Queen Kong finds herself in. The urban sophistication of New York is a sharp contrast to those a Gorilla would be used to, but she seems to adapt as if she were human. "Next day, I shopped. Clothes for my man, mainly, But one or two treats for myself from Bloomingdale's." The idea of a giant Gorilla in Bloomingdale's is obviously ridiculous, but Duffy presents it in a very flippant manner, almost as if it were an everyday occurrence. Another source of comedy within the poem is the way Duffy manages to invert the pet-owner relationship. Queen Kong appears to be in control of her human lover, despite her being an animal. Once again the surrealism of this idea creates a very comical situation for the reader. The comical overtones of the poem serve to mask the darker, and more grounded undertones. The idea of obsessive love that Duffy portrays is one that is very disturbing to the reader. Duffy seems to
Compare how Attitudes to Life and People are Shown in "Stealing" and three other poems - two other pre 1914, and one Simon Armitage poem.
Compare how Attitudes to Life and People are Shown in "Stealing" and three other poems - two other pre 1914, and one Simon Armitage poem. All four poems have a strong sense of isolation about them. They all have a disturbing message within, which is portrayed in different ways by the writers, and it's as if they are all written to shock the reader. In Carol Ann Duffy's 'Stealing', the poem begins with the use of alliteration, the words magnificence, midnight and mate show the person's anger, and his power. The loneliness and isolation that the thief feels is seen when it goes to the extremes of stealing a snowman for company. The outcast is seen to take pleasure from other people's pain when he says, 'the thrill was knowing the children would cry.' The thief is talking as though it destroys for the sake of it, and Carol Ann Duffy uses a lot of hard sounding words such as 'booted', 'ripped' and 'rags' to add emphasis to the thief's feelings. Perhaps the most disturbing phrase in the poem is 'I could eat myself' which shows a sense of self destruction - possibly suicide. 'Education for Leisure' is also written by Carol Ann Duffy and like 'Stealing' it is a poem about loneliness and alienation. The poem opens with the phrase 'Today I am going to kill something', which immediately sets the dark tone of the poem and once again you don't know whether the 'I' is a man or a
How does the poem 'Stealing' create a sense of real person speaking? Does the reader have any sympathy for the character?
How does the poem 'Stealing' create a sense of real person speaking? Does the reader have any sympathy for the character? The poem 'Stealing' written by Carol Ann Duffy is about a character that has been rejected. It takes the form of a Monologue where the reader can judge him and have an insight of his life. The title 'Stealing' suggests crime and madness. People usually steal something they need, whereas the character takes a snowman which is not essential in life. This would show a sign of madness. At the beginning of the poem the reader has no sympathy for the character because of the theft which gives the character a negative personality. The poem is organized with 5 verses each having 5 lines and each dealing with different aspects of the poem. The poem is written in monologue, this would show a sign of madness, loneliness and boredom because of him stealing a snowman. The poem begins with a question 'The most unusual thing I ever stole?' This could suggest he is asking himself a question or has been asked a question and he is repeating the question to himself. The use of the word 'unusual' is to get the reader's attention. It goes on further by saying what he stole 'A snowman', this is unusual which could show his madness. The next line sets the time, setting and atmosphere 'Midnight'. The character describes the snowman as 'Magnificent' it appeals to him so that
What interests you about Carol Ann Duffy's use of an onion in her poem 'Valentine'?
What interests you about Carol Ann Duffy's use of an onion in her poem 'Valentine'? What I find especially interesting about the poem 'Valentine' is the subject; it challenges the ideas of a "normal" valentine card or present. "I give you an onion." It is also important to notice that the 'onion' appears to symbolise many things including the fact that an onion would be a better present to give to a lover because it is original and different. In a conventional way it makes sense because it is a real thing and takes time to grow and is not just bought form a shop looking lovely and pretty. The poem is written in the first-person and the speaker addresses lover in second person ("you"). This makes the poem universal, and understandable to all, as sex of lover and beloved is not stated. I also find the structure and from very intriguing since there appears to be no clear argument, but a series of observations linked by their common theme. "Lethal." The poem is not written in proper sentence forms throughout but Carol Ann Duffy has used many disjointed phrases and even a single words to portray her message of love to the reader. The use of the word 'Here' makes the reader feel that the poet is in control. In addition, these lines add emphasis, are aimed directly at the reader, and bring them back to reality after a sudden change of tone. There is no rhyme to the poem
Explore the ways in which James Joyce illustrates the character and behaviour or Mr Duffy, in his story, ‘A Painful Case’.
Paul Talbot Explore the ways in which James Joyce illustrates the character and behaviour or Mr Duffy, in his story, 'A Painful Case'. 'A Painful Case' by James Joyce is a story about a man, Mr James Duffy, who lives on his own, and has very little contact with anybody. He is very lonely and isolated from the outside world, until one day he forges an unlikely friendship with a married woman, Mrs Emily Sinico. Their relationship becomes very close, and eventually Mrs Sinico attempts to develop it to a more intimate level - the prospect of which frightens Mr Duffy, who is then forced, by his own fear and pride, to end the relationship. The story then moves on several years, and Mr Duffy returns to his solitary and somewhat distant lifestyle. He reads of the death, and suspected suicide, of Mrs Sinico, and begins to reflect on his isolated and desolate past, and regret his actions towards his relationship with Mrs Sinico. The story ends with: "He thought he was alone". Joyce uses a lot of imagery in illustrating the character and behaviour of Mr Duffy. The characteristics of his rented room represent much of his character, and indeed, some of the main themes of the story: these being desired elitism and consequent loneliness. His "uncarpeted room" has "lofty walls". This would give the impression of a grand, wide open space, which, being uncarpeted, may possibly be