War Photographer.

War Photographer

Important points to consider when reading the poem
Rural England vs War Zone Comfort and Indifference v Suffering and Pain War Photographer A reporter’s duty is to tell the truth

In order to analyse the poem successfully, we are going to have recap on some poetic techniques.
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Metaphors Metaphors are very like similes. When we describe something using a metaphor we say something is something else. 4

Examples of Metaphors “The boy’s eyes were pools of ink.” “Time Flies”

Word Choice Poets are very particular about the words that they include in their poems. If there is a word there, it is there for a reason. It is these words that help you to gauge to tone of a poem and to help you visualise. 6

Personification PERSONIFICATION describes a thing or object as if it is a person, or as having human qualities. e.g. The wind whistled through the sails. The sun treads a path through the woods.. 7

ALLITERATION ALLITERATION is where some words in a phrase, or in a line of poetry begin with the same sound. e.g. Steve seldom smiled on Sundays. Silently the spider spun its silken strands.

Tone/Mood The 'tone' of a poem reveals the attitude of the poet being studied e.g. anger, love, resignation, despair, fear, boredom etc. 9

For each example, write down what it makes you think?
What next??? You are now going to study the poem in groups and take notes. When you study the poem you should look for and underline examples of: Figuarative Language: Metaphors, Personification. Alliteration: How the writer uses sound Characterisation: The way characters are described. Esp actions and reactions Word Choice: Interesting or important words used by the poet. Mood being created. For each example, write down what it makes you think?

Jigsawing You will have ten minutes in your groups to annotate your given stanza on the copy provided. You must discuss this in your groups before you do so. You will use these notes to teach the other people in the class. By the end of the session you should all have a fully annotated poem.

Teaching Groups Now you are going to take on the role of teacher. You will be rearranged into “teaching groups”. One person from each “learning group” will form a new group and you will take turns to take share your findings. By the end of your time you will know about the poem you have been studying. You should add your notes to your A4 copy of the poem so that you will have all of the information that you need to complete this essay. Understand? No? Let’s look at the following slide and see if it is any clearer.

Learning Groups Teaching Groups
Teacher’s Note: Jigsaw Task – 1) Each group should be given about 7/8 mins to discuss and make notes on their designated topics 2) Get them to organise themselves into different groups that include a member of each original group (so that there is someone who has planned ideas for each feelings category). 3) They should take turns to share their ideas so that everyone in the group has written notes for each category.

Summary of the poem… The poem details the inner conflict within a war photographer as he returns home to rural England after an assignment. Throughout the poem the photographer struggles to contain his feelings as the horrors he has witnessed resurface in his everyday life. The purpose of the poem is to demonstrate the suffering and devastation, both physically and emotionally, caused by war.

THEMES In her poem Duffy deals with various themes, however the two which are most prominent are: • Effects of War • Death Duffy uses a wide range of techniques in her poem in order to demonstrate these themes. She uses the main character of the photographer to convey the trauma caused by witnessing such intense human suffering.

Rhyme scheme The form of the poem will be important. That is how it is set out. For example ‘War Photographer’ has four six line stanzas with a regular rhyme scheme. In this way it looks very ordered. However, within the poem there are a variety of sentence structures which makes the poem seem very chaotic.

Character – The Photographer
The main character in Duffy’s poem is anonymous; he is an observer of his surroundings. He is not so much a particular individual as, like the poet, an observer and recorder of others' lives. He is an outsider ("alone/With spools of suffering") who moves between two worlds but is comfortable in neither. The "ordered rows" of film spools may suggest how the photographer tries to bring order to what he records, to interpret or make sense of it. He clearly takes his job very seriously and feels he has a duty to stand up for those who cannot help themselves.

What to take from this poem…
Duffy obviously feels something in common with her subject - she uses the photographer’s experience to voice her own criticism of how comfortable Britons look at pictures of suffering, but do not know the reality. She sees the photographer (far removed from the paparazzi of the tabloids) as both priest and journalist. The reader's response to the Sunday newspaper is almost like going to church - for a while we are reminded of our neighbour's suffering, but by lunchtime we have forgotten what we learned.

Sentence structure In the first stanza the last line has four sentences: “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass.” This has the effect of making us stop and think about the places he has been. But also the short sharp sentences are like bullets being fired by the poet.

Enjambment The running over of a sentence from one line of poetry into the next: “Solutions slop in trays beneath his hands which did not tremble then Though seem to now.” “Home again to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel, to fields which don’t explode beneath the feet of running children in a nightmare heat.”

Enjambment – why? The poet has used this technique in her poem to emphasis the chaos in which the war photographer works. The poem appears to be set out in ordered stanzas but inside each verse the sentence structure is very mixed. This echoes the photographers life where he tries to be organised but his job is very unpredictable. He does not know what will happen next.

War Photographer – Verse 1
Photographer is an outsider, floats between both worlds. 1) In his darkroom he is finally alone 2) with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows. 3) The only light is red and softly glows, Place of peace and tranquillity. Safe from the dangers of the other half of his work Alliteration/Metaphor. The harsh S sound reminds us of the harsh world he operates in. Personification - We know that spools can’t suffer but the images that they hold are of suffering. Therefore the once the spools are developed they bring the suffering to life. “Ordered” – He is trying to make sense of things. The spools are also compared to soldiers – dead or alive - as they are “set out in ordered rows.” Image of mass graves, film becomes a grave ‘Red’ – Room is lit like a church ‘Sanctuary lamp.’ Also connotations of blood.

The poet is comparing the environment of the ‘darkroom’ to the inside of a church. This suggests it is an important place or a place of quiet where you would go to reflect 4) as though this were a church and he 5) a priest preparing to intone a mass. 6) Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh. All flesh is grass. The purpose of this image in ‘War Photographer’ is to emphasis how important his job is. The war photographer provides an important service to society. The process of developing these images is compared to a religious ceremony. Simile - How he sees himself and his mission – to show the truth, to convert people. He stands up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. Idea of a priest saying a mass in a chanting/preaching tone for effect and praise. In the similar way a priest prepares for a funeral mass, remembering the dead, the photographer prepares his photographs as a remembrance of those who died in his pictures. Metaphor from the Old Testament (Isaiah). Idea that life is short, even shorter in the war zones he visits Shows the extent of unrest in the world – trouble is everywhere. Alliteration - Idea of camera winding on, images go past as he remembers them.

