Valentine edexcel 4-The-Poetry-Anthology

Valentine

Each GCSE poetry anthology contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another. The exam is closed-book, which means you will not have access to the second poem. This does not mean you need to remember every line from memory, but you do need to understand and remember key aspects of the poem. Understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem

• The ideas and messages of the poet 

• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods

• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Carol Ann Duffy’s poem ‘Valentine’, from the Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods

• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes

• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell

• A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Carol Ann Duffy’s intention and message

‘Valentine’ in a nutshell

‘Valentine’, written by former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, subverts traditional ideas of romantic relationships with simple imagery that presents a more realistic portrayal of love.

‘Valentine’ breakdown

Lines 1–2

“Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.”

Translation

• The poem begins with two images that contrast each other

• Instead of offering a traditionally romantic “red rose” or “satin heart”, they offer an “onion”

Duffy’s intention

• Duffy immediately begins the poem with incongruous images

• Traditional symbols and ideas of love are undermined with the reference to a vegetable

Lines 3–5

“It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.

It promises light

like the careful undressing of love.”

Translation

• These lines explain the gift of an onion:

  • The onion’s shape and colour is compared to a moon, its skin to “brown paper”

  • The poet alludes to bright and hopeful love (symbolised by the onion) with metaphorical imagery (“it promises light”)

• A simile compares the peeling of an onion’s layers to lovers “undressing”

Duffy’s intention

• Duffy’s explanation for the bizarre gift is presented with natural imagery:

  • She refers to the moon and “light”, which are typically romantic images

• She likens a peeling onion to lovers slowly undressing, alluding to physical desire

Lines 6–10

“Here.

It will blind you with tears

like a lover.

It will make your reflection

a wobbling photo of grief.”

Translation

• The speaker’s tone is abrupt: “Here.”:

  • This line implies the speaker is giving their lover the onion

• They go on to describe the onion’s ability to make you cry when you peel it:

  • The speaker says this is like love as it can make you sad and shaken

Duffy’s intention

• Duffy’s pragmatic speaker uses a short, one-word line to shift the mood

• Dark imagery highlights how love can disrupt peace and bring “grief”

Line 11–12

“I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.” 

Translation

• The poet draws attention to the reason for the strange gift with two isolated lines that emphasise the speaker’s desire for honesty

• The speaker wants to reassure the listener that they are not offering platitudes through a “cute card” or a “kissogram” (a message delivered and accompanied by a kiss)

Duffy’s intention

• Duffy’s poem uses colloquial references and simple language to amplify the speaker’s honest message about love

• The poet contrasts the speaker’s “truthful” words with alliteration that implies disdain

• This undermines traditional messages of love, presenting them as fake or shallow

Lines 13–17

“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.”

Translation

• These lines reinforces the speaker’s intentions:

  • They say that the onion is a symbol of love because it has a strong taste that is as strong as their commitment to each other

• The speaker implies that the onion’s strength will last as long as they are “faithful”

Duffy’s intention

• Duffy draws attention to the intensity of the romantic relationship

• Words such as “fierce” and “possessive” are highlighted in a single short line

• The poem begins to sound like an ultimatum as the speaker says the onion and their love will be strong as long as they are loyal to each other 

Lines 18–23

“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.”

Translation

• The speaker gives another instruction: the listener must accept the onion gift

• The speaker describes the onion’s silver layers as “platinum loops”

• They link this to a wedding ring, and then offer a hesitant “if you like.”

• As the poem ends, the speaker alludes to danger with an isolated word “Lethal.”

• They say that the “scent” (smell) when cutting an onion stays on the fingers and the knife

Duffy’s intention

• Duffy’s poem ends ambiguously, alluding to the pain and risk involved in relationships

• It is implied that cutting an onion is much like the pain of a broken relationship

• The “scent” stays with you 

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Carol Ann Duffy’s intentions behind her choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

The form of ‘Valentine’ is an unconventional approach to traditional presentations of romantic relationships. Duffy’s monologue appears as if the speaker is having a real and physical conversation.

Structure

The poem’s structure creates a speaker whose voice appears life-like and natural. Duffy’s poem is a pragmatic presentation of love.

 Language

The poem ‘Valentine’ uses metaphorical imagery that undermines traditional romantic symbolism. Duffy portrays love as intense, passionate and dangerous. 

Context

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Carol Ann Duffy or facts unrelated to the ideas in ‘Valentine’. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Duffy that relate to romantic and complex relationships. 

This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Duffy explores:

• Romantic relationships

• Complex love and desire

Romantic relationships 

• Carol Ann Duffy, former Poet Laureate, often challenges traditional social constructs and stereotypes in her work

• Her poem, ‘Valentine’, spurns established ideas of romance and suggests they are fake:

  • The speaker in the poem stresses “I am trying to be truthful”

  • This is typical of the way Duffy’s poetry deals in realism 

• Duffy’s poetry offers realistic portrayals of relationships:

  • The poem ‘Valentine’ uses the metaphor of an onion to describe romantic love, extending this to the idea of cutting it with a knife

• Her poem’s speakers often convey their thoughts with disdainful sarcasm or casual nonchalance:

  • In the poem ‘Valentine’, this is evident in the line “if you like.”

  • The speaker is brusque and blunt: “Here.”

• The poem is considered an example of post-modernism as it deconstructs ideas that are seen as universal, such as the idea of a “red rose” to symbolise love:

  • The modern poem, published in the 1990s, illustrates aspects of consumerism

  • The poem makes an implication that love has been commercialised with a “satin heart” and a “kissogram” 

• The poem’s honest portrayal of real love suggests its transience:

  • Duffy’s poem ‘Valentine’ alludes to temporariness, “for as long as we are”

Complex love and desire

• Carol Ann Duffy is a Scottish poet who uses simple language to juxtapose intense emotions against mundane and everyday imagery 

• By offering their lover the gift of an onion, Duffy’s speaker is able to convey the “layers” of love and desire:

  • The poem alludes to “careful undressing” to connote to physical desire

  • However, the speaker is also bitter, suggesting love is “possessive” as well as “faithful” and “fierce”

• Duffy’s poetry often creates dramatic characterisations that raise the profile of marginalised or unheard voices

• Her poetry often dramatises arguments, poignant conversations and moments of pain 

• The poem ‘Valentine’ is from the anthology Mean Time, which dramatises, arguably, a conversation during which a gift is given for Valentine’s Day:

  • The speaker offers their lover a gift and says, “Take it.” 

• Duffy’s speakers convey mixed emotions to show the complexities of love:

  • The poem ‘Valentine’ depicts a conversation that, at times, seems d