Valentine

By Carol Ann Duffy

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Valentine’ – BrainstormBrainstorm the concept of Valentine’s Day. Write down as many words / phrases as you can that sum the whole thing up.Here are a few to get you started:

Chocolates

FlowersHearts

RomanceCards

Valentine’ – First Discussion

Before you read the poem, ‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy, discuss and answer the following questions.

What is a Valentine?

What kind of gifts do you associate with Valentine’s Day?

For what reason do you give someone a gift on Valentine’s Day?

What do these gifts represent?

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What kinds of things do you NOT expect to get on Valentine’s Day?

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On your own, and without discussion, jot down the first thoughts that come to mind in the space below.

Concentrate on anything the poem might remind you of; of any feelings, any ideas, a mood, a puzzle, however unexpected, it suggests; any atmosphere.

Read the poem again. Now, look for, and jot down, the answers to these questions.

1. What is the poem about? Does it describe a place / person / situation? Re-create a mood / feeling / memory? Experiment with language? Shock / challenge? Try and summarise the poem in one or two sentences.

2. The title. What is it? What does it tell you? Jot down 5 or 6 things it suggests to you – give literal meanings as well as associations.

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3. Voice. Who is speaking in the poem, and to whom? Is it the poet, or someone else, real or imagined?

4. Audience. Is the poet speaking to you or addressing the world in general?

5. Purpose. Why do you think the poet has written the poem? Is the poem to teach you something; to persuade you; to move you; to entertain you?

6. How does the poet feel about the subject? What is the speaker’s attitude to the ideas in the poem?

7. Rhythm and Rhyme. How does the poem sound? Does it rhyme? Do the lines run quickly or are they slow and steady? Are there any words, phrases or sounds that are repeated? Does the rhythm change anywhere in the poem? If so, where and what effect does this have?

8. Words, Images and Comparisons. What pictures do you see in your mind while you read? What words / images grab your attention? Write down any which are unusual / odd / striking that helped get the meaning across.

9. Structure. How does the poem look on the page? Long / short? Versus? Line lengths? Has it been divided up in a particular way to fit in with the ideas?

10. How does it sound? (Tone / atmosphere.) Why has the poet done this?

11. Development. How do the ideas in the poem develop? What are the first lines about? Do the last lines make the poem’s meaning clearer? Alter the meaning? Give you a shock? End with a definite statement? End with a sense of uncertainty?

12. Personal Response. What is your PERSONAL RESPONSE to the poem? How does the poem make you feel? How does it do this? Do you like the poem? Why?

Your ideas are never wrong! Poems affect people in different ways! Poems are PERSONAL to the reader.

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Valentine

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.It promises lightLike the careful undressing of love.

Here.It will blind you with tearsLike a lover.It will make your reflectionA wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or kissogram.

I give you an onion.Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, Possessive and faithfulAs we are,For as long as we are.

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.

Carol Ann Duffy.

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Understanding the PoemAnswer the following questions in groups to help you break down your understanding of the poem.

What is the poem about?

Who is speaking in the poem and who are they speaking to?

Does this poem fulfill our expectations of a poem titled ’Valentine’? Justify your answer with evidence from the poem.

What things are normally associated with Valentines Day that Duffy rejects? Why do you think she rejects them?

Instead of these things, what object does Duffy choose to represent love? What is surprising about this?

List all of the words and phrases that seem out of place in a Valentine poem, e.g. tears, grief. Why do you think these are included?

What is the tone at the start of the poem?

Give an example of an image the poet uses in the poem which makes an onion sound like a very apt gift to give as a Valentine’s present.

Is there a rigid structure in this poem?

Does it rhyme?

The poet seems to reject any overly sentimental and materialistic ideas about love. Instead she tries to present us with a more ‘truthful’ and realistic picture of what love really is and what being in love truly means.

In ‘Valentine’, the poet uses an onion to represent her love. This can be seen as a symbol of the love she has for her boyfriend / husband.

SYMBOLISM is where one thing is used to represent another e.g. a gun for warfare or a cross for the church.

Can you think of any other examples of symbols? List as many as you can.

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Imagery in ‘Valentine’: Extended Metaphor

What is a metaphor?Can you think of an example?What is an extended metaphor?

Duffy uses a lot of imagery in this poem – images which allow the reader to visualize, very clearly, the pictures being painted in the poem. The image she uses over and over again in ‘Valentine’ is the comparison of her love to an onion.

When a comparative image is used over and over again in a poem, it is called an EXTENDED METAPHOR.

First look at another poem with an extended metaphor. What is the extended metaphor in this poem?

Copy the table below. You are going to identify examples of this extended metaphor then analyse how the onion links to love and romance. This exercise will help you to understand why the poet truly believes an onion is the perfect symbol of her love.

Here are some examples to get you started:

Line from poem Actual, real image of an onion (literal)

Comparative image of love and romance

‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper’

An onion is white in colour; has a translucent gleam; round in shape. ‘Brown paper is it’s skin.’

