Valentine Carol Ann Duffy Introduction In Valentine Duffy

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Valentine Carol Ann Duffy

Valentine Carol Ann Duffy

Introduction • In ‘Valentine’, Duffy chooses to challenge the conventional symbols of love, namely

Introduction • 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.

 • • The poem is essentially a critique of the clichéd commercial form

• • The poem is essentially a critique of the clichéd commercial form that the modern Valentine's Day has become. More generally it is also critical of a form of 'love' which lacks honesty, meaning, and use of the imagination. Duffy uses the symbol of an onion to represent a truly meaningful gift for one's lover. This is the opposite of the ‘cute card or a kissogram. ’ The poem asks the reader to evaluate not only this view of love, but also his or her conception of Valentine's Day in particular and love in general; this conception may have become accepted without question. The structure of the poem has been skillfully manipulated to emphasize Duffy's key points. Important ideas have been deliberately highlighted by isolating them in the form of one line verse paragraphs. We also have the run on line (enjambment) used again to create smooth flow downward. Lastly, we have the use of a form of dialogue; the narrator is speaking to her lover, but he does not reply. This serves to give us the effect of a dialogue without the strictly correct dramatic format. It is a distinctly one-sided dialogue which expresses the perspective of the narrator and perhaps invites the reader to enter the debate.

Themes • Honesty • In this poem Carol Ann Duffy refuses to look at

Themes • Honesty • In this poem Carol Ann Duffy refuses to look at relationships as simply romantic: The poet suggests that marriage is a negative experience: She is distrustful about romance. Her emotions are complex because she believes in gifts, despite her rejection of satin hearts: She is direct, blunt and honest: She is passionate: She has been marked by hurt and pain: She is cautious about love: She is tender: ‘She is harsh: She is bitter: The poet views love as healthy so long as it avoids both tacky romance and marriage. JNicolson

Tones • • • Tones Sometimes the tone is cynical and distrustful: ‘for as

Tones • • • Tones Sometimes the tone is cynical and distrustful: ‘for as long as we are’ ‘cling to your knife’. Sometimes the tone is disapproving: ‘Not a red rose or a satin heart’. Sometimes the tone is tender: ‘the careful undressing of love’. Sometimes the tone is direct, blunt and honest: ‘I am trying to be truthful’ Sometimes the tone is humorous and weird: ‘I give you an onion’. Sometimes the tone is passionate: ‘fierce kiss will stay on your lips’. Sometimes the tone is cautious: ‘for as long as we are’. Sometimes the tone is angry or negative: ‘shrink to a wedding-ring’. Sometimes the tone is bitter: ‘cling to your knife’. JNicolson

Stanza 1: line 1 • ‘Not a red rose or a satin heart. ’

Stanza 1: line 1 • ‘Not a red rose or a satin heart. ’ • Negative adverb • indicates rejection of traditional symbols of love as, according to Duffy, they are meaningless; they do not show true love.

Stanza 2 • ‘I give you an onion’ • Direct address • Duffy addresses

Stanza 2 • ‘I give you an onion’ • Direct address • Duffy addresses the reader directly, giving the poem a personal tone. • A strange thing to give someone; usually associated with repelling people/ unromantic in the extreme think of what happens when you eat onions.

Stanza 2 • • Duffy introduces alternative symbol of love; the onion. An unusual

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. How could an onion be a moon? Only as a metaphor. With the application of imagination, the most unromantic thing can be turned into a romantic symbol - moonlit evening

 • "It promises light" • Imagery • The gift is nothing much in

• "It promises light" • Imagery • The gift is nothing much in itself, but it does require imagination and if this is applied then this promise or potential is fulfilled. This is a figurative meaning of the light provided by the moon. Light here represents goodness, deeper meaning; in other words, precisely what the typical gifts of Valentine's Day lack.

 • "like the careful undressing of love" • Word choice • "undressing" has

• "like the careful undressing of love" • Word choice • "undressing" has deliberate sexual associations, But, more importantly, the image relates closely to the layers of an onion representing, perhaps, the ever- increasing depth of love which is discovered the deeper one explores a relationship.

 • Beginning to explore the negative sides of love through similes and metaphors.

• 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. The use of the one word imperative sentence gives the act of giving more dramatic weight than a more elaborate sentence might have had. In addition, the abruptness of this line emphasizes the simple straightforward manner of giving - it is a meaningful gift given without any ceremony or frills.

Stanza 3 • …blind you with tears like a lover‘. • Simile/ personification: •

Stanza 3 • …blind you with tears like a lover‘. • Simile/ personification: • 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 heartbroken. 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.

 • ‘…make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief’ • Metaphor • Imagery

• ‘…make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief’ • Metaphor • Imagery where we are looking ‘through’ the eyes of the upset lover who may be gazing at their own reflection in the mirror and crying at the same time. ‘Wobbling’ also refers to love as something which is ultimately unstable and unsustainable.

Stanza 4 • "I am trying to be truthful" • Sentence structure • A

Stanza 4 • "I am trying to be truthful" • Sentence structure • 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. Isolation is emphasized, therefore it must represent a rather important idea or theme in the poem. This tells you that honesty is a crucial issue for the poet in this poem.

 • ‘possessive’ • Metaphor/ Personification: • The onion is compared to a jealous

• ‘possessive’ • 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

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.

Stanza 7 • ‘Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like. ’

Stanza 7 • ‘Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like. ’ • 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.

Last two lines • ‘Lethal. • Imagery and sentence structure • This quote implies

Last two lines • ‘Lethal. • Imagery and sentence structure • This quote implies the smell of the onion and introduces the knife. This is violent imagery which implies that the two lovers have become enemies. The word ‘lethal’ is on it’s own, showing what the relationship has turned into and drawing attention to it. • 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. It is a one word sentence again - but different from the others - this is not an command; it’s a statement. • Emphasis on danger - commitment in love is dangerous.

Last line • • "Its scent will cling to your fingers, Cling to your

Last line • • "Its scent will cling to your fingers, Cling to your knife. ” Symbolism The scent of an onion is a symbol of the thoughts and emotions; memories of love that remains once a relationship has ended. Suggestion: perhaps true and meaningful honest love will outlast the relationship; if it was false love (of the Valentine's Day type) it will disappear quickly, leaving no lingering "scent". • Here is the sting in the tail; the twist that Duffy often uses to end her poems. Knife perhaps represents the tool used in act of breaking the relationship - the emotions invested in a love/meaningful relationship linger on in the mind of both partners but perhaps particularly in the mind of the one who cut the ties. The knife also suggests pain.