Valentine

1. Valentine By Carol Ann Duffy

2. Starter • When was Duffy born? • Why is she famous? • What is enjambment? • What is a connotation? • What are the connotations of the word “Valentine”?

3. Learning Intentions • I will develop my understanding of the poem Valentine– specifically its context and message. • I will develop my ability to analyse information. • I will develop my ability to identify key themes/ideas, and discuss these in relation to the text.

4. Valentine Discuss If we are thinking about the title as having connotations of love and devotion, do you think we might see any of the themes from Duffy’s Originally in this poem? If so, which ones and why?If none, why?

5. Context • 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. • 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"). • On the surface, it is about the giving of an unusual present for St. Valentine's Day, but really is an exploration of love between two people.

6. Reading the Poem I will first read through the poem with you. If there are words/phrases that you don’t understand, underline them as we read through – we can discuss them at the end.

7. Your Turn • Read the poem on your own at least twice. • In your jotters, make a note of any key themes or key ideas that you notice. • Be prepared to justify your choice. Example: Isolation, Love…

8. Themes • Love • Relationships • Passage of time • Entrapment/Restriction • Rejection of stereotype

9. Valentine By Carol Ann Duffy

10. What is the poem about?

11. Synopsis • On the surface – it’s about the giving of an unusual present for Valentine’s day. • Really it’s an exploration of love and the nature of relationships between two people. • The juxtaposition of the clichéd ideas of love alongside the speaker’s “onion”, demonstrates the fact that her love is: original, clever, intense, romantic, emotional, truthful, fierce. • The poem is universal: it could be any lover to any beloved as there is no indication of the sex of either the “I” or the “you”.

12. Stanza one and two Not a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love.

13. In pairs: • Consider the first line. How does this engage with the theme of love? • How does Duffy make the poem seem personal in these lines? • Identify one example of imagery. What is being compared and why?

14. Extended Metaphor • This poem is an extended metaphor. • The poet compares her love and the relationship to an onion, this image is extended throughout the whole poem drawing similarities throughout. • Specifically – the onion represents her love in many different ways. The poem allows her to explore her love by comparing the different aspects of the onion to the different aspects of her love.

15. Opens with a negative statement of fact – “Not”. • “Red rose” & “satin heart” = conventional gifts, have connotations of love and reverence. • The fact that the speaker rejects these in this line, emphasises their desire to reject convention. • Perhaps these gifts are seen as unoriginal and contrived? The speaker is in favour of more meaningful gifts. • Reinforces idea of rejecting tradition – this is not a conventional gift. • Use of 1st and 2nd person = poem more personal. • Speaker is talking directly to their lover: the recipient of the gift. • There are many layers to the speaker’s love? Not a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. • Short Sentences – reflect deliberate, precise actions. • Suggests assuredness/confidence of speaker: they are matter of fact and have a strong opinion – unafraid to share. • Metaphor • Onion compared to the moon in both shape and colour.The moon is a conventional romantic symbol of (feminine) love and passion. • The moon is regularly credited in literature with governing or controlling women’s passion and desires. • Onion’s skin – “brown paper” – reinforces idea of a gift as gifts often wrapped in brown paper. (Significance of gift lies beneath the wrapping).

16. “Light” = Literally, because of its white colour, and metaphorically in terms of enlightenment about the true nature of love. • Connotes beauty, purity and life – the gifted onion is symbolic of these elements of love/relationships. • Promise could be: romantic moonlight/ light touch or gentleness/ light-hearted behavior. It promises light like the careful undressing of love. • Peeling the layers of an onion represents gradually getting to know a new lover. • Suggests the removal of the papery outer layers is comparative to the ‘undressing’ of those who prepare to make love. • Enhances this example of imagery: physical and emotional love. • Word Choice of”careful” suggests tenderness, affection, warmth and sensitivity between the lovers as they gradually allow external barriers to come down and expose their true selves to each other.

17. Valentine By Carol Ann Duffy

18. No Notes 5 minutes to complete! • How does the opening line “Not a red rose or a satin heart” introduce the theme of rejecting stereotypes? • Explain the metaphor “It is a moon wrapped in brown paper”. Do you think it is effective in conveying the theme of love? Why or why not?

19. Stanza Three Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief

20. On your Own: • Can you identify any of the main themes within this stanza? Be prepared to explain your answer. • What does the simile “It will blind you with tears/ like a lover” suggest about romantic relationships? • Explore the word choice of “wobbling”. Why do you think this is effective here?

21. One word command sentence. • Reaffirms the act of the speaker physically giving the onion to their lover. – however recipient seems to need encouragement. • Suggests hesitation of the recipient and implies apprehensive about gift and/or relationship. Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief • Simile • Just as an onion causes you to cry when peeling/cutting it, so too can a lover cause tears. • Allusion to love being blind? Perhaps – it will blind you but you will keep it/remain in the relationship. • Word Choice “blind” = connotes darkness, and uncertainty. • Extended metaphor • An additional warning. • Emphasisesonce more the vulnerability and danger people expose themselves to when they submit wholly and completely to a romantic relationship and reminds us of its destructive potential.

22. Stanzas Four and Five I am trying to be truthful. Not a cute card or a kissogram.

23. On Your Own: • What does the line “I am trying to be truthful” suggest about the speaker? What about the speaker’s past actions? • What effect does the use of first person have? What do you think about the poet/speaker? • What is the significance of the “cute card” and “kissogram”?

24. Single emphatic statement (places emphasis on the point) • The speaker is perhaps attempting to justify all that has been said so far, and continues to stress the desire for honesty within the relationship. • Word choice of “Trying” suggests that this is an ongoing thing – perhaps they have not been truthful in the past, thus hinting at dysfunction within the relationship. • The speaker is attempting to stress the significance of truthfulness and honesty in the relationship. • First person allows the poet to convey the strength of feeling in their desire for a relationship which is based on honesty. I am trying to be truthful. Not a cute card or a kissogram. • Echoes the opening line – again rejecting stereotypical gifts. • Reinforces the idea that these gifts are not representative of love as they are too common. • We get the sense that the speaker is looking for a unique symbol to represent their unique love.

25. Valentine By Carol Ann Duffy

26. 5 minutes to complete! No Notes 5 minutes to complete! • When was Duffy born? (Should get it bang on now!) • In what way is the command “Here.” powerful? What does it suggest about the speaker’s personality? • What is the significance of the phrase “I am trying to be truthful.”

27. Collective Feedback • Use the walkthrough document to help you structure your answers. As these Q’s are homework, you don’t have a time pressure – use the time to really labour over your answers. • Relate every point you make back to the question. If you are exploring 2 techniques for 4 marks, you should make 2 points for each technique (4 points in total).

28. Collective Feedback If you state something, you need to explain how you know this. ““Skelf of shame” shows she still has some of her Scottish roots.” Yes but how does it do this? Skelf is a Scottish word for splinter – something that is ingrained but uncomfortable – represents her own desire to keep hold of her Scottish identity, however it feels like an uncomfortable/disconnected memory – isolated from it.

29. Collective Feedback • Make sure that you explain how a technique reinforces a theme. It is not enough to say “the list helps to show how things change/how she is isolated”. You haven’t explained anything here? Instead: The list fragments the sentence, which forces the reader to pause at each word – creating a distance between them in the reader’s mind. This represents the physical and emotional distance she feels exists between her past and present. She longs for these elements of her past, but is forever separate from them.

30. Stanza Six I give you an onion. Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are.

31. In pairs: • Why do you think the phrase “I give you an onion” is repeated? What effect does this have? • Does the line “Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips” discuss the positive or negative aspects of love? Or both? Justify you answer. • What are the connotations of “faithful” and “possessive”? What do they tell you about the relationship?

32. Repetition reaffirms the intention to gift this to her partner. • This acts almost as a direction - made more forceful by the shortness of the sentence. • Rejection of stereotypes – however now is a more meaningful gift as metaphor has been explained. Still representative of unique love: albeit unusual. • The speaker is attempting to articulate not only the romantic, positive aspects of love but its more negative, darker associations. • “Fierce” suggests a level of aggression that we haven’t yet seen within the poem. • Takes on a more brutal and threatening tone here. • Continued allusion to the senses through the taste of the onion which, just like some romantic relationships, is strong, unpleasant and difficult to erase. • Alliteration of the “s” sound echoes the sound of a kiss, but also introduces a sinister element .

33. Word Choice: • “Faithful” has positive connotations of connectedness, unity and trust. • However, “possessive” has negative connotations of jealousy, distrust, control, and insecurity. • This signals a change in the relationship, and continues to develop a harsher tone within the poem. possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are. • At odds with traditional romantic ideas –suggests the relationship will not last forever. • Again Duffy is rejecting conventional ideas in an attempt to be “truthful”. • Imitates a vow – suggests there is a deep-rooted connection here. However the sinister allusions force the reader to query whether this love will last.

34. Valentine By Carol Ann Duffy

35. 5 minutes to complete! Do now 7 minutes to complete! • Why was Duffy famous/ What made Duffy famous? • What is the significance of the line “I give you an onion”? Why do you think the phrase “I give you an onion” is repeated? What effect does this have? • What do the lines “possessive and faithful/ as we are,/ for as long as we are” tell you about the relationship? Justify your answer.

36. Stanza Seven Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring, if you like. Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.

37. On your Own: • What does the short, two-word sentence suggest about the speaker/about the recipient of the gift? Be prepared to justify your answer. • Why do you think the one line sentence “Lethal.” has been used? What effect does it have? • The final two sentences “Its scent will cling to your fingers,/ cling to your knife.” indicate a change in tone. What tone can you identify? Why?

38. Two word command – using an imperative. • Unromantic and instead is quite controlling. • Almost a challenge for the recipient/reader to accept the gift and therefore accept/understand Duffy’s unconventional view • Again, reinforcing the idea that this relationship may have a harsher side to it. Take it. Its platinum loopsshrink to a wedding ring, “Platinum” = colour of the onion and many rings • Onion rings represent wedding rings. • The way onion rings get progressively smaller suggests the way commitment is gradually made. • When all is peeled away, we are left with the traditional symbol of love – a wedding band. • Word Choice – “loops” • Connotations of confinement and restriction. • Is this Duffy’s perception of marriage? Is this indicative of the relationship? • Suggestion that marriage shrinks your horizons.

39. This additional sentence suggests that Duffy doesn’t quite agree with the comparison of onion  wedding ring. • This is perhaps an attempt to humour the reader/recipient and their desire for traditional/stereotypical symbols of love. • Is she suggesting that similarly marriage is a concession to conventionality? if you like. Lethal. • Another single word sentence. • Lethal = deadly, corrosive, harmful. • Therefore holds negative connotations – the onion is representative of the negative aspects of marriage and commitment. • Suggestion that too much commitment can be damaging.

40. Valentine By Carol Ann Duffy

41. 5 minutes to complete! Do Now 7 minutes to complete! • What does the line “I am trying to be truthful” from stanza four suggest about the speaker? What about the speaker’s past actions? • “It will blind you with tears like a lover./ It will make your reflection/ a wobbling photo of grief.” – Considering that we have now identified a sinister tone towards the end of the poem, can you see this tone here? Why or why not?

42. Repetition = reinforces this sense of something lingering. • Emphasises how difficult it is to escape the smell and, therefore, the relationship. • Sentiments of entrapment/confinement. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife. • Ending poem by referring to a weapon = disturbing. • Refers to the act of cutting up the onion – compares marriage to this. • Reinforces this idea that marriage/commitment can potentially be deadly/harmful.

43. Is the poem... • Cynical about love? • Realistic about love? • Idealistic about love? • Pessimistic about love?

44. ‘Valentine’ Ideas and Attitudes Subject Matter • What is the poet’s attitude to love? • What is her tone? • What is the poem about? Language Form/Structure • How does Duffy show her disapproval for the traditional Valentine gifts? • Comment on her use of ‘I’ and ‘you’. • Comment on lines 6, 11 and 18. • Select 5 interesting uses of word choice and analyse them fully. • Show how these examples demonstrate a progression in the relationship as well as in the poem.

45. Themes • Would you identify any of the themes from Duffy’s Originally within Valentine? (In addition to those already identified). • If so, which ones and why?

46. 5 minutes to complete! Do Now 7 minutes to complete! How do the lines “Its scent will cling to your fingers,/cling to your knife” reinforce the idea that this is a dysfunctional relationship?Refer to word choice in your answer.

47. Valentine By Carol Ann Duffy

48. Starter • What techniques are used in the following quotations? • How do these quotations develop the theme of isolation/love/emigration. • “fell through the fields”. • “bawling Home, / Home,” • “It will blind you with tears / like a lover”. • “Lethal.”

49. ‘Valentine’ Ideas and Attitudes Subject Matter • What is the poet’s attitude to love? • What is her tone? • What is the poem about? Language Form/Structure • How does Duffy show her disapproval for the traditional Valentine gifts? • Comment on her use of ‘I’ and ‘you’. • Comment on lines 6, 11 and 18. • Select 5 interesting uses of word choice and analyse them fully. • Show how these examples demonstrate a progression in the relationship as well as in the poem.

50. VALENTINE Subject matter Ideas and Attitudes A universal poem – it could be any lover to any beloved as there is no indication of the sex of either ‘I’ or ‘you’. Onion is an extended metaphor for love. Initially she is positive about the love she offers- it has many layers which promise a joyful future. However, the end is not as positive with her suggestion that one partner may end relationship. Language Form/Structure ‘promise’, ‘light’ suggest positive aspects of relationship. As poem progresses there is more focus on strength and power of relationship – ‘fierce’, ‘possessive’, ‘faithful’. At end, Duffy suggests intensity of lovers may be too much for relationship, forcing an ending – ‘lethal’. Written in FREE VERSE – no obvious rhyme scheme. It echoes the naturalness of speech and suggests love has no order or pattern. Repetition of line structure. Repetition of ‘not’.