Sentence structure through the short sentence -Shows he is Professional, putting his feelings to one side to take a good picture. 7) He has a job to do. Solutions slop in trays 8) beneath his hands which did not tremble then 9) though seem to now. Rural England. Home again Metaphor/Alliteration. Actual sound of the work lets us imagine being there. "Solutions" refers literally to the developing fluid in the trays, but also suggests the idea of solving the political problems which cause war - "solutions" which he does not have, of course. Contrast with calmness taking photos and his panic/emotional (post traumatic stress?) state (shaking hands) when developing them. The man is now working in a familiar part of the world which is peaceful by comparison to the places mentioned above. Gives the impression of idyllic setting. The word 'Rural' stands out as it creates the image of an idealised England that is covered in perfect countryside that is pure and has beautiful views. It suggests that England is peaceful place in comparison with the panic and chaos of war.

This quotation once again shows the effect of war on the photographer’s mental state. He struggles to adapt back into “normal” life having witnessed such horrors. The war has made everyday life seem meaningless and trivial in comparison to the suffering experienced by others. 10) to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel, 11) to fields which don't explode beneath the feet 12) of running children in a nightmare heat. The use of sentence structure ‘Home Again’ helps to emphasise the contrast the poet is creating between mundane life back in leafy England and the shocking reality of a war zone. Onomatopoeia - is only used once in ‘War Photographer’ with ‘explode’. This because the poem is set in the quiet and solitude of the ‘darkroom’. Again, emphasises safety and peaceful life at home, shocking image, contrast with the violence abroad. Deliberately shocking image - Emotive - The innocent always suffer mentions children’s feet not soldiers feet, more effective, again emphasises the danger of the places he has visited, even the young and innocent are unsafe.

What "is happening" in the third stanza is that an image is gradually appearing as a photo develops. 13) Something is happening. A stranger's features 14) faintly start to twist before his eyes, 15) a half formed ghost. He remembers the cries Sentence Structure - A short direct sentence Why “something” ? Does he understand what it is ? Creates tension, anticipation. "Ghost" is ambiguous (it has a double meaning). It suggests the faint emerging image, but also that the man in the photo is dead (which is why the picture was taken). The incident haunts him. The photographer recalls the reaction of the wife on seeing her husband die. Duffy’s use of imagery here is particularly shocking and clearly highlights the consequences of war. The memories the photographer is reliving have clearly traumatised him as he details the atrocities he witnessed. This shows the effects of war on both the living (the photographer) and the dead (the dead man).

He remembers the death of a man and the picture he had taken with the unspoken permission of the man’s wife (either there is no time or he does not speak the language or both) . Morally questionable? But necessary as the photographer/wife want people to know. 16) of this man's wife, how he sought approval 17) without words to do what someone must 18) and how the blood stained into foreign dust. The word ‘Stained’ suggests the blood will leave a mark on the ground when it dries. It will also leave an eternal mark on the memory of the photographer, who will never forget the traumatic image of the dead man; it will be ingrained in his mind. Emphasises the troubles are happening elsewhere. ‘Foreign’ that we will forget the world’s troubles because they are not ours! Imagery - Blood is cheap in these places. It is often spilled.

The word choice of “agonies” clearly demonstrates the effects of war on peoples’ lives. This word shows the suffering and pain caused by violence. 19) A hundred agonies in black-and-white 20) from which his editor will pick out five or six 21) for Sunday's supplement. The reader's eyeballs prick Once again Duffy’s words have double meaning when she uses “black and white”. On one level they could refer to the black and white photographs the photographer has just developed. However, they could also refer to black and white as a symbol for good and evil. Also, Duffy seems to be suggesting the importance of telling the truth in “black and white”. A newspaper supplement gives additional news that is not used in the main headlines or newspaper itself. It suggests that the pictures are of secondary importance (only ‘five or six’ are picked out), not significant enough to make the main headline and not interesting enough to the reader who doesn’t really care enough to remember their important message.

Very cynical tone is conveyed from these lines. Duffy is suggesting that although the images may evoke some sympathy from the reader’s this sympathy is short lived. 22) with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers. 23) From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where 24) he earns his living and they do not care. Duffy is critical of our indifference, she is suggesting the selfishness and self absorption of society as these people’s suffering is not as important as their “pre-lunch beers”. The photographer and Duffy’s feelings towards society are clearly demonstrated in these final lines. There is a sense of pointlessness as the photographer leaves on another assignment knowing full well that those who will see his images “do not care”. There is a feeling of sympathy/admiration for the photographer as he continues to share the suffering of the helpless despite the lack of compassion and indifference (to distant to have an effect) of society.

Discussion Point… Describe a memorable journey you have taken that has had a significant impact on changing you as a person? Describe where you went, who you went with, why did you go etc. Also, describe how that journey had a lasting impact on you as person and has led you to change in some way?

Originally

She describes both the literal details of the journey and the move as well as the deeper, metaphorical journey that she and her family experienced as a result of this decision. Duffy considers and explores the sense of isolation and confusion felt when as a child her parents moved from the Gorbals in Glasgow to England Originally Perhaps the most significant line of the poem comes at the start of stanza two when she asserts that “All childhood is an emigration”, revealing clearly the universal truth that the process of growing up is always synonymous with change.

Form and Structure Like much of Duffy’s work, the poem has a regular structure. The three stanzas of eight lines help to divide the poem into a straightforward chronology: Stanza 1 recalls the journey from Glasgow towards her new home; Stanza 2 explores her initial sense of not fitting in to this new landscape while in the third she considers the larger question about how our sense of identity is formed, shaped and affected by such transitions.

Form and Structure Continued
However, underneath this apparently ordered structure, the poet’s anxiety and uncertainty is revealed through the lack of a regular rhythm or rhyme scheme which reinforces the lack of order in her own life at this time. The fact that the poem is mainly composed by of a series of fragmented memories, occasionally using deliberately childish words or phrases is reminiscent of the way most of us recall our own childhoods and adds to the authenticity of the poem.

Themes In this poem, Duffy reveals the importance of early childhood memories and experiences in shaping identity and also considers the impact of significant domestic changes during the formative years. It is clear that even though Duffy was only six when she moved to England, her sense of Scottishness has stayed with her. However, this affinity has resulted in a sense of confusion about her own identity and where she belongs and the poem is her own attempt to define more precisely where her true origins lie.

Themes Continued Although asserting that all childhoods involve change and transition, she feels a distinct pull towards this country that she left so young and there is a definite feeling of loss running through the poem. In recalling how easily her brothers were able to adapt she emphasises her own sense of separateness.

1) We came from our own country in a red room
Verse 1 Duffy emphasises that this decision impacted on her entire family unit through the first person plural in the opening line: 1) We came from our own country in a red room 2) which fell through the fields, our mother singing 3) our father's name to the turn of the wheels. 4) My brothers cried, one of them bawling Home, Assonance of “our own” highlights sense of ownership / reinforces her definite sense of belonging to a particular place. Alliteration / metaphor The colour red has connotations of passion or anger, perhaps reflecting her own feelings about being forced to leave the city of her birth and early childhood. Womb image? The word choice and alliteration of “fell” and “fields” emphasises her feelings of impotence, the speed of change and lack of control in the making of this important decision. Ambiguous ‐ is she praying or is the children's father missing? Or is he there in the car with them? First few lines create an upbeat atmosphere / mood which is contrasted later on when the children's reactions are described. Brothers emotions seem to reflect her own: they “cried”/“bawling Home”.

Verse 1 5) Home, as the miles rushed back to the city,
The repetition and capitalisation of the word “home” reinforces the misery and overwhelming sense of loss and separation that she associates with this time. Again sense of speed / things happening out‐with control conveyed by personification 5) Home, as the miles rushed back to the city, 6) the street, the house, the vacant rooms 7) where we didn't live any more. I stared 8) at the eyes of a blind toy, holding its paw. Duffy uses personification to emphasise her own desire to return to Glasgow, to reverse this trip and reinhabit enjambment / italics used for emphasis Structure - use of a list to convey how much has been left behind Again, the first person plural of “we” emphasises that even though this poem is written from her own perspective, she very clearly considers the impact of the move not just as an individual but for the rest of the family. In contrast to her younger siblings, whose protestations are loud and vocal, Duffy is silent as she “stared/ at the eyes of a blind toy”. The word choice of “blind” again exposes her uncertainty and anxiety as they head towards something unknown and unfamiliar.

Verse 2 9) All childhood is an emigration. Some are slow,
Metaphor - The most memorable words in the poem. Duffy considers the wider, experience of childhood itself which, by definition is equated with changes (a journey) and transitions that are often beyond our control. 9) All childhood is an emigration. Some are slow, 10) leaving you standing, resigned, up an avenue 11) where no one you know stays. Others are sudden. 12) Your accent wrong. Corners, which seem familiar, Structure – The first lines of the stanza; the elongated, drawn out phrasing of the first 3 lines emphasises the “slow” stages of childhood - relates to idea of slow change Structure – Contrast - Short abrupt sentences relate to this type of change provides a contrast with the earlier lines. Having the “wrong” accent conveys how communication and acceptance is much more complex than merely speaking the same language. The word choice of “seem” and “unimagined” (next slide) exposes her inability to negotiate her way successfully through this new, strange and unfamiliar landscape. .

Verse 2 13) leading to unimagined, pebble dashed estates, big boys
Word choice – ‘Unimagined’ - Sense of confusion / uncertainty / not knowing and fitting in is conveyed. 13) leading to unimagined, pebble dashed estates, big boys 14) eating worms and shouting words you don't understand. 15) My parents' anxiety stirred like a loose tooth in my head. 16) I want our own country, I said. Word choice - This line underpins her sense of confusion as she is confronted by behaviour and language that is alien to her. Aggressive impression of the strange boys The initial optimism of her mother in the first stanza has been replaced with an “anxiety” that “stirred like a loose tooth.” This is an interesting simile since while it emphasises that her parents too are struggling with aspects of the move, their fears are not enough to provoke a strong reaction – a loose tooth can easily fall out of its own accord The italicisation here reminds us again of the autobiographical nature of the poem and is a reference back to the first line of stanza one. Acts like a childish lament, perhaps one that was constantly repeated during this upsetting transition and reminds us, like the words “big boys” used earlier, how young Duffy was when this event occurred.

Verse 3 17) But then you forget, or don't recall, or change,
The final stanza opens with the conjunctive “But” to indicate a change in the writer’s line of thought as she meditates on the inevitability of change and adaptation. 17) But then you forget, or don't recall, or change, 18) and, seeing your brother swallow a slug, feel only 19) a skelf of shame. I remember my tongue 20) shedding its skin like a snake, my voice She uses the 2nd person “you forget, or don’t recall” to directly expose the often fragile nature of childhood memory. The speaker in this stanza is older and more reflective as she considers her own gradual transition. Structure - emphasises change being difficult to pinpoint / define Refers back to the boys eating worms in the second stanza and implies that this act is evidence that he has fully assimilated to his new home, the simple alliteration indicating that this was a straightforward process for him. Use of old Scottish dialect - Reveals that she still feels attached to her Scottish roots unwilling to fully relinquish the last traces of her Scottish dialect. While her brothers have successfully adapted, she still feels out of place and like a splinter, memories of her former life continue to trouble her. Simile - to convey idea of change again leaving the old behind and adapting to suit the new.

Verse 4 Definite implication that despite these outward signs that she had adapted she continues to feel out of place. 21) in the classroom sounding just like the rest. Do I only think 22) I lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space 23) and the right place? Now, Where do you come from? 24) strangers ask. Originally? And I hesitate. The deliberate inversion of the “I only” again emphasises her feelings of isolation and separateness from the other members of her family at this time Structure - Lists all the things she thinks she may have lost ‐ but poses it as a question again highlighting uncertainty, not near a resolution. Rhetorical questions = hesitation – mimes Duffy’s crisis of identity Here she challenges both herself and us to consider our own notions of self and identity. Structure-Final abrupt sentence- Reveals that the poet is no closer to defining her identity. When asked the final question she still has to qualify and clarify this simple query with the response “Originally?” This momentary hesitation reveals that even though older, the speaker continues to have mixed feeling about her true origins. Two very different questions ‐ is where you come from the same as your original home?

Valentine

Discussion Point Just Imagine. . .
It is Valentine’s Day. There is a special someone you would love to get a card or romantic gift from. You wake up, full of anticipation for the most romantic day of the year What springs to mind when you think of Valentine gifts and cards? What are you hoping the postman has brought you? Let’s see what the postman has brought you. . . Discussion:

Here’s your gift. . . Discussion:
Yes, that’s right; your special person has given you an onion! Discussion: What is your initial impression of this gift? Why do you think they might have given you it? While reading the poem, think about the speaker’s reasons for giving an onion as a gift.

The poet compares her love and the relationship to an onion and this image is extended throughout the whole poem, drawing similarities throughout. She compares different aspects of the onion to different aspects of her love. Potential, Pain, Possessiveness, Commitment and Destruction Valentine She tries to be honest about love and tries to avoid cliches

Context of the Poem This poem is written in the first person. The speaker appears to be the poet, addressing her lover as "you". In fact, Carol Ann Duffy wrote Valentine after a radio producer asked her to write an original poem for St. Valentine's Day. (Valentine was published in 1993, in the collection Mean Time.) But the poem is universal: it could be from any lover to any beloved (for example, there is no indication of the sex of either the "I" or the "you"). The poem, on the surface, is about the giving of an unusual present for St. Valentine's Day, but really is an exploration of love between two people. This is a good text to write about, because it has a single central image, which is developed throughout the poem.

Form and structure The poem is written in free verse using irregular stanzas to support its content and purpose, which is to reject traditional restrictive conventions such as marriage and other notions of love and to warn lovers that being overly possessive can have undesirable consequences. While ostensibly a poem on the theme of love, Duffy deliberately avoids the use of language or imagery that we associate with this type of poetry. Instead, the words are often stark and monosyllabic to allow her to present her ideas clearly and unambiguously.

Themes Like most of the poems in Duffy’s Mean Time collection, Valentine deals with those involved in damaged or irreconcilable relationships. In Valentine, Duffy ends on a warning note that love can be "Lethal" and so life-threatening, forcing the reader to confront the notion that a real love based on honesty and truthfulness can be painful and destructive as well as fulfilling and enriching. The allusion to the negative aspects of conventional relationships suggests that, ultimately, they can often be restrictive to the individual, while a love which is free from such constraints is an ideal worth pursuing.

Valentine 1) Not a red rose or a satin heart. 2) I give you an onion.
First line – direct statement – Speaker immediately dismisses conventional symbols of love. ‘Not’ starts each sentence - no doubt that the persona does not wish to show their feelings through overly sentimental conventional symbols. 1) Not a red rose or a satin heart. 2) I give you an onion. 3) It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. 4) It promises light 5) like the careful undressing of love Repetition of structure later in the poem (line 11)reinforces speaker’s sincerity/desire to be truthful/candid. Entirely convincing – Valentines – materialistic/superficial – many people look for a different way to express devotion and the persona has done exactly that. The title of the poem suggests that it will deal with fairly conventional notions of love.Yet unconventional gift offered . Metaphor - Moon is a conventional symbol of love – suggests romance; ‘brown paper’ – no fancy wrappings to disguise the object – truth/honesty. This is very believable. 1) Positive aspect of love - optimism at the beginning of a relationship. Words linked with pleasant/enjoyable aspects of love; ‘promises’ also suggests assurance – a guarantee that the relationship will prosper. Word choice of ‘careful’ suggests tenderness/ affection/warmth/ sensitivity. All of above are reasonable suggestions to make.. 2) Positive aspect of love - love has many layers– deeper emotion may be felt as you peel away the layers. The simile suggests a physical relationship.

Valentine 6) Here. 7) It will blind you with tears like a lover.
Commands - each one is on a line on its own (reinforcement ) – show s the speaker’s insistence, indicating that they are desperate for the lover to accept the gift and understand their feelings. Tone is forceful/aggressive –no room for compromise. The speaker is irritated/angered by partner’s rejection of the gift; 6) Here. 7) It will blind you with tears like a lover. 8) It will make your reflection 9) a wobbling photo of grief. 10) I am trying to be truthful Duffy’s use of the first person narrative helps to communicate strong feelings to the reader, as the reader can imagine a real person speaking and offering the gift of love – of an onion – to a lover. Simile – truth/honesty – suggests love can cause distress/pain; Word choice suggests pain and grief. Believable – in relationships, one partner can often be cruel/ hurtful. Metaphor - The onion is like a mirror – but the image may be distorted. Extended metaphor – ‘wobbling photo of grief’ – pain/tears/ distress can be caused by relationships/ truth/honesty; word choice suggests pain and heartache. Relationships are not always completely agreeable. Central idea of the poem is the Central line – very direct statement; attitude of speaker before this line is mainly positive/gentle; after, more brutal, threatening. Very personal – note use of first person ‘I’.

Valentine 11) Not a cute card or kissogram. 12) I give you an onion.
12) I give you an onion. 13) Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, 14) possessive and faithful 15) as we are, 16) for as long as we are. SEE NOTES ON LINE ONE – Repetition/Structure – again does not wish to show their feelings through overly sentimental conventional symbols. Repetition of ‘"I give you an onion"’ in lines 2 and 13, the speaker emphasises the importance of this gift being accepted by their lover. Powerful love is difficult to forget as is a violent relationship. Word Choice - ‘fierce’ has connotations of anger/ brutality/violence. Too often we read about domestic disharmony - persuaded by Duffy that this could happen. Metaphor - Taste of the onion is strong/difficult to erase – just like memory of a passionate relationship lasts after the relationship itself has ended. While this metaphor is truthful and sincere, the tone is forceful/aggressive. Word Choice - ‘possessive’ suggests an element of jealousy, even control – persona’s tone becomes forceful. ‘Faithful’ gives a more positive feeling that love can bring security and trust. Again, Duffy appears to be using her comparison to present the dual nature of love

Valentine SEE NOTES ON LINE SIX – Commands -– shows the speaker’s insistence, Tone is forceful/aggressive – 17) Take it. 18) Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring, 19) if you like. 20) Lethal. 21) Its scent will cling to your fingers, 22) cling to your knife. The longer a relationship lasts it will become more serious and may lead to marriage – which may become a restrictive relationship. Metaphor - Comparison between the onion rings and a wedding ring. Word Choice - ‘shrinks’ may suggest that the relationship may restrict you - that marriage is not just about the wedding day – it requires an adjustment to a relationship which may in fact restrict you both emotionally and physically. Intense relationship may lead to violence. Word choice has connotations of danger –– violence – even death; the speaker resorts to threat because they realise that their partner is unwilling to accept the gift – aggressive /threatening tone of speaker. Final lines of the poem – very strong sense of menace – very effective concluding statement. Metaphor - Smell of the onion is strong and difficult to erase – just like memory of a deep relationship may last after the relationship itself has ended; Word choice (‘knife’) indicates that the speaker threatens violence in the final line. Realistically this could happen when one partner is rejected.

Havisham

Discussion Point… Describe something in your life that you have strong, mixed or contradictory feelings about. Describe why this person/place/issue etc. makes you feel this way. What impact does this have on you as a person?

Miss Havisham was left at the altar some years before we first meet her, and has never changed out of her wedding dress. Miss Havisham is a character from the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Havisham She is a rather pathetic figure but also hates men as a result of having been left: throughout Great Expectations she spends her time trying to take her revenge on all men.

Duffy’s intentions… The poem seeks to make us understand Havisham.
The first person narrative enables the reader to empathise (rather than sympathise) with her feelings. The anger expressed in the poem gives a sense of her reclaiming her ability to change things, as opposed to just being a victim. The possibility of being only a victim is suggested by the wailing question of who did this to her.

Form and Structure The poem is written in four stanzas which are unrhymed. Many of the lines run on, and the effect is like normal speech. The poem is written in free verse, in that it has no regular pattern of metre or rhyme. It is, however, arranged in four stanzas of equal length (has egs of internal rhyme), which suggests some control in its speaker, undermining the madness the character is known for, which is one of the points of the poem.

Form and Structure A dramatic monologue, Havisham is written in the first person, with the poet assuming the voice of a character (a persona). This form enables us to understand her thoughts because she is speaking them directly. There is no sense of an audience, so she appears to be speaking to herself.

Havisham – Verse 1 1) Beloved sweetheart bastard. Not a day since then
Oxymoron – Suggests love and hate. Ambivalent, contradictory, and conflicting ideas and feelings. It is pretty clear that Miss Havisham has these kinds of feelings about this man 1) Beloved sweetheart bastard. Not a day since then 2) I haven’t wished him dead. Prayed for it 3) so hard I’ve dark green pebbles for eyes, 4) ropes on the back of my hands I could strangle with. The Wedding Alliteration ‘B’ emphasises anger. The very first sentence in the poem is just three nouns in a row, without a verb. There are a number of other short and powerful fragments in the poem, which are deliberately used for effect. They create a sense of anger. Enjambement – Run on lines Not only wished for her fiancé's death; she's prayed for it. And she's prayed for it hard. Poem has taken on a distinctly sinister tone. Assonance -"hard" and "dark." A repetition of similar vowel sounds. Used often in this poem. Metaphor - Green as the colour of jealousy and greed, and sometimes even the colour of sickness. And pebbles are hard and small. Her fiancé's betrayal has left her jealous and hardened. Metaphor - "ropes" on the back of her hands again show how Havisham has aged (Veins) and hardened over the years. There is violence in this metaphor too, as they are ropes Havisham "could strangle with".

Havisham – Verse 2 5) Spinster. I stink and remember. Whole days
Single word sentence – Negative word for an unmarried older woman - Denotes Her bitterness- what society sums her up as. Monologue – get a glimpse into Miss Havisham's deepest thoughts (Stream of consciousness) 5) Spinster. I stink and remember. Whole days 6) in bed cawing Nooooo at the wall; the dress 7) yellowing, trembling if I open the wardrobe; 8) the slewed mirror, full-length, her, myself, who did this She has never washed since her wedding day. She sees her life as decay and memories. She ‘remembers’, suggests she has been stewing for decades, recalling every bit of unhappiness that she has had to endure because of her fiancé's actions. Metaphor - of a parrot “CAWING” makes her sound like an animal. Might she be reliving the moment when she of her fiancé's betrayal/bemoaning her current state of affairs? No one listening; she's just shouting at the wall. Internal Rhyme - repeated sounds of "Spinster. I stink and remember,"/"aw" sounds of caw and wall combined with her short sentences claustrophobic? Trapped in Havisham's terrifing mind/ repeated thoughts Age Personification, As if dress waiting to be put back away / she lterally trembles when looking at the clothes of her past. Mirror. She sees herself first as a "her," as if she doesn't recognize herself and what she's become. Mirror is "slewed," or turned/broken and warped, like a funhouse mirror. She could also be drunk Full-length, giving Havisham a clear view of her entire body - old, yellowing, and wasting away. “Myself." Havisham faces facts – she's the one in the mirror. identity crisis. She no longer knows who is to blame. Split personality? she's staring at herself. And because these words follow "myself," and there's no question mark after them, we might take it to mean she's blaming herself?

Havisham – Verse 3 9) to me? Puce curses that are sounds not words.
Enjambment – Gives the poem new, unexpected layer. Suddenly seems that she believes she's not at fault. Someone has done something to her/doesn't seem to take blame for the shape of her life. 9) to me? Puce curses that are sounds not words. 10) Some nights better, the lost body over me, 11) my fluent tongue in its mouth in its ear 12) then down till I suddenly bite awake. Love’s (compare line 6) Suggests she no longer can access language to express her feelings – where pain is so deep there is no language available to describe it Colour of deep red to purple-brown suggests old blood which represents old wounds Conversational/Change to Lighthearted tone – Suggests Dreaming of man and intimacy with him are when some nights are better Husband she never had Lost to her / also creates sexual imagery of body in her dreams ‘Its’ She depersonalizes him; in this moment, he's just a ‘body’ or object to her. Continues to imagine intimacy between them This violence ‘bite’ is picked up towards the end of the poem. The ‘suddenness’ ends the fantasy and wakes her – and us as the reader to the viciousness of the attack (or dreamed attack) Implied revenge? Enjambment - Finally, we get a lingering word on the last line of the stanza: "Love's." Again, builds expectation.

Havisham – Verse 4 Oxymoron - ‘Love’s hate’ - She doesn’t trust love as it let her down. Also shows her confusion – she's trapped between hating and loving him. Triple meaning – ‘white’ suggests innocence, ‘white veil’ represents the wedding, ‘veil’ represents in feminist terms that she is concealing something (Hate?) 13) hate behind a white veil; a red balloon bursting 14) in my face. Bang. I stabbed at a wedding-cake. 15) Give me a male corpse for a long slow honeymoon. 16) Don’t think it’s only the heart that b-b-b-breaks. Metaphor - Suggests celebrations that did not take place. Used to express her embarrassment (the veil concealed this) and the end of her innocence/dreams. ‘Red’ suggests anger, Alliteration of `b’ and plosive sound suggest violence. Onomatopoeia - Short sentence for effect – also represents the shock she experienced. Violent imagery ‘Stabbed’ shows literally her anger at the time and metaphorically shows her opinion on marriage. Use of dark repulsive image. Reference to death/corpse links to idea that the ‘honeymoon’ would provide the long painful death she wants for him. Combines both love and revenge(a final triumph?). Rather have him dead than have him reject her(bitter/twisted) making the reader less understanding of Havisham. Use of plosive ‘b’ in a stuttering style, suggests the is breaking/crying/collapsing. She conveys that her life/mind/body has broken as a result – not just her heart. Pathos (emotional appeal) to reader – pity. May also refer to length of time her heart has been broken and the possibility of a stabbing, violent action towards the bridegroom

Discussion Point… Describe something in your life that you have strong, mixed or contradictory feelings about. Describe why this person/place/issue etc. makes you feel this way. What impact does this have on you as a person?

Anne Hathaway

Sonnet (14 Lines – mirrors style used by Shakespeare) 16th century Based on Shakespeare’s first wife. A dramatic monologue - spoken in the voice of a specific persona, real or imagined Anne Hathaway Anne reacting to becoming a widow on Shakespeare’s death. He gives her the gift of his second favourite bed

Overview This poem, like Mrs Midas, comes from the “The World’s Wife”, Duffy’s first themed collection of poems. In this set of poems, Duffy considers both real and fictional characters, stories, histories and myths which concentrated on men, and gives voice to the women associated with them. Although “Havisham” was printed a year earlier, it would make a good comparison with this poem since both take the perspective of a woman living without her lover: Havisham having been jilted at the altar, while Hathaway has been widowed.