Moon is associated with romance; it is also round in shape and white in colour.

‘It will blind you with tears / like a lover.’

Love can make you cry with happiness or sadness.

When eating an onion, it has a strong, fierce taste that lingers in your mouth.

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When seriously in love, you might eventually marry, which of course means wedding rings.

An onion is light underneath a darker outer skin.

As a relationship unfolds, different aspects of a person are revealed.

The smell of an onion lingers on the skin.

Onions are chopped up.

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Themes and Ideas

1. What view of love is developed in the poem? Consider:

The different aspects of love revealed in the poem?

How the metaphor of the onion helps the poem develop the poet’s ideas.

2. What do you think Duffy feels about commercial Valentine greetings?

3. Note down some of the images in the poem which carry the idea that love is not always easy and straightforward.

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Word Choice

What is word choice?

Duffy carefully chooses a very interesting selection of words in this poem to express herself. Her word choice also contributes to the poem being slightly unusual.

Look at the poem. Make a list of all the interesting words Duffy uses which help to paint interesting images in your mind – both words that describe the positive images at the start and the negative images at the end.

You are going to analyse these words and their impact on you. The best way to do this is:

Read the word in its CONTEXT Describe the context that the word is usually used in. List any connotations this word has. Describe the effect the poet is trying to achieve by using the word in this

context.

Here are a few examples to get you started:

‘Promises’ – this is describing the commitment of the onion in bringing light into this person’s life. The onion itself could be seen as a light once the dark layers of skin have been peeled back. Promises are not meant to be broken, so it highlights the dedication the poet has to her loved one.‘Light’ – ‘Fierce’ –‘Possessive’ - We know that the scent of an onion is very powerful, and lingers on our breath and fingers when we have eaten / touched one. We know that ‘possessive’ usually means to control or have ownership over something, so it is as though the onion is so powerful that it reflects the darker side of love which can drive us to control the one we love.‘Grief’ – ‘Cling’ – ‘Lethal’ –

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StructureThe structure of this poem is quite unusual. Answer the following questions in full sentences in your jotter on what you have observed about the way the poem has been laid out.

Is there an obvious rhyme scheme?

Is there a rhythm when you read it aloud?

If you cannot identify any obvious rhythm or rhyme scheme, why do you think the poet has chosen not to include these?

What effect do you think she is trying to achieve?

FREE VERSE is when there is no obvious rhythm or rhyme scheme in a poem. The stanzas are likely to be of uneven length using a combination of short and long lines. Free verse can be used to develop an informal tone and tends to be founding more modern poetry.

Look at the structure of individual lines in the poem. What is unusual about the length of some of these lines?

What effect is the poet trying to achieve here?

Unusually, some of the lines begin with a negative. Identify these lines and copy them into your jotter; circle the negatives.

Why do you think the poet emphasizes the negative here?

Is there a connection between the three single lines (lines 1, 11, 12)?

Why do you think Duffy chose to put ‘Here.’ ‘Take it.’ And ‘Lethal.’ on lines of their own?

What impact does the final line have?

Listen to two examples of traditional love poems being read by your teacher. Identify:

How do you know these are love poems?

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List the words / phrases that led you to this conclusion.Comment on the rhythm and rhyme of these poems.What kind of imagery is used?Are the images created positive or negative, or both?Which of the poems do you prefer and why?

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Consolidating your KnowledgeIn the following table, you are going to summarise the poetic techniques Duffy uses, analyse each technique and comment on how effective each one is on you, the reader.Quote from the

poemPoetic technique

used.Describe the

image created / point being

made.

What effect does this have on

you?

‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper’

The moon is round in shape and white in colour, as is an onion. Moon is traditionally associated with love and romance.

‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips / possessive and faithful.’‘Lethal. / It’s scent will cling to your fingers, / Cling to your knife.’‘Not a red rose or a satin heart’ / ‘Not a cute card or kissogram’

By placing ‘Not’ at the start of a line, she is emphasizing her rejection of traditional presents. Very unusual to start a love poem with a negative.

‘Grief’ Word Choice

‘Possessive’

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‘Undressing’

‘Here.’‘Take it.’

Structure.

Any others?

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Consolidating your KnowledgeUsing the work that you have done so far, complete the following passage by filling in the spaces with the appropriate words. The passage is divided into four paragraphs and each one considers a different aspect of the poem. By writing about these aspects you are consolidating your knowledge of all you have learned so far.

Subject matter – What the poem is about

Ideas and attitudes – What it is trying to say

Language – The WORDS that are used

Form or structure – The way the poem is set out

Subject Matter

The title of the poem tells us that it is a ______________ . But, straight away, we learn that it is not a normal type of Valentine, it is ‘Not a ________________.’ Instead the poet gives her lover an ____________ as a sign of her love. She explains why the gift is so appropriate using original romantic images like ‘______________.’ There is also a note of caution; relationships can be killed off, and love can be ‘____________.’

