What is the main theme of the two poems by Carol Ann Duffy?
What is the main theme of the two poems by Carol Ann Duffy? Stealing by Carol Ann Duffy is a poem about a lonely person, an outcast in society. This character is unhappy, alone and sick of this world, and because of his unhappiness, he soughs to destroy the happiness of others. Perhaps these selfish acts satisfy him because he will ten know he is not the only one unhappy. "Part of the thrill was knowing children would cry in the morning. Life's tough" -This "thrill" experienced by the poet demonstrates how the character pleases himself by destroying others' happiness. The hard work he had to do to move the snowman show he is willing to suffer in order to make others suffer. "Life's tough" and "sick of this world" tell us that the character doesn't like this world. All examples show that the character is tired of this world where he is alone and unhappy. But he gives himself what satisfaction he can by taking (stealing) the happiness of others. Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy as a poem, has similarities but also differences to Stealing. Instead of taking away another's joy, the character in Valentine is giving joy. The character in Valentine is not selfish; the character gives more rather than receives (steal). "Its scent will cling to your finger cling to your knife." An everlasting gift, to be remembered forever, to "cling" to your memories. To the author, perhaps the
The two Duffy poems I have chosen to compare the way she presents the speaker's relationship with the person she is speaking to are 'Havisham' and 'Elvis' Twin Sister'. 'Havisham' is in a form of a monologue.
Choose two Duffy Poems. Compare the way she presents the speaker's relationship with the person she is speaking to (or about) Most of Carol Ann Duffy's poems are about love, but that does not always mean that they contain positive connotations. Some contain positive where as quite a few of them have negative. The two Duffy poems I have chosen to compare the way she presents the speaker's relationship with the person she is speaking to are 'Havisham' and 'Elvis' Twin Sister'. 'Havisham' is in a form of a monologue. She begins by telling the reader the cause of her troubles. She states 'beloved sweetheart bastard' which is an oxymoron meaning an apparent contradiction for example loving hate. She uses words to describe her bitter and angry tone such as 'bastard', 'strangle', 'Nooooo' and also 'bang'. Duffy has used these words to make the readers aware of the anger that is going through this character. Duffy gives us an impression that the character does not like how she looks as she describes herself as a 'spinster' which is a female version of a bachelor. However if one calls a women a spinster it is in derogatory term meaning it is very offensive. She also states 'ropes on the back of my hands I could strangle with'. This quote has two metaphors, one of them meaning rope as in two strangle him or rope on the back of my hands meaning veins of an old women. Miss Havisham is
"Valentine" by Carol Ann Duffy is an unusual but very meaningful love poem which goes into detail about what love is really about.
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. In this poem she uses an onion to explain love, going from the idea that it's really romantic, to how it's lethal. In this poem I will explain in detail the writer's feelings about love....... The poem starts off with a positive statement, which shows the reader how she is against clichés of love and little silly gifts. She then uses an onion to symbolize love. '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
The Heartless Murderer.
The Heartless Murderer Just another night. One more padlocked out-house. Yet another forbidden shed. What do all these people have to hide, you consider anxiously. What could they possibly want to keep from the outside? Perhaps it's all a set up. Could it be...? No, it's impossible. All of these respectable owners of 1930's semi-detached houses couldn't in some way be embroiled in a government surveillance scheme, but now that you begin to consider it, it all slots into place satisfyingly, like a huge jigsaw that it has taken many painstaking evenings to finish. You recall all those information-ridden glances you noticed in the street when supposed strangers looked uneasily away from each other with that unmissable guilt in their eyes. And if ever the pain of knowing they were all talking about you broke your back and you shrieked out in agony all but the undiscovered few would brush you off, allowing you all the dignity of a disgusting insect. Everyone in the world seemed to have their own agenda, while you were left out in the cold, trailing behind with a tragic resemblance to a lost puppy out in the snow. A flash flood of worries and concerns thunder across your mind, which is suddenly feeling particularly achey for this time in the evening. Usually your brain is still in automatic mode after you crept out of your snug bed, pulled on yesterday's already
Education for Leisure
The poem 'Education for Leisure' by Carol Ann Duffy features an enigmatic character whose personality is gradually revealed throughout the poem. The poem explores a character disillusioned with the education system under Thatcher rule and the detrimental effect this has on the individual. The poet's clever structure and use of language help reveal to the reader the psychopathic, egotistical and deluded nature of this character which in turn helps augment the reader's understanding of the main theme isolation and the failure of the education system. The poet reveals to the reader at the very beginning of the poem the character's egotistical nature through the very first line: 'Today I am going to kill something. Anything.' The bold and blunt minor sentence 'Anything' is used by Duffy to make the reader take notice of the strange personality of the persona which is emphasised by the short minor sentence, heightening the impact. This is reinforced throughout the poem through the repetition of 'I' which continuously reminds the reader of the enigmatic nature of the persona, conveying the main theme of isolation. Duffy also employs biblical references to emphasise the deluded nature of the character: 'I am going to play God'. Again, the repetition of 'I' in this line reinforces the deluded and self-absorbed nature of the persona. These biblical references are enforced later
We have been instructed to compare two different poems both written by the same author. The two poems I have decided to compare are 'Stealing' and 'In Miss Tilscher's class.'