Context (Background) Anne Hathaway was the wife of Shakespeare. She was seven years his senior and already pregnant when the 18 year old, William Shakespeare, married her. The poem begins with an epigraph taken directly from Shakespeare’s will, in which despite being a man of some considerable property at this time he leaves her only his “second best bed”. While some critics have viewed this as an insult, Duffy presents a new perspective and uses the bed as a metaphor for the intense passion and romance shared by the couple. The “second best bed” was in fact the couple’s marital bed, the best being reserved for guests. Duffy imagines then that this legacy was the playwright’s last romantic gesture.

Form and Structure Fittingly, Duffy employs the sonnet form so adored by Shakespeare. This 14 line structure is often associated with love poetry, deemed highly appropriate given the subject matter of the poem. Shakespearian sonnets contain three quatrains and a couplet. The quatrains usually present the key ideas explored by the poet with the resolution or volta (an Italian term which literally translates as “the turn”) arriving in the couplet

Form and Structure In the poem, Duffy quite literally employs a “softer rhyme” with a much more relaxed, less restrictive rhyme scheme combined with overtly sensual, erotic language and imagery. She uses a regular meter but her deliberate choices of assonance and alliteration are designed to imitate the random touching made during lovemaking, so that it is almost as though the words themselves are grazing each other. Duffy makes frequent use of enjambment in the poem to show how freely and without obstruction the love flowed between the couple as well as to place emphasis on important words or phrases. The entire poem is a metaphor comparing the couple’s love making to the process of artistic and poetic creativity.

Themes This poem deals with the themes of passionate, sensual erotic love as well as death and remembrance. In the poem, Duffy really concentrates on conveying that this was a marriage based on an all encompassing deeply physical relationship. She uses the actual legacy of the bed left by Shakespeare to his wife to meditate on this specific aspect of their relationship. In doing so, she presents a couple completely in tune with each other both sexually and emotionally.

Themes - continued Fittingly, in a poem about the world’s greatest ever poet and wordsmith, she uses language itself as an extended metaphor to convey the intensity of their passion. As well as emphasising the profound physical connection of the lovers, Duffy also considers that the most fitting way to honour our dead loved ones is by preserving the most enduring, vivid aspects of their character in our memories, thus allowing them to continue to survive.

Epigraph ‘Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed ...’ (from Shakespeare’s will) The poem begins with this actual extract from the will of Shakespeare. Although many critics consider this legacy an insult to Hathaway, given that the playwright was fairly wealthy when he died, Duffy uses it as the catalyst for the poem and imbues the bed with a much more magical and sensual meaning.

1st Quatrain - Lines 1 - 4 1) The bed we loved in was a spinning world
Imagery - Suggests their love made her dizzy, was all encompassing and exciting. Interestingly, despite bearing him three children, the persona focuses only on their relationship as lovers, not parents. 1) The bed we loved in was a spinning world 2) of forests, castles, torchlight, clifftops, seas 3) where he would dive for pearls. My lover’s words 4) were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses Imagery - Reader is transported to a magical landscape filled with metaphor, romance and intrigue where Shakespeare’s writing and his love for Anne are intertwined. Mirrors Shakespeare’s own writing (Macbeth, etc.) Link between these iconic works of literature and the poetry –echoes the excitement that took place in this bed In their lovemaking, they found something precious and valuable - “pearls” - Intimate, sensual tone Enjambment - Throughout the poem to show how freely and without obstruction the love flowed between the couple This intimate, sensual tone is continued in the metaphor below. Hathaway was seduced firstly by her lover’s language and poetry, which literally seems to fall from the heavens as though a gift from the Gods before transforming into the physical touch of a kiss.Sibilance also evident rep of ‘s’ sound= fireworks His words are stars up in the sky that everyone can see and admire, but his poetry is also something intimate that only Anne can experience and fully comprehend. For her, his works are something physical that she can touch, an experience of Shakespeare that nobody else can have.

2nd Quatrain - Lines 5 - 8 Language/poerty metaphor is extended. Uses poetic terms to describe intimacy between both - her body is a “softer rhyme” to his harder, more masculine body, Their bodies rhyme with each other. Interestingly, Anne characterises her body as "softer" than her husband's, embracing a kind of stereotypical femininity. 5) on these lips; my body now a softer rhyme 6) to his, now echo, assonance; his touch 7) a verb dancing in the centre of a noun. 8) Some nights, I dreamed he’d written me, the bed Imagery - The erotic touch of his hand on her body is described as “a verb dancing in the centre of a noun.” This deliberate comparison elevates their lovemaking to something poetic and in doing so literary or linguistic terms become loaded with sensuality. Poetry and intimacy are interwoven Anne imagines she is a product of her husband’s imagination, written into existence through their passionate exchanges like a character from his plays. Suggests that it is only when she considers herself through his eyes and imagination that she feels most fully alive Symbol - The reference again to the bed at the end of line 8 creates a link to the opening line of the poem and reinforces the symbolic significance of the bed as a representation of their love.

3rd Quatrain - Lines Imagery - She is his ultimate muse, not just inspiring him to produce great works but actually becoming them. The writing/intimacy metaphor is extended (the bed is a page, and Anne is the writing on it). 9) a page beneath his writer’s hands. Romance 10) and drama played by touch, by scent, by taste. 11) In the other bed, the best, our guests dozed on, 12) dribbling their prose. My living laughing love – Word Choice - Persona implies the inspiration for his characters and plots came from their lovemaking (itself enacting a drama). The word “romance” is deliberately placed at the end of line 9 to emphasise that this is what she most associates with their relationship. Life is better than art Sensory Imagery is employed “touch”, “scent”,” taste” to reinforce just how vividly she can still recall their lovemaking as though through immersing herself in these memories she can experience this passion once more. Contrast - compares the poetry and sensuality of their lovemaking with those who slept in the “other bed” . Uses withering, disparaging comment .The implication is clear: poetry symbolises the most skilful and creative use of language while prose (novels etc.)by comparison is unexceptional. Their intimacy is magical compared to others. Alliteration and Assonance – Used to emphasise again how clearly the speaker can recall their passion. Suggests that her lover continues in some ways to exist and survive in her memory. The dash creates a pause to allow us to reflect on this idea and prepare us for the resolution and the final couplet.

The Couplet Lines Rhyme - The final couplet ends with the masculine full rhyme (unlike the rest of poem) of “head” and “bed” to provide a defined conclusion to the poem. Just as the last two lines of a Shakesperian sonnet would end, gives a sense of unity. 13) I hold him in the casket of my widow’s head 14) as he held me upon that next best bed. Rhyming Couplet Metaphor of holding her lover in the protective “casket” of her imagination reiterates the idea presented in the previous line suggesting that our memory of a deceased loved one in a way allows their continued existence. She treasures her memories of him Duffy seems to suggest that keeping vivid memories of loved ones is much more fitting than the urn or coffin, which although may contain the physical remnants of a body, it can never capture the energy or vitality of their character. In doing so and by allowing her to replay her memories of their passion, she is really honouring his true legacy and repaying him for the way that he held her in “that next best bed.”

Mrs Midas

Themes include loneliness, greed and suffering the consequences of our actions. Based on myth of King Midas. A dramatic monologue - spoken in the voice of a specific persona, real or imagined Mrs Midas Uses sometimes comic tone Explores the consequences of our actions.

Overview Mrs Midas is a poem written from the viewpoint of the wife of the mythological King Midas, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. King Midas was granted a wish by the god Dionysus whereby everything he touched would turn to gold. With comical undertones, a wide range of emotions is expressed through the persona of Mrs Midas as she speaks out against her husband’s foolish actions and gradually separates herself from him. She leaves him to waste away in isolation while she laments the loss of their physical relationship and the chance to have a baby together to fulfil their dreams.

Form and Structure This poem is written in the form of a dramatic monologue from a female perspective, similar to all of the poems from The World’s Wife collection in which well-known characters from myths or history are presented from the perspective of their forgotten or disregarded and wives. Duffy focuses on an aspect of this well-known character and presents an imaginary response from the wife’s viewpoint, providing fresh, thought-provoking and comical insight into their lives.

Structure Mrs Midas is made up of eleven stanzas of irregular line length ranging from six lines to ten in order to reflect how unpredictable and chaotic life has become for this couple in that at any second with a simple touch, Mrs Midas could also soon be turned to gold. Stanzas 1 to 6 deal with the discovery of King Midas’ granted wish and the realisation and then sheer panic of how he has been given such a tremendous power, whilst a comic tone is maintained throughout, as Mrs Midas even catalogues everyday items being turned to gold. The remainder of the poem reveals the harsh heartfelt implications of Midas’ gift, highlighting the damage it has done to the couple’s relationship and their future together. The final line in the poem sums up Mrs Midas’ regret at the loss of physical contact with her isolated husband.

Themes Greed is certainly a recurring theme as this what motivated Midas to make his wish in the first place and the damaging effects are portrayed throughout with both husband and wife, in the end, being left alone to suffer the effects of wishing to possess a substance which ultimately ‘feeds no one.’ Consequences of our actions: This is a prevalent theme as both Midas and his wife pay the price of not really taking the time to deliberate and think through what would follow if they chose one action over another. Loneliness and Solitude are all that is left for both characters by the end of the poem as a result of one selfish act. A life of solitude is chosen as soon as Midas is ‘granted’ his foolish and selfish wish.

Stanza 1 - Lines 1 - 6 Duffy presents Mrs Midas in a typical domestic scene. Personified kitchen; ‘filled with the smell of itself’, during the peak of the golden autumnal month of September. The kitchen’s ‘steamy breath’ which is ‘gently blanching’ is in contrast to the life sapping events which are taking place in the garden – e.g ‘twig’ turned to gold in next stanza It was late September. I’d just poured a glass of wine, begun to unwind, while the vegetables cooked. The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath gently blanching the windows. So I opened one, then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow. He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig. The references to touching are noticeable but are presented subtly in this stanza. She has poured a glass of wine but noticed the steam on “the other’s glass” which she wipes “like a brow”, thus also conveying the loving relationship enjoyed by the couple. Likewise the “steamy breath” from the stove is “gently blanching the windows”.

Stanza 2 - Lines The second stanza describes what she sees through the window. Imagery–Is particularly effective and has a bearing on what follows: At this stage the reader does not know what is about to happen, but the concept of a life-force being drained and replaced by something evil is well expressed here. Now the garden was long and the visibility poor, the way the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky, but that twig in his hand was gold. And then he plucked a pear from a branch. – we grew Fondante d’Automne – and it sat in his palm, like a lightbulb. On. I thought to myself, Is he putting fairy lights in the tree? This simile effectively conveys both the shape of the pear and also the brightness emanating from it. The full stops add a comedic effect, highlighting Mrs Midas’ shock, disbelief and sudden dawning of awareness in her own mind as to what she has just witnessed. This whimsical, light and humorous imagery is continued and contrasts with the seriousness of what has just happened and her incredulity is evident when she questions whether he is just ‘putting fairy lights in the tree?’ The narrator seeks to find a rational explanation for what she is seeing.

Stanza 3 - Lines Stanza 3 relays Midas’ return journey through the house as he turns the doorknobs and blinds into gleaming gold Wife thinks back to a school history lesson and the meeting place between the Kings of England and France in 1520 in France. This was embellished with gold to disguise the surrounding deprivation of the nation. He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed. He drew the blinds. You know the mind; I thought of the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready. He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne. The look on his face was strange, wild, vain. I said, What in the name of God is going on? He started to laugh. Simile - Midas becomes king-like when he sits in his chair. Allusion to Shakespeare's ‘Anthony and Cleopatra ‘ Theme - Mrs Midas goes on to describe the expression of her husband as he realises that he has been given a tremendous power, motivated by greed. Short, abrupt sentence and end-stop -As the exasperated wife, Mrs Midas makes a typical expression of confusion. Her perplexed reaction causes her husband to laugh. Response is inappropriate,.

Stanza 4 - Lines In Stanza 4, Mrs Midas attempts to instil a sense of normality by her matter of fact tone in serving up dinner. This comedic effect is maintained as negative effects of such a “gift” shown as Midas can no longer enjoy the simple pleasures of food. His ambition will cause him to starve. I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob. Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich. He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks. He asked where was the wine. I poured with a shaking hand, a fragrant, bone-dry white from Italy, then watched as he picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank. Mrs Midas pours the 'bone-dry' wine 'with a shaking hand' reflecting her mounting fear. Alliteration - The moment of realisation is captured in the transformation of the glass.The harsh consonance of the 'g' sound, reflects the impact of the transformation. A poisoned Chalice? Midas will soon realise that his miraculous gift will carry a hidden price.