Ideas and Attitudes

Duffy rejects the usual Valentine gifts, suggesting that they are too _____________. Instead, she provides what she considers to be a far more _________________ representation of love and relationships.

She implies that love is not always be sweet, but sharp, cutting, and can result in tears, just like the scent and taste of ________________.

Language

The poet uses an extended ______________, she writes about her relationship as if it

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was an onion. She considers the qualities of an onion, and how these are similar to those of a relationship, for example, ‘_____________’ can be compared to a love affair because ______________.

Apart from these comparisons, the language tends to be quite simple and straightforward. Perhaps this means that she wants her relationship to be _______________ as well.

The poem also contains a number of statements, for instance, ‘___________.’ This makes the poet sound in control and sure of herself.

Form or Structure

The poem does not have a regular structure. The lines and stanzas are of varying length. This could be for several reasons. Firstly, that ____________ cannot be ordered and regular. Secondly, that the poet’s thoughts are going directly onto paper, she has not ___________ them first, just like a relationship cannot be planned.

Also, traditional ____________ poetry is very regular and Duffy may have deliberately decided to reject this form.

Finally, some important words and short phrases have a line or stanza all to themselves. This serves to ________________.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann DuffyCritical Evaluation Plan

In what ways might Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy be considered an unusual love poem?In your answer you must refer to relevant features and poetic techniques such as: the title, imagery, word choice, structure etc.

Paragraph one: Introduction TART and BO

Introduce the name of the poem and poet Link to the question: state this poem can be considered an unusual love

poem Say why the poem is an unusual love poem State that the poem i9s an unusual love poem because of the way the p-

poet has used features and techniques such as: the title, imagery (extended metaphor), structure, word choice etc.

Give a brief summary of the poem – What is it about? It is a love poem? It is an unusual love poem? Ensure you write about your personal response to the poem – refer back

to the question. Remember – do not quote from the poem in this paragraph.

Remember – from paragraph two onwards you should be using:P: Point / topic sentence – always linked back to the questionC: Context – where your point occurs in the poemQ: Quote – remember to lay it out properlyE: Evaluate your quote – what does the quote reveal? What technique is

used? Remember your personal reaction to the quote (also remember the question is asking you if Valentine is an unusual love poem.)

Paragraph Two – The Title

Topic sentence. State that the title does or does not make us think that this will be a normal love poem.

We have preconceived ideas from the title. What does ‘Valentine’ make you think about? The poem isn’t what we expect from the title. Just the opposite. What effect does this have?

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How does the title help to make this an usual love poem?

Paragraph Three – Imagery (The Extended Metaphor)

Topic sentence: state the type of imagery used (particularly the extended metaphor of the onion) helps make this an unusual love poem.

Why is the onion a good symbol of her love (even if it is unusual)? Explain what an extended metaphor is and how it works in the poem. Choose at least two of the onion metaphors to show how the extended

metaphor develops. Work through PCQE for each point. You could choose from:

‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. / It promises light.’ ‘It will blind you with tears / like a lover.’ ‘It will make your reflection / a wobbling photo of grief.’ ‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, / possessive and faithful.’ ‘Its platinum loops shrink to a / wedding ring if you like.’ ‘Lethal / It’s scent will cling to your fingers, / Cling to your knife.’

Paragraph Four – Structure

Topic sentence - State that the structure of this poem is unusual for a love poem.

The whole poem is written in free verse, which means there is no obvious rhyme scheme or rhythm. This contrasts with traditional love poetry – especially the kind associated with Valentine’ Day. Discuss.

Why has Duffy chosen free verse? How does it help to make the poem unusual? (Mention how free verse develops and straightforward and honest tone.)

The structure of individual lines is also u unusual for a love poem because of the negative at the start of the line. Discuss one or both of these quotes:

‘Not a red rose or a satin heart.’ ‘Not a cute card or kissogram.’

What effect does placing ‘not’ at the start of a line have? What is the effect of having ‘not’ as the first word of the poem? Why is this unusual?

Many of the lines of the poem are very short. For example: ‘Here.’ ‘Take it.’

Quote at least one of these lines and discuss the effect it has. How does this element of structure help to make this an unusual love poem?

Paragraph Six – Word Choice

Topic sentence: state that Duffy carefully selects words to express herself.

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Quote and state the importance of some of the words ensuring that you discuss why they might help to make this an unusual love poem:

‘Promise’ / ‘Light’ / ‘Undressing’ (positive images in early part of poem.)

‘Fierce’ / ’possessive’ / ’faithful’/ ’blind’ / ’tears’ / ’grief’ / ’possessive’ / cling’ / ‘lethal’ (power and pain of love, destruction of love.)

ConclusionTART + Personal Opinion

Begin this paragraