Carol Ann Duffy explores different types of relationships in 'Valentine' and 'Before you were mine
Carol Ann Duffy explores different types of relationships in 'Valentine' and 'Before you were mine The title of the poem 'Valentine' written by Carol Ann Duffy is very misleading. If you see it you would expect the poem t be about romantic love, but she writes about cynical love. This tells the readers that she has been hurt by previous relationships. The poem starts off with a positive statement-'Not a red rose, or a satin heart'. She's saying that she's not going to give the typical valentine present. The harsh consonants give a feeling of harshness. She has instead chosen to give her lover an onion. She uses the onion to symbolize love. Like a person we never really know what a person is really intending. She uses a metaphor to put across this idea. 'I give you an onion, it is moon wrapped in brown paper,' She creates an air of mystery is. 'It promises light, like the careful undressing of love.' She uses alliteration to create a smooth sound. She continues with the metaphor 'it will blind you with tears'. The onion makes your eyes water, but at the same time the pain caused by a loved one has the same effect. She explains that she does not wish to be unkind. She is being realistic. 'I'm trying to be truthful.' She uses alliteration; the repetition of the 't' sound gives it the feeling of sincerity. 'Not a cute card or a kiss-o-gram' She does not approve of commercial
Examine How Carol Ann Duffy Explores Human Hurt And/Or Loss In Her Poems
Examine How Carol Ann Duffy Explores Human Hurt And/Or Loss In Her Poems Carol Ann Duffy has written a wide range of popular books and poems. War Photographer, Valentine, Stealing, Mrs Tilscher's Class, and Before You Were Mine, each appear to portray a particular aspect of her life, be it past or present. There is no doubt that pain and loss are part of these aspects, as she includes these emotions in all of her pieces. Each poem is easy to understand, however extremely powerful in its meaning. Carol Ann Duffy mentioned concerning her own work "I like to use simple words but in a complicated way". I feel that she has accomplished this, both in expressing pain and loss, amidst various situations and in an inventive manner. The poem 'War Photographer', describes the working life of a war photographer, and his raw emotions regarding his profession. The poem is set, with great significance in "his darkroom". This setting, introduced in the first line of the first stanza, reflects the dark thoughts of war that he has witnessed, and the contemplative mood which runs strongly throughout. The alliterative "spools of suffering", are the vivid images he has captured, each one telling a horrific tale of pain and loss. It appears cruel and inhuman that these images should simply be "set out in ordered rows", without a care of their origin. The only light in the darkroom is "red and
Compare the way in which poets create a threatening or menacing atmosphere in four poems. Write about 'Salome' by Carol Ann Duffy and compare it with one poem from Simon Armitage and two from the pre 1914 bank.
Monday17th January 2005 Timed Essay (1hour) Compare the way in which poets create a threatening or menacing atmosphere in four poems. Write about 'Salome' by Carol Ann Duffy and compare it with one poem from Simon Armitage and two from the pre 1914 bank. The poem 'Salome', by Carol Ann Duffy, is written in the first person, seemingly from the perspective of a woman given indicators such as the fact that the person has been involved intimately with a man; 'the reddish beard'. The first three lines of the poem, all of which uses enjambment, only come to make sense as the poem is read, meaningless on their own. Carol Ann Duffy then immediately establishes an ominous ambience to the poem with the line 'woke up...head...beside me'. The odd singularity of the head being mentioned by itself, as opposed to a body or person suggests that perhaps the head is indeed detached from its body, a suggestion that is later confirmed. The first stanza focuses upon the apparent victim and the speaker's reaction and opinion of him. Lines such as 'What did it matter?' and 'What was his name?' create a flippant nonchalance to the speaker in a chilling manner as, far from feeling remorse for these appalling and condemnable actions, she clearly feels very little, appearing indifferent. Words used such as 'colder' and 'dry' further establish a menacing atmosphere, and Carol Ann Duffy introduces
Duffy's Style
Duffy's Style In her poems Carol Ann Duffy explores many subjects and themes including love, a female's perspective of well known legend, dream-like poems, other people and poems from her own experience. Some poems with these themes include, 'Valentine', 'Mrs. Midas', 'Dream of a Lost Friend', 'War Photographer' and 'Originally'. Many of Duffy's poems are in a speaking voice (monologue). Some are humorous, some serious and others are very realistic. The poet uses images and imagery, sensory and emotional writing to convey ideas. To make the reader aware of an important part of the poem or to keep an idea with them, Duffy uses a variety of sentence structures and different styles. She often uses narrators. A persona (which most of her poems are set in) allows Duffy to express an idea from another point of view. The structure that she uses in her poems contains regular stanzas and both internal and external rhyme. In this essay I will be discussing the poems Valentine, War Photographer and Prayer. I have chosen Valentine, as it is a poem that has a touch of humour but also brings about a serious point about love. It makes the reader think about love from a different angle and it challenges people's ideas about valentine. War Photographer is a poem that is written from a serious view. I have chosen this poem as it makes the reader think about someone who has had
How do the writers explore and present the themes of conscience, violence and murder in the poems The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy and Salome by Carol Ann Duffy?
