Carol Ann Duffy Valentine - 1203 Words

Examine the way Carol Ann Duffy presents relationships in ‘Valentine’. Refer to other poems about relationships in your answer. This essay will be exploring the use of language and imagery in the poem ‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy to emphasise certain emotions within the text. This poem refers to the dark side of love and relationships several times, for example; â€Å"Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips.† This creates a different atmosphere to the stereotypical love poems, which are known for their mention of red roses and satin hearts. Although the title gives us an impression of a clichà ©-filled poem, as we continue reading, the poem seems like more of a warning than an encouragement to involve oneself in relationships and commitment,†¦show more content†¦The use of the detached word â€Å"Lethal† in the final stanza suggests that this is the core to the emotion of love, and the surface to the surrounding layers is red roses and satin hearts. We can compare ‘Valentine’ to ‘Sonnet 18’ written by William Shakespeare and ‘Sonnet 43’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Despite having to perhaps read more deeply into ‘Sonnet 18’ to understand its purpose, we can see from the first line; â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?† that it is of a romantic genre. This line can also be linked to ‘Romeo and Juliet’ perhaps suggesting that Shakespeare has emotional attachments to the message he is attempting to articulate, as he uses this motive in more than one of his pieces. Whilst the opening greets us with a warm welcome and the perception that it will continue to express a contented vibe, a turning point of â€Å"But...† is introduced. It then goes on to use immortality as a comparison to relationships, for example; â€Å"Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade.† This mention of demise can also be associated with the plot of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ supporting the point made earlier. Giving the inanimate object of â€Å"Death† a capital letter is a use of personification that proposes the idea to the reader that death is living, and it is always something to be feared. â€Å"Sonnet 43† also grabs the reader’s attention with a question that is later answered. The use of theShow MoreRelatedSonnet 130 by William Shakespeare and Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy1209 Words   |  5 Pagespoems â€Å"Sonnet 130† and â€Å"Valentine† present similar ideas about love, though they are written centuries apart. Sonnet 130 (written by William Shakespeare) is like a love poem turned on its head. Instead of describing her in a positive light, he criticise her physical features. He describes the flaws of her body, her smell, even the sound of her voice. Then, at the end, he changes his tune and tells us about his real and complete love for her. Valentine (written by Carol Ann Duffy) describes a gift forRead MoreLove in Carol Ann Duffys Valentine762 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Love† in Carol Ann Duffy’s Valentine Many people usually see â€Å"love† only one side especially when they deeply fall in love with someone. There are a lot of poems that respond the feeling of these falling in love people about how beautiful love is. It is true that love is beautiful. On the other hand, for me sometimes love is also painful. I really like the sentence that â€Å"love is color-blind† because this sentence can show not only the positive side of love but also the negative side of love. SoRead More Discuss How Carol Ann Duffy Makes Effective Use Of Metaphor.976 Words   |  4 PagesDiscuss How Carol Ann Duffy Makes Effective Use Of Metaphor. In ‘Valentine’, Carol Ann Duffy uses metaphors to illustrate and attempt to explain the complex subject of love. ‘Valentine’ is a very poignant, meaningful poem which is on a very personal level with C.A.D. It seems as if she is drawing on personal experiences. The general tone of the poem appears to be one of bitterness and resentment. Forceful comments such as, ‘†¦Here..’ and ‘†¦Take it†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ suggest that she still holds hiddenRead MoreAnalysis Of Carol Ann Duffy s The Rubbish At Adultery 964 Words   |  4 PagesThe three poems I am studying are Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy, Rubbish at adultery by Sophie Hannah and Absence by Elizabeth Jennings. The three poems are each portraying different level of love relationships, to express their feelings, whether it is trueness, yearning or bitter. The first poem I am going to study is Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy. In Valentine Duffy introduces the reader to her own symbol of love, the onion, which is unusual because the onion is a very trembleRead More Comparing The Flea and Valentine Essay2166 Words   |  9 PagesComparing The Flea and Valentine The flea is a metaphysical poem about a man trying to argue a virgin into bed to have sexual intercourse with him. This poem was most likely written to amuse the readers and probably more for a larger male audience. The poem was written in the late 17th century in a period where sex within marriage was like a household chore, but socially, sex before marriage was like a sin, because society was extremely religious. John Donne is attempting to get theseRead More Attitude Towards Love in Valentine and The Flea Essay1660 Words   |  7 PagesTowards Love in Valentine and The Flea. The two poems Valentine and The Flea are about the two different ways in which the poets portray their views about love, however the poems are still linked in a few ways. The Flea was published in the seventeenth century and was written by John Donne. Valentine was published in 1983 and was written by Carol Ann Duffy. Both poems are addressed to an unknown lover. The poem Valentine is written in free-verse form. Carol Ann Duffy could haveRead More Compare Carol Ann Duffys Valentine to Andrew Marvells To His Coy1569 Words   |  7 PagesCompare Carol Ann Duffys Valentine to Andrew Marvells To His Coy Mistress In this assignment I will be comparing two love poems Carol Ann Duffys Valentine to Andrew Marvells To His Coy Mistress. The poem Valentine was written is the twentieth century and in it the speaker uses onion as a metaphor to show her love. The poem To His Coy Mistress was written in the seventeenth century and is about the poet trying to persuade his Mistress to sleep with him. Valentine by Carol AnnRead MoreEssay about Carol Ann Duffys Mean Time852 Words   |  4 PagesCarol Ann Duffys Mean Time Carol Ann Duffys poem Mean Time is about loss of love and the different ways in which time brings about change or loss of life itself. The poem is very personal and autobiographical to Duffys life as are most of her poems. Mean Time is based on mourning your lost love and how regrets seem meaningless when one day you get up and realise its not just time which has passed you by, but time has stolen your life too, and in the end it willRead MoreConsider the Role and Treatment of Love in Carol Ann Duffy’s Valentine.1397 Words   |  6 Pagestreatment of love in Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Valentine’. Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Valentine’ ultimately depicts a highly cynical attitude towards love and conventional gestures of affection. The poem uses traditional images of valentine as a starting point, before showing how an onion is much more true to the nature of love. An extended metaphor of the onion is then used to depict Duffy’s underlying implication that love can be destructive on many different levels. One of the main ways in which Duffy conveys thisRead MoreThe Theme of Love in Poetry1916 Words   |  8 Pagesof these views throughout the ages are explored through poetry as love has much contemporary relevance in todays society as it ever did before. Two love poems I read which inspired me were Shakespeares Sonnet 116 and Carol-Anne Duffys Valentine. Shakespeares poem is a traditional sonnet written in the late 1660s Renaissance period when at this time love was not a discussed topic in society. The people of society married for money or business purposes, which Shakespeare