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 to a moon which was described as being wrapped in brown paper. Duffy was using a moon because it's nearly always associated with romance in films and movies.
‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper’
This quotation implies romance as it is a conventional symbol of love. The fact that the onion is wrapped in brown paper suggests that the relationship is not disguised in any way and is presented openly and honestly in an attempt to convey Duffy's personal true feelings. The "brown paper" is the skin of the onion, meaning that she's being careful to mention all of the aspects of the onion, and the fact that it's a gift, because, traditionally, you wrap gifts up.
In the last stanza Duffy shows her real worry. She warns us of the pain emotional turmoil that love can cause, but she doesn't warn us NOT to fall in love. Duffy recognises falling in love is something we can't stop, but can be prepared for.
'platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring' ... 'Here' ... 'Take it’ ... 'It's sent will cling to your fingers.' ... 'Cling to your knife'
She is trying to convey that love isn't all cute and perfect but that's its hurtful, difficult and unpredictable. Love isn't about possessions, it's about the work and the pain and the raw simplicity of it all.
