By Lauren Phare and Katie Martin Finding the Words By Lauren Phare and Katie Martin

This poem is about Duffy’s contemplation of the relationship and her rediscovery of love. She has realised her need to say the words ‘I love you’ – is an illustration of their importance and significance.

Symbol of the death/decaying nature of their relationship Associate with danger/unknown – colour of death and mourning Lost words – forgotten Common place where forgotten things are found Suggests warmth and protection – as if they are cherished and have been kept safe I found the words at the back of a drawer, wrapped in black cloth, like three rings slipped from a dead woman’s hand, cold, dull gold. I had held them before, Symbol of the cyclical nature of life Wedding band – a promise Separated by two commas and at the end of the line – void of emotion and feeling Emphasising the memory, that her love was real and true in the past Unpolished/tarnished love (like their relationship) – but there is hope as there is beauty and wealth when polished

The gap in the first line illustrates time and distance Is unable to remember the specific time their love faded/ she stopped saying ‘I love you’ Speaks of the words individually, as though they all have precious meaning years ago, then put them away, forgetting whatever it was I could use them to say. I touched the first to my lips, the second, the third, like a sacrament, like a pledge, like a kiss, Suggestion of carelessness Like a kiss Reference to Catholicism – is what people do with their cross – like a prayer or blessing Reverting to simple, innocent intimacy It is the truth that will not be broken Gentle, as if savouring the moment Reference to Catholicism – sacred significance, a religious symbol Reference to baptism – the words and her love are being reborn

Breathlessness – overwhelmed and making speech difficult Is giving them life and vitality – making them live again Like a prayer – delicate and gentle and my breath warmed them, the words I needed to utter this, small words, and few. I rubbed at them till they gleamed in my palm - I love you, I love you, I love you - as though they were new. Punctuation suggests she is stumbling over her words Repetition shows that her thoughts/realisation is overwhelming – impassioned and joyous The dash stops the flow of the poem so the words are powerful and resounding Reference to Aladdin’s lamp – wants to make her wishes and dreams come true and is pinning all her hopes on this As though they are starting afresh and the arguing/strain on the relationship has been erased – as though it never happened

Use of ‘I’ pronoun throughout – as though she is placing the blame for the failure of the relationship solely on herself – is a personal journey of realisation. Structure is disjointed and on the page it looks irregular which mirrors her thought – confused, jumbled. Sonnet form (14 lines) but no rhyme scheme – is rediscovering her love but it is not yet whole again.