Compare the lives of the narrators in the poems, 'Charlotte O'Neil's song' and 'the song of The Old Mother. The Song of the Old Mother was written by William Butler Yeats he was born in 1865 and died in 1939 he was born in Dublin. It was published in 1889. Charlotte O'Neil's Song was written by Isabella Hercus in 1871. The Song Of The Old Mother is about a women who works all the time " while I must work because I am old and the seed of the fire gets feeble and cold." It also talks about other people who are just idle "and there day goes over in idleness, and they sigh if the wind but lift a trees". Charlotte O'Neil's Song is about some one who does all the cleaning and cooking and then gets fed up of it and doesn't do it any more. "You lay on a silken pillow. I lay on an attic cot. That's the way it should be, you said. That's the poor girl's lot. You dined at eight and slept till late. I emptied your chamber pot. The rich man earns his castle, you said. The poor deserve the gate. But I'll never say 'sir' Or 'thank you ma'am And I'll never curtsy more. You can bake your bread And make your bed And answer your own front door. This shows that the girl did everything and is not doing it any more. In The Song Of The Old Mother the girl in that is working and isn't stopping whereas in Charlotte O'Neil's Song the girl was working but is not any more. I think
'My Grandmother'
Elizabeth Jennings, 'My Grandmother' This poem explores the relationship between the speaker and her grandmother. It focuses on the remorse and guilt she felt - and perhaps does still feel - about the way she behaved towards her on one occasion, and can be seen as an attempt to exorcise this. The poem is divided into four parts: the first stanza describes her grandmother working in the shop; the second the incident which causes her guilt; the third stanza shows her in retirement. In the final stanza, after her grandmother has died, the speaker reflects on herself and her grandmother's life. The first stanza sets the scene - the antique shop reflects the character and life of the grandmother. The words 'it kept her' suggest that it seems, to the speaker, her only reason for living; the grandmother's concern is with surface appearance ('polish was all') not with deep human feelings ('there was no need of love'). Her solitariness is suggested in the fact that it is only 'her own reflection' she sees reflected in the antiques; it is these she lives 'among', not people. The antiques themselves create an oppressive atmosphere - they are 'faded' and 'heavy' in this stanza, and in the final stanza the 'tall/ Sideboards and cupboards' in the 'long, narrow room' take on the air of coffins. Even the sounds of the words the speaker uses contribute - the sibilants in 'the brass/
Discuss how Carol Duffy and Simon Armitage write about violence in "Education for Leisure" and "The Hitcher".