Stanza 5 - Lines The sinking in of reality is further echoed in the first lines of Stanza 5 as both come to terms with his new power, It was then that I started to scream. He sank to his knees. After we’d both calmed down, I finished the wine on my own, hearing him out. I made him sit on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself. I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone. The toilet I didn’t mind. I couldn’t believe my ears: Mrs Midas finishes off the wine and forces her husband to sit alone. Even after becoming aware of the consequences, this humorous line reveals that while Midas still seeks to enjoy a physical relationship with his wife, his new “gift” means that he will be deprived this pleasure. Humour - The stanza ends with Mrs Midas relaying the precautions she took to protect the cat by locking it in the cellar and then moving the phone, but allowing the toilet (Allusion to ‘The Throne’) to be changed into gold.

Stanza 6 - Lines Sentence Structure - Duffy then inserts a deliberate pause to imitate the speaker’s incredulity upon hearing how her husband has been “granted” a wish. Pun - which is repeated to convey her opinion, that in general, people do and can make wishes but if they are going to be given, then of course her ‘fool’ of a husband had to be the one to have his wish come true. how he’d had a wish. Look, we all have wishes; granted. But who has wishes granted? Him. Do you know about gold? It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes no thirst. He tried to light a cigarette; I gazed, entranced, as the blue flame played on its luteous stem. At least, I said, you’ll be able to give up smoking for good. Structure - rhetorical question monosyllabic minor sentence which answers her question 'Him' conveys his disgust with her husband Structure - However, it is Midas' wish for gold that is outrageous; she asks another rhetorical question and answers it. . Tone - She is truly aggrieved by this and goes on to justify the futility of such a wish since gold ‘feeds no one’. In doing so she exposes the inherent lack of real value of gold. Humour - is injected to contrast with this harsh fact as Mrs Midas considers with sardonic practicality how the situation will mean that at least Midas will be able to stop smoking.

Stanza 7 - Lines Structure - Single statement: The remainder of the poem continues to highlight the damage Midas’ gift has done to their once loving relationship. Then it transpires, on separate floors, indicating the widening gulf between them. Humour/Imagery - Although there is still humour in the use of internal rhyme: ‘tomb/ Tutankhamun', the imagery now carries connotations of death and symbolises that their relationship and dreams are effectively dead. Separate beds. in fact, I put a chair against my door, near petrified. He was below, turning the spare room into the tomb of Tutankhamun. You see, we were passionate then, in those halcyon days; unwrapping each other, rapidly, like presents, fast food. But now I feared his honeyed embrace, the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art. Metaphor - However, she now rightly fears Midas’ ‘honeyed embrace’ since it would be deadly to her. Contrast Imagery – Of physical suffering they must now endure, compared to the fulfilling relationship ‘Halcyon days’ – (perfect times)they enjoyed before he was granted his wish.

Stanza 8 - Lines Metaphor - Expression usually has positive connations and is associated with kindness.This metaphor is ironically inverted as the literal meaning is implied, inferring that it would be impossible to survive as a living being with such a heart. Perhaps the most poignant image in this poem is her sadness of being deprived the opportunity to have a real baby And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live with a heart of gold? That night, I dreamt I bore his child, its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue like a precious latch, its amber eyes holding their pupils like flies. My dream milk burned in my breasts. I woke to the streaming sun. A superficial, initially attractive description of the baby she dreamt about is given Imagery – But this descends into a disturbing image as these flame coloured eyes are deemed to be ‘holding their pupils like flies.’ A symbol of lifelessness. Imagery - The speaker's longing for a child is encapsulated here and it is perhaps this image of thwarted maternal love that reveals the true cost of Midas' greed. Waking to the ‘streaming sun’, again, poignantly reminds us that each day she will awake to a world in which gold dominates every waking moment.

Stanza 9 - Lines 49 - 54 So he had to move out. We’d a caravan
In Stanza 9, the consequences of the myth and the effect on their lives continues to destroy their relationship as Mrs Midas bluntly informs us: ‘So he had to move out.’ So he had to move out. We’d a caravan in the wilds, in a glade of its own. I drove him up under the cover of dark. He sat in the back. And then I came home, the woman who married the fool who wished for gold. At first, I visited, odd times, parking the car a good way off, then walking. Mrs Midas' embarrassment at her husband's behaviour is conveyed in the way drives him to live in their isolated caravan. She drives him away 'under cover of dark' which reveals her sense of shame Third person narrative - She returns alone as: ‘the woman who married the fool’, clearly blaming her husband for stupidly wishing for gold while reflecting on the derision and mockery of gossipmongers. The fact she parks the car 'a good way off‘ emphasises her continued fear of her husband’s gift

Stanza Lines Solitary image – Stanza 10 describes his distanced, detached separate lifestyle as she describes the rural single golden items and other evidence of his folly she discovers on her walk from the parked car to her husband. These images are the legacy he leaves behind him rather than the perfect child she longed for. You knew you were getting close. Golden trout on the grass. One day, a hare hung from a larch, a beautiful lemon mistake. And then his footprints, glistening next to the river’s path. He was thin, delirious; hearing, he said, the music of Pan from the woods. Listen. That was the last straw. Unable to slake his appetite or his thirst, Midas is driven 'delirious' She describes him in a sorrowful state as ‘thin.’ His delirium leads him to believe he can hear the ‘music of Pan.’ This associates him with another Greek God, this time the isolated figure of Pan who was the God of shepherds and flocks (also sung for Midas in Greek myths). We note the irony that a gift so equated with wealth and prosperity should result in such emotional poverty. This proves to be the breaking point for Mrs Midas.

Stanza 11 - Lines 61 - 65 What gets me now is not the idiocy or greed
The final Stanza stresses Mrs Midas’ anger and reflection at her husband’s ‘pure selfishness’ in making his wish which has not only affected him but also deprived both of any physical relationship but also of his wife’s chance to have her dream baby. What gets me now is not the idiocy or greed but lack of thought for me. Pure selfishness. I sold the contents of the house and came down here. I think of him in certain lights, dawn, late afternoon, and once a bowl of apples stopped me dead. I miss most, even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch. However, even after all her anger has been unleashed, the stanza resonates with a sense of loss and grief. She is still left alone with nothing but a wistful, regretful sense of loss for the man she married. She still loves her husband although they can never be together. She thinks about him frequently and, as is typical with people who are forced apart for whatever reason, things she sees can suddenly remind her of him and what she has lost In a poignant line, she remembers fondly their once full, physical relationship and mourns its passing:. The repetition - of the words “hands” emphasises too that his touch, once a potent symbol of their intimacy is now lost forever. The final line is one that could be spoken by millions of women who have lost their life partner (the last word of the poem being the most significant). Of course, the situation described in the poem is “fantastic” in the true sense of that word, but the sentiment is real enough. Relationships are often ruined through idiocy or greed.

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