We have been instructed to compare two different poems both written by the same author. The two poems I have decided to compare are 'Stealing' and 'In Miss Tilscher's class.' Firstly I shall comment on 'Stealing' and then 'In Miss Tilscher's Class.' Following this I shall make comparisons. Stealing This poem is basically about a thief who sometimes steals out of boredom. The thief often steals things he does not need-like the snowman in someone's garden, maybe he steals useless things because he has stolen all that he needs before and nothing is left for him to steal which is useful. This poem consists of five five-line regular Stanzas. The lines are not really rhymed but the use of Assonance and Alliteration are patterned superbly throughout the poem giving beautiful sentences that rhyme with your tongue. The poem Stealing begins with the thief dictating what had been the most peculiar thing he had ever stolen. The poem then goes on to say how wonderful he looked in the midnight moonlight. This is basically trying to get the point across that someone had put all that effort in to making the snowman, and they had enjoyed making it the day before. Maybe this is why the Snowman was stolen. The poet chooses not to rhyme the poem but to use alliteration and assonance instead. For instance, in the first stanza it quotes '...Midnight. He looked magnificent; A tall,
How does Carol Ann Duffy reveal her thoughts and feelings through metaphor? Refer to at least two poems in your answer.
How does Carol Ann Duffy reveal her thoughts and feelings through metaphor? Refer to at least two poems in your answer. Carol Ann Duffy's most interesting use of metaphor is probably in "Valentine" and "In Mrs Tilsher's Class". "Valentine" seems almost to be about metaphors whereas "In Mrs Tilsher's Class" uses metaphors in a particularly sensitive and appropriate way. "Valentine" challenges the conventional symbols of love such as roses, satin hearts, cards and kissograms. Instead, it offers an onion as a metaphor for a romantic relationship. The bulk of the poem consists of an exploration of the idea that an onion is a suitable romantic symbol. The appearance of the onion, with its pearly flesh inside a brown skin, reminds her of "a moon wrapped in brown paper". The moon is a traditional romantic symbol, presumably because lovers often met at night, but Duffy's image suggests that her love is not immediately attractive yet contains the promise of more traditional romantic delights "like the careful undressing of love". The ability of onions to produce tears allows Duffy to explore the more painful side of a loving relationship. The onion will cause tears and "make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief". The idea of a deserted lover looking at his or her reflection in the mirror creates a vivid image of the end of an affair. The smell and taste of the onion becomes a
"My grandmother", "Piano", "At Castle Boterel" are poems which are concentrated on the main idea of 'looking back".
"My grandmother", "Piano", "At Castle Boterel" are poems which are concentrated on the main idea of `looking back". All three poems are written in first person fully enabling the reader to understand the poets experiences when they are reflecting back to their past. This also helps the reader to get in touch with the emotions of the writer. The images of their past are described in a detailed way enabling the reader to experience the memory with them, showing us the value and the importance of the poet's reflection. The poem `My Grandmother' is the only negative experience poem out of the three is . about the poet expressing her regretful feelings to the reader about her childhood, when she didn't spend much time with her grand mother and refused the first and last offer to go out with her. "...how I once refused to go out with her, since I was afraid" `Piano' is a poem full of a warm, positive atmosphere which shows the wonderful loving and caring the poet experienced and received from his mother when he was a child. The poet looks back to the past at the time when he was protected and cared for by his mother, in a relaxing environment where there was no need to worry about anything. He misses those days now knowing that he is unable to go back.. In `At Castle Boterel' the poet reflects back to the past and shares the reader the most enjoyable times
War Photographer’, ‘Valentine’ and ‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Anne Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy Carol Ann Duffy has written many poems and many of them are linked but in different ways, to substantiate this I am going to refer to three of her poems and compare them with one another. The poems that I have chosen are 'War Photographer', 'Valentine' and 'Before You Were Mine'. My first impression of 'War Photographer' was that it was really sad, lonely and cold this is because it is about people dying during a war and a photographer taking photographs of it, and seeming oblivious to anything else but getting a good picture for his employer, the press. Initially I did not sympathise with the war photographer because he did not seem to have any emotion whilst taking the photos, but as I read on I realised how the photographer really did become affected by the job he had to do. As an example, the phrase 'beneath his hands which did not tremble then, though seem to now', showed how he felt slight guilt and emotion. Carol Ann Duffy is very clever with the words she uses and how they are used, she uses alliteration a couple of times in her poems to emphasise a number of things, for example 'with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows', the alliteration in this sentence emphasises the number of rows. The first line of the poem reads, 'In his darkroom he is finally alone' Carol has chosen the word 'finally' in that sentence simply showing that the
Compare 3 poems by Carol Ann Duffy in which she shows us that things are not always as expected
Yr 10 Poetry Essay Claire Anderson Carol Ann Duffy Title: Compare 3 poems by Carol Ann Duffy in which she shows us that things are not always as expected. Carol Ann Duffy is a renowned poet across the UK and her work is very popular. Many different age groups can study her poems as they can be interpreted and understood in different ways. She achieves this in her poems by the descriptions and varying linguistic devices used. One of the reasons that Carol Ann Duffy's poems are so popular is that they are often quite unexpected. Duffy is not afraid to tackle difficult or unpleasant topics. She writes her poems very personally and with deep feelings. This makes it a lot more powerful to the reader and evokes some kind of reaction within them. Duffy's poems go deeper than first impressions. It is only after reading them several times that you can gain any understanding of the ideas and feelings that she is trying to get across. The reason for this is that the poems usually steer away from the conventional views and expectations. Often Carol Ann Duffy will open the poem on a line that is unusual, or shocking. This makes the poem seem more intriguing and perhaps surprising. 'Valentine' is a poem that is surprising and shocking from the first line. A title such as 'Valentine' indicates a poem that will be about love and