12162594
Valentine - Carol Ann Duffy
- Analysis
- The onion represents a relationship which may occasionally cause
you pain 'IT WILL BLIND YOU WITH TEARS LIKE A LOVER' - simile
- truth/honesty - suggests love can cause distress.
- The oxymoron 'ITS FIERCE KISS WILL STAY ON YOUR LIPS' creates a
vivid image of the speaker remembering clearly on the experience.
- The adjective 'FIERCE' has connotations of danger and is negatively used in this sentence especially when
Duffy creates sibilance showing how sly/sexual the relationship was.
- The concrete noun 'KISS' is usually associated with passion, romance or lust but because the contrast is strong, the oxymoron may seem
quite ironic because the couple may not be as close and perhaps that's why their personalities are different showing that they may clash
together or compliment each other.
- The verb and noun 'WILL STAY' also portrays the
sentimental feelings that the speaker has. This may
also present a sense of force and violence as the
reader is told that the kiss 'WILL' be stuck upon
them for a long time. It could convey that the onion
is a gift representing the layers being so strong that
they will stain your body like the images of the
relationship.
- The tone is a forceful, intimate one as the first line on each stanza has
an imperative which commands a minor sentence. For example 'HERE'
and 'TAKE'. This may imply the pressure they put on one another but
also shown in a gentle way like making a peace offering.
- Valentine is written open form (free
verse) which may show the reality of
relationships as they aren't set to go
a certain way.
- The use of minor sentences
are frequent to show love
is permanently damaging
with the full stops creating
the impact as 'LETHAL'
- The use of minor sentences
are frequent to show love
is permanently damaging
with the full stops creating
the impact as 'LETHAL'
- Valentine is written open form (free
verse) which may show the reality of
relationships as they aren't set to go
a certain way.
- The tone is a forceful, intimate one as the first line on each stanza has
an imperative which commands a minor sentence. For example 'HERE'
and 'TAKE'. This may imply the pressure they put on one another but
also shown in a gentle way like making a peace offering.
- The verb and noun 'WILL STAY' also portrays the
sentimental feelings that the speaker has. This may
also present a sense of force and violence as the
reader is told that the kiss 'WILL' be stuck upon
them for a long time. It could convey that the onion
is a gift representing the layers being so strong that
they will stain your body like the images of the
relationship.
- The concrete noun 'KISS' is usually associated with passion, romance or lust but because the contrast is strong, the oxymoron may seem
quite ironic because the couple may not be as close and perhaps that's why their personalities are different showing that they may clash
together or compliment each other.
- The adjective 'FIERCE' has connotations of danger and is negatively used in this sentence especially when
Duffy creates sibilance showing how sly/sexual the relationship was.
- Valentine explores how a relationship works in
reality and the title being misleading as that
represents conventional ideas of love like
flowers chocolates and teddybears but the
speaker gives a gift of an onion as an extended
metaphor.
- The onion represents a relationship which may occasionally cause
you pain 'IT WILL BLIND YOU WITH TEARS LIKE A LOVER' - simile
- truth/honesty - suggests love can cause distress.
- Themes
- DESTRUCTIVENESS OF LOVE
- BREAKDOWN RELATIONSHIPS
- PAINFUL EMOTIONS
CONNECTING WITH LOVE
- LOVE IS = BLIND,
BITTER, FIERCE,
POSSESSIVE, LETHAL
- DESTRUCTIVENESS OF LOVE
- Summary
- Valentine is a poem that rejects
conventional expectations and classic
tokens of love 'red rose'/'satin heart'
- The poem itself is an extended metaphor
and explores the concept of love through
unrealistic comparisons and unusual
imagery because an onion is a very
unflattering, rancid and unromantic object
- Each stanza also
shows different
phases of love
beginning with
positive feelings
and then
deteriorate into
misunderstandings
and violence
- Duffy uses the extended metaphor of
an onion to show her speaker's
increasing frustration that the gift of
an onion has been rejected.
Eventually, the speaker, overwhelmed
by the rejection resorts to
threatening/almost violent language
- Duffy uses the extended metaphor of
an onion to show her speaker's
increasing frustration that the gift of
an onion has been rejected.
Eventually, the speaker, overwhelmed
by the rejection resorts to
threatening/almost violent language
- Each stanza also
shows different
phases of love
beginning with
positive feelings
and then
deteriorate into
misunderstandings
and violence
- The poem itself is an extended metaphor
and explores the concept of love through
unrealistic comparisons and unusual
imagery because an onion is a very
unflattering, rancid and unromantic object
- Valentine is a poem that rejects
conventional expectations and classic
tokens of love 'red rose'/'satin heart'
- Comparisons
- Beachcomber
- Painful emotions but not connecting with love,
traumatic event experienced as a child, nostalgic
- Painful emotions but not connecting with love,
traumatic event experienced as a child, nostalgic
- Before You Were Mine
- Break down relationship similar,
DAUGHTER LOOKING UPON
MOTHER, love is blind for both
poems
- Break down relationship similar,
DAUGHTER LOOKING UPON
MOTHER, love is blind for both
poems
- The Captain of the 1964
Top of the Form Team
- Time, nostalgia, disillusionment,
childhood CLEVER TV STUDENT NOW
NOT KNOWN
- Time, nostalgia, disillusionment,
childhood CLEVER TV STUDENT NOW
NOT KNOWN
- Nostalgia
- Nostalgic, longing for home, MENTAL
ILLNESS, creates universal message
- Nostalgic, longing for home, MENTAL
ILLNESS, creates universal message
- First
Love
- Nostalgic, powerful memory of love
- YOUNG COUPLE IN LOVE QUICK
BUT NOW ITS OVER
- Nostalgic, powerful memory of love
- YOUNG COUPLE IN LOVE QUICK
BUT NOW ITS OVER
- The
Biographer
- Obsessive, could be over Charles
Dickens, affection, similar as love is
possessive
- Obsessive, could be over Charles
Dickens, affection, similar as love is
possessive
- Litany
- Childhood memory,
nostalgic, LITTLE GIRL
SWEARING
- Childhood memory,
nostalgic, LITTLE GIRL
SWEARING
- Stafford Afternoons
- LITTLE GIRL GOES
THROUGH HEDGE AND
FINDS MAN, similar painful
emotions with love,
nostalgic
- LITTLE GIRL GOES
THROUGH HEDGE AND
FINDS MAN, similar painful
emotions with love,
nostalgic
- The Cliche
Kid
- Small Female Skull
- Never Go
Back
- Close
- TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, LUST, PAST AND FUTURE MOCKING, similar by
themes - destructiveness of love, breakdown relationships,
commanding, love is possessive, painful emotions attached
- TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, LUST, PAST AND FUTURE MOCKING, similar by
themes - destructiveness of love, breakdown relationships,
commanding, love is possessive, painful emotions attached
- Mean Time
- COMPARES LOSING TIME TO
MISTAKES IN RELATIONSHIP,
breakdown relationship,
creates universal message
- COMPARES LOSING TIME TO
MISTAKES IN RELATIONSHIP,
breakdown relationship,
creates universal message
- Beachcomber
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