‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy



‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.

It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.

It promises light

like the careful undressing of love.

Here.

It will blind you with tears

like a lover.

It will make your reflection

a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.

Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,

possessive and faithful

as we are,

for as long as we are.

Take it.

Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,

if you like.

Lethal.

Its scent will cling to your fingers,

cling to your knife.

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Single word line – suggests immediacy of the gift giving – quite harsh

Metaphor – describes the onion, highlights that she does agree with gift giving, and introduces romantic words

Personification – suggests that gift giving and the beginnings of relationships are hopeful – word choice of light indicates this

Blind- love is blind to the negative, sides of love, blind through crying. Introduces the idea that love hurts

Personification, love can’t be undressed, it is an abstract thing, could relate to peeling an onion or physically undressing before sex, or getting to know each other

Simile is surprising, a lover should not be causing you pain

Metaphor – suggests that the pain and hurt lasts like a photo, could be literally looking in the mirror seeing the pain.

Reveals the poet’s intention – to discuss love and relationships in an open and honest way

Word choice- wobbling facial features, wobbly vision, wobbly road of relations- suggests vulnerability

Simple statement is repeated- wants to give a gift of meaning, that symbolises her realistic view of love and relationships.

Oxymoron – suggests the unnaturalness of the kiss

Hyperbole / metaphor – lasting memory of this unnatural, forced / passionate / rough kiss

Repetitive phrasing, suggests monotony, like the relationship has become dull and stale

Word choice – loop – suggests the idea of something being owned or captured- lassoed.

Word choice shrink – negative connotations to introduce the idea of marriage, suggests that the relationship will be limited.

The single word line and the word choice both introduce a surprising concept into the love poem – death. Just as the poem ends, so do all relationships whether because the love ceases or because a partner dies

Metaphor – onion cannot shrink to a wedding ring, but just like the layers of an onion reduce, so does the meaning / intensity of emotion in a relationship.

The poem ends with the word knife – again unusual for a love poem – Just as a knife can hurt and wound you, so can love and relationships.

Repetition of ‘cling’ highlights the feelings of desperation felt. Memories of hurt / pain last and cling too

Enjambment – highlights the fact that she feels indifferent to the idea of marriage, but will go through with it if her partner so wishes.

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