Discuss how Carol Duffy and Simon Armitage write about violence in "Education for Leisure" and "The Hitcher" The first poem written by Carol Ann Duffy appears to be about a troubled young person who kills things to take his anger out on. One thing Duffy does very well is to write her first and last sentences carefully. These relate to violence very well. The first sentence "Today I am going to kill something", this is a very strong start and very different. Usually the first sentences of poems are happy and then they might gradually turn into something bad, but Duffy uses a high impact sentence which appeals strongly to your feelings, making you feel surprised or shocked. This means the reader will want to carry on to see why would the person would want to kill. The last sentence, well three or four sentences builds up to the speaker going to get a bread knife. The speaker says "The pavements glitter suddenly. I touch your arm". These sentences are also very violent and also have a big impact like the first sentence. The speaker in the poem is boiling up inside then getting the knife and touching YOUR arm, which involves the reader. This is very clever by Duffy because involving you the reader creates a good effect. It scares you as you could turn around and there could be the killer. It would be especially scary if the reader were sitting alone at night. Another thing,
In Mrs Tilscher’s class and Valentine
In Mrs Tilscher's class and Valentine Subject Matter Mrs Tilscher's class The poet is remembering a year in primary school when she was in the class of a teacher called Mrs Tilscher. This is the title of the poem. She remembers a particular lesson (Geography) and a typical break time. This is mentioned in stanza one. Valentine The title tells you that the poem is a Valentine - a gift of love - but straight away, the poem makes it clear that it is not normal type of Valentine: Not a red rose or a satin heart. This is mentioned in stanza 1 line 1. She gives her love an onion as a sign of her love and the promised light that they could share. This is mentioned in stanza 2 lines 2 and 5. She explains why the gift is so apt, using original romantic images. This is mentioned in stanza 3. She adds a note of caution - too much commitment could kill off their relationship (love can be lethal). Language Mrs Tilscher's class She preferred school to home because of the magic of 'enthralling books , sugar paper and coloured shapes' which helped her to forget her fears of Brady and Hindley (the Moors Murderers who killed a number of children in the 1960s). This is mentioned in lines 9, 11 and 12. She describes details of other lessons and playtimes, especially one day when a rough boy told her the facts of life. stanza 2 lines 21-23. At the end of the school year, when
Compare and contrast the way in which 'Stealing' and 'Education for leisure' show how human beings can react to being unhappy.
Compare and contrast the way in which 'Stealing' and 'Education for leisure' show how human beings can react to being unhappy. Carol Ann Duffy, author of 'Education for Leisure' has written a powerful poem that explores the mind of a disturbed person, who is planning murder. We do not know if the speaker is male or female, though this barely seems to matter. What we do know is that he (or she) has a powerful sense of his own importance, and a greater sense of grievance that no one else notices him. Carol Ann Duffy has also written 'Stealing', which is in the first person. The speaker is obviously not the poet. The author writes sympathetically in that she tries to understand this anti-social character but he is not at all likeable. She shows us not so much of an intelligent criminal but a person who turns to theft just because they are bored. Both criminals in 'Stealing' and 'Education for Leisure' are people who turned to crime due to their loneliness and boredom. The point of the 'Stealing' poem is to show what people do when they are isolated. They turn to crime because they do not know what is morally right or wrong. This is shown when it says on line 11, "Sometimes I steal things I don't need." This shows that the person does not necessarily need the things he need, but commits theft because he is bored. This is similar to the persona in 'Education for
The poem 'Mother, any distance...' explores the ideas of loss and change. Compare the ideas presented by Simon Armitage here with one poem my Carol Ann Duff and two from the pre-1914 bank.
Thursday 28th January 2005 Timed Essay (1hour) The poem 'Mother, any distance...' explores the ideas of loss and change. Compare the ideas presented by Simon Armitage here with one poem my Carol Ann Duff and two from the pre-1914 bank. The poem 'Mother, any distance', by Simon Armitage is from a collection of poems titled 'Book of Matches'; it is meant to be read in the time it takes a match to burn, and thus cannot be very long. The poem is written in the first person, though it is not specific as to whether it is from the perspective of a man or woman, which indeed could be a result of deliberate ambiguity, or alternatively, it could be Simon Armitage himself. The speaker, apparently in a house he or she is about to move into, is measuring 'windows, pelmets, doors' with their mother, who has 'come to help' as they need 'a second pair of hands'. The technique of enjambment is used throughout the poem, and rhyming couplets appear in the third and fourth lines of the first stanza; 'doors' and 'floors'. A sense of adventure is evoked in the last line of the first stanza, with descriptions of seemingly normal and unremarkable things such as 'walls' and 'floors' including adjectives such as 'acres' and 'prairies'; this is also where the poem departs from direct reality. These images of vast space indicate the speaker's excitement of leaving home, and it is here that the theme