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?Carol Ann DuffySelected poemsThe following Carol Ann Duffy poems have been selected for their representations of personas. They all describe experiences and/or the subsequent impact as told from an individual’s perspective.‘Valentine’ – explores the different stages of a modern relationship through the extended metaphor of an onion.‘Havisham’ – re-examination of Dickens’ character Miss Havisham and her bitter heartbreak, as evoked through brutal imagery.‘WarPhotographer’ – the damaging observations of conflict, its victims and its distant observers, told through the eyes of the photographer who captures the brutal images.‘Anne Hathaway’ – a sonnet that gives voice to Shakespeare’s ‘neglected’ wife. Here she tells her romanticised version of their relationship.‘Mrs Midas’ – examines the consequences of selfish and vain decisions in modern relationships, written using the myth of Midas and from the perspective of his fictional wife.‘Originally’ – Duffy’s personal poem about her experiences with dual identity. Her physical transition from Scotland to England is explored, as is the transformation from child into adult.ValentineThis poem is written in the first person. The speaker appears to be the poet, addressing her lover as “you”. In fact, Carol Ann Duffy wrote Valentine after a radio producer asked her to write an original poem for St. Valentine’s Day.(Valentine was published in 1993, in the collection Mean Time.) But the poem is universal: it could be from any lover to any beloved (for example, there is no indication of the sex of either the “I” or the “you”). The poem, on the surface, is about the giving of an unusual present for St. Valentine’s Day, but really is an exploration of love between two people. This is a good text to write about, because it has a single central image, which is developed throughout the poem: the onion is an extended metaphor for love.The form of the poem supports its argument (the ideas in it) as Duffy uses single isolated lines to show why she rejects the conventional Valentines: “Not a red rose or a satin heart…Not a cute card or a kissogram.” Why not? Because each has long ceased to be original and has been sent millions of times. The symbolism of roses and hearts is often overlooked, while cards and kissograms may be expensive but mean little. As an artist, Ms. Duffy should be able to think of something more distinctive, and she does.Duffy in effect lists reasons why the onion is an appropriate symbol of love. First, the conventional romantic symbol of the moon is concealed in it. The moon is supposed to govern women’s passions. The brown skin is like a paper bag, and the shiny pale onion within is like the moon. The “light” which it promises may be both its literal brightness and metaphorical understanding (of love) or enlightenment. The removing of the papery outer layers suggests the “undressing” of those who prepare to make love. There may also be a pun (play on words here) as “dressing” (such as French dressing or salad dressing) is often found with onions in the kitchen.The onion is like a lover because it makes one cry. The verb “blind” may also suggest the traditional idea of love’s (or Cupid’s) being blind. And the onion reflects a distorted image of anyone who looks at it, as if this reflection were a “wobbling photo” – an image which won’t keep still, as the onion takes time to settle on a surface. The flavour of the onion is persistent, so this taste is like a kiss which lasts, which introduces the idea of faithfulness which will match that of the lovers (“possessive and faithful…for as long as we are”).The onion is a series of concentric rings, each smaller than the other until one finds a ring the size of a wedding ring (“platinum”, because of the colour). But note the phrase “if you like”: the lover is given the choice. Thus the poem, like a traditional Valentine, contains a proposal of marriage. There is also a hint of a threat in the suggestion that the onion is lethal, as its scent clings “to your knife”. The poet shows how the knife which cuts the onion is marked with its scent, as if ready to punish any betrayal.Note the form of this poem: Duffy writes colloquially (as if speaking) so single words or phrases work as sentences: “Here…Take it…Lethal”. The ends of lines mark pauses, and most of them have a punctuation mark to show this. The stanza breaks mark longer pauses, so that we see how the poem is to be read aloud. The poem appeals to the senses especially of sight (striking visual images of light, shape and colour), touch (the “fierce kiss”) and smell (the “scent” clinging “to your fingers” and “knife”). The poem uses conventional Valentines as a starting point, before showing how the onion is much more true to the nature of love. The poem seems at first to be rather comical (an onion as a Valentine is surely bizarre) but in fact is a very serious analysis of love.Lines 1–5The speaker does not appear to like traditional gifts of love and instead wants to give a seemingly unpleasant and unusual gift of an onion. It is compared to the moon and has positive connotations of the hope felt at the start of a new relationship.Lines 6–11The speaker insists that the lover take the onion even if it brings sadness and tears. Just as an onion’s juices can make a person cry, so can the arguments and heartbreak that go along with the reality of modern relationships.Lines 12–17Rejection of traditional tokens of love is reinforced and repetition of the more realistic idea of an onion is given. The speaker embraces the passion that goes along with a modern relationship but also accepts that it may not last forever.Lines 18–23Explore how relationships can lead to marriage but may also end in heartbreak. The speaker acknowledges that the (often painful) memories of a relationship can stay with a person, just as an onion’s scent will linger.Valentine?describes a gift for a lover, such as you would give on Valentine’s Day. It is a rather unusual present – an onion. The poem explains why it is a powerful gift of love, much more than the clichéd roses or box of chocolates.The onion becomes a metaphor for love, and so the poem is about love as well as Valentine gifts.Form and StructureThe poem is written in?free verse. Each stanza is very short, and several are only one line long. This form echoes the form of an onion itself, and the layers that go to make it up. There is a sense in which?Valentine?is within the tradition of list poems, as the speaker tells you what the onion is, and then what it is like.The poem is a?first person?narrative, in the form of a direct address to?you. We don’t know who the?you?is, but perhaps, as it’s the kind of person who would normally receive a?cute card?it’s a woman.Language and ImageryThe language of the poem is quite simple and straight-forward, particularly in the clear sentence structures that are often repeated. This reflects the idea of it being an honest love.ImageryValentine?begins with a mixture of grand romantic imagery – the metaphor of the?moon?– and the everyday – the?brown paper?the moon is wrapped in. The very first stanza of the poem dismisses the clichéd, normal gifts of love, indicating that this will be a different kind of valentine.There is a strong sense of danger in the imagery of the poem. The onion will?blind you with tears, which is a comparison – using a simile – to what a lover will do, and even in affection there is a sense of danger in its?fierce kiss. This culminates in the single word sentence in the middle of the final stanza:?Lethal. This is emphasised by the fact that the final word of the poem is?knife. There is a sense that love can be dangerous, perhaps in its possessiveness.This is reflected in the idea that light is promised by the?careful undressing of love?– you must be careful with love to get its benefit, just as you must be careful with the onion. Throughout the poem the onion is a metaphor for love, developed in different ways. There is also an ambiguity in the poem as to whether?it?refers to the onion or to love.Attitudes, themes and ideasThe narrator of the poem dismisses clichéd ideas of love with the two single line stanzas that begin with the word?not. There is an attitude in the poem that normal Valentines are not as honest as this one. The two single line stanzas in the middle of the poem contrast the idea of truthfulness with clichéd cards or kissograms. It is also more cynical about love: rather than promising to last forever, this Valentine will merely last as long as the two of them are possessive and faithful, like the onion. This is an unusual attitude for a love poem.This, combined with the theme of love as being dangerous, makes for an unsettling tone to the poem. However, there is a sense that this is a more genuine and useful present, which suggests a practical love. The offer of a wedding-ring, in an offhand manner, also reinforces the idea that truthful love is the better sort.OverviewValentine is from a collection of poems entitled Mean Time (1993), and expresses love and affection in the form of a conceit whereby the symbol of love being offered by the speaker is an unconventional onion.The poem challenges the stereotypical view of a Valentine’s gift when the speaker presents their lover with the metaphorical onion as?a moon wrapped in brown paper.This is reminiscent of metaphysical poets such as John Donne, who approached ordinary objects in original and surprising ways. The multi-layered complexity of the onion represents a real relationship and is used as an extended metaphor throughout.The strangeness of this unusual gift, which can make a lover cry, highlights the negative as well as the positive effects of a deep and loving relationship. The forceful presentation of this gift, and the final word choice, also suggests this is a relationship which is cruel, domineering and menacing.Form and structureThe poem is written in free verse using irregular stanzas to support its content and purpose, which is to reject traditional restrictive conventions such as marriage and other notions of love and to warn lovers that being overly possessive can have undesirable consequences.While ostensibly a poem on the theme of love, Duffy deliberately avoids the use of language or imagery that we associate with this type of poetry. Instead, the words are often stark and monosyllabic to allow her to present her ideas clearly and unambiguously.Stanzas one and twoThe title itself,?Valentine, initially suggests that this poem will deal with the fairly conventional notions of love with its connotations of flowers, hearts and romance.However, the traditional idea as suggested from the title is subverted from the very beginning in the opening line:?‘Not a red rose or a satin heart.’?and in line 12:?‘Not a cute card or a kissogram.’?By inserting a negative at the opening of both these lines, the speaker is effectively dismissing traditional symbols of love and instead presents an object that is much more truthfully representative of love.In the repetition of?‘I give you an onion’?in lines 2 and 13, the speaker emphasises the importance of this gift being accepted by their lover.The use of the imperative commands?‘Here’?in line 6 and?‘Take it’ in line 18, further establishes the forceful character of the speaker.The gift, the metaphorical onion, is described as?‘a moon wrapped in brown paper.’?Thus although initially puzzling and unconventional, the allusion to the moon does remind us of more traditional notions of romance.The ‘brown paper’ refers both to the texture and colour of the outer layer of the onion as well as reminding us that real romantic gifts do not need to be embellished or concealed within expensive wrapping. The speaker is asserting then that the onion symbolises a positive aspect of love since it represents refreshing honesty and optimism, often experienced at the beginning of a relationship.The line?‘It promises light’?also indicates that this will be an enriching and fulfilling relationship for both parties. This too conveys the optimism and hopefulness of lovers embarking on a new relationship.The simile?‘like the careful undressing of love’?can be interpreted both as a reference to the sexual aspect of their relationship, and also the growth of their emotional bond which the peeling away of clothes and layers of personality may bring.525780061722000The word?‘careful’?suggests tenderness, affection, warmth and sensitivity between the lovers as they gradually allow external barriers to come down and expose their true selves to each other.Stanza threeThis verse opens with one commanding single word line:?‘Here.’The full stop and solitary stance emphasise the forceful presentation of the gift.However, this gift also bears a warning that?‘It will blind you with tears’?conveying the idea that this relationship may occasionally cause pain and make you cry, just as getting too close to a chopped up onion can bring tears to your eyes.In this way, the speaker reminds us that the onion, just like a lover, can elicit pain and distress as well as love and passion.An additional warning in the form of an extended metaphor follows with the words?‘It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.’This emphasises once more the vulnerability and danger people expose themselves to when they submit wholly and completely to a romantic relationship and reminds us of its destructive potential.Stanza fourThis harsh disclosure is further supported by a single emphatic statement:?‘I am trying to be truthful.’In doing so, the speaker is perhaps attempting to justify all that has been said so far, and continues to stress the desire for honesty within the relationship. Through this openness and frankness, the speaker is attempting to stress the significance of truthfulness and honesty in the relationship.Before this line, the speaker had described their love in mainly gentle terms to show the sincerity of their feelings, yet what follows is a change in tone to one which appears to be more brutal and threatening.Through the use of the first person, the poet conveys the strength of feeling in the speaker in their desire for a relationship which is based on honesty.56197502984500Stanzas five and sixHaving echoed the opening with a single line rejecting more stereotypical Valentine’s gifts of?‘a cute card’?and a??‘kissogram’, stanza six then goes on to stress the speaker’s insistence that the onion be accepted by their lover:?‘I give you an onion.’The full stop signifies a pause as the speaker awaits their gift to be received. As the poem continues in the line?‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,’?the lover is attempting to articulate not only the romantic, positive aspects of love but its more negative, darker associations.There is also the continued allusion to the senses through the taste of the onion which, just like some romantic relationships, is strong, unpleasant and difficult to erase.Similarly while the word choice of?‘faithful’?has positive connotations of a trusting shared relationship, the word choice of?‘possessive’ signals a change in the relationship as it suggests an element of jealousy, distrust, control and insecurity.Stanza sevenIn stanza seven, Duffy builds to a penultimate climax with the speaker becoming even more insistent by using the imperative command in the words?‘Take it.’The speaker then reminds us that traditional romantic relationships usually culminate in marriage which here is considered to be similar to a constricting death.She compares the creamy white rings of the onion with the precious metal platinum loops of a wedding ring which over time will, like the onion rings,?‘shrink’?in size.Here the poet is inferring that marriage requires an adjustment which may in fact restrict a person both physically as well as emotionally, warning others of the consequences of following conventions which can be destructive, diminutive and even unnecessary when compared to free romantic love.The final stanza begins with the single minor sentence and powerful adjective?‘Lethal’?which reinforces the notion of imminent death to individuality, where a long-term union is pursued.The?‘scent’?from this relationship has positive connotations of the pleasant smell of perfume, echoing back to the?‘fierce kiss’,?and reiterating the fact that the memory of a deep relationship may last, even long after it has endedHowever there is no doubt that even where powerful love is very difficult to forget, it may lead you into dangerous situations where the final outcome could be brutal and violent as suggested by the final word ‘knife’.A knife can slice through an onion just as honest language can incisively reveal the truth concerning a loving relationship.ThemesLike most of the poems in Duffy’s Mean Time collection, Valentine deals with those involved in damaged or irreconcilable relationships.In Valentine, Duffy ends on a warning note that love can be ‘Lethal’ and so life-threatening, forcing the reader to confront the notion that a real love based on honesty and truthfulness can be painful and destructive as well as fulfilling and enriching.The allusion to the negative aspects of conventional relationships suggests that, ultimately, they can often be restrictive to the individual, while a love which is free from such constraints is an ideal worth pursuing.OVERVIEW OF POEMCarol Ann Duffy explores the concept of love through unusual comparisons and imagery.In ‘Valentine’, Duffy chooses to challenge the conventional symbols of love,?namely the ‘red rose’ and the ‘satin?heart’. This rejection of classic love tokens is indicated through the negative ‘not’ in the first stanza. Instead Duffy introduces the reader to her own symbol of love, the onion, which is unusual because the?onion is a very unflattering, smelly, acidic and unromantic object. Duffy spends the rest of the poem proving to us how the onion is more faithful and reflects the true nature of love.The poem itself is an extended metaphor about how the unromantic properties of the onion fits the notion of love. Each stanza also shows the different phases of love, how it begins with all the best intentions yet gradually deteriorates into misunderstandings and violence.STANZA 1: Negative adverb ‘not’ indicates rejection of traditional symbols of love.STANZA 2: ?Duffy introduces alternative symbol of love; the onion. An unusual comparison, however Duffy begins to make valid connections by comparing the shape and colour of it to the moon.Metaphor – ‘a moon wrapped in brown paper’?refers to the romantic connotations that the moon carries. The moon influences the tides and all water on earth. Since 75% of the earth is water and our own bodies also contain the same amount, it means it also has an effect on our emotions too. In ancient mythology the moon was ruled by Diana, a goddess worshipped by the Roman women. She had two sides to her personality; the pure maiden and the huntress. She was believed to help pregnant women through labour, yet had a violent side to her. Duffy makes use of this in stanza 6 and 7, where love becomes a desperate hunt with violent imagery.?However at this point, the image of moon/onion takes on a sensual image, and we have a hint of love-making as the beginning of the relationship.Direct address – ‘I give you…‘, Duffy addresses the reader directly, giving the poem a personal tone.STANZA 3:?Beginning to explore the negative sides of love through similes and metaphors.Direct address: ‘Here.‘ An offering of the onion to the reader. Very intimate, confident and bold.Simile/ personification: ‘…blind you with tears like a lover‘. The onion is compared to a lover and the way love often leaves us in tears. A large part of being in love is also the risk of being left heart-broken. This connection is explored in the way an onion stings our eyes when we try to get to the ‘heart’ of it (cut it), the same way we may be stung by another person’s heartlessness.Metaphor: ‘…make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief’. Imagery where we are looking ‘through’ the eyes of the upset lover who may be gazing at a their own reflection in the mirror and crying at the same time.STANZA 4:?A single sentence stanza that stands on its own. Duffy underlines how she is trying telling the bitter truth half-way through the poem. A line conveying honesty.STANZA 5: Can be seen as the ‘second half’ of the poem and refers back to the first stanza.Repetition: Both stanzas have the same syllable count (9), similar wording ‘Not’ and a rejection of two typical symbols of love ‘cute card‘ and ‘kissogram‘.NOTE: Kissograms are not used now, but during the 70′s were popular. Kissograms were people who were hired on special days/ occasions like valentine’s day to go round and kiss the sweetheart on behalf of their lover with a special message.STANZA 6: Images of jealousy and violence begin to creep into the notion of romantic love.Repetition: ?Mirrors the first line of stanza 2, carrying on with the pattern of repetition established in stanza 5.Metaphor/ Personification: The onion is compared to a jealous lover and the way their kiss at this point in the relationship would be a mixture of passion and punishment. This is further illustrated through the way an onion’s smell clings stubbornly to our fingers when we cut it. The key word here is ‘possessive’, and this hints at obsessive love and how this is turning into an unhealthy relationship. One of the partners is evidently suffering from this claustrophobic relationship.STANZA 7: Images of married life flash are introduced as Duffy implies that marriage kills romance and makes romantic love a chore or a punishment.Direct Address: ‘Take it‘. Duffy is still addressing her readership in a bold and confident tone.Metaphor: The loops of the onion are compared to a wedding ring that ‘shrink’ which implies being trapped. The loops are ‘platinum’, meaning a very precious metal, which is ironic because the onion is not at all precious or desirable. The words ‘if you like’ are added to show that the relationship could go in this direction, but it is not necessary for the things that will inevitably follow. The word ‘lethal’ is on it’s own, showing what the relationship has turned into and drawing attention to it.The last two lines again imply the smell of the onion and introduces the knife. This is violent imagery which implies that the two lovers have become enemies. This is when the image of the moon (Diana) as huntress becomes relevant, as the dark side of romantic love (or the moon) reveals itself in the later stages of the relationship. this intense love poem Duffy rejects traditional symbols of love, such as ‘red roses’ or ‘satin hearts’ in favour of ‘an onion’. This suggests Duffy is criticising conventional ideas and empty gestures of love.She is promising her lover, and the reader that her love is more original, honest and true.Duffy shows her wit and poetic cleverness by managing to keep the extended metaphor of the onion being like her love going throughout the poem. By doing this Duffy turns an ordinary object, an ‘onion’ into an unusual symbol of love, and makes it seem a more appropriate symbol than traditional Valentine gifts.How would you feel if a boy or girl friend offered you an onion on Valentines Day? Quite. Only Duffy’s confidence and intelligence prevent an onion being a disastrous Valentine’s present!When you listen to the poem concentrate on the tone of voice. Then think about how you would describe it.Duffy’s poem is structured around an extended metaphor comparing love and an onion.In what ways is the onion like Duffy’s love?OnionLoveIt is round like a moonThe moon is associated with RomanceIts skin is whiteIt promises light – light is associated with truth, faith, beauty, innocence, etc.You peel an onionLovers undress each otherCauses tearsCauses tearsIts taste is strong and lastingDuffy’s kiss is possessive and fierceOnions have ringsRelationship are often symbolised by a ringThe smell of onions will stay with youSo will her loveDuffy creates a sense of an intimate conversation by using the words ‘I’ and ‘you’ as if she is talking personally to the reader. By starting lines in the middle – ‘Not ?a red rose’ – it seems as the conversation has been going on for some time. The use of the present tense suggests it is happening now and she is handing something over – ‘here’ ‘take it’ – to someone present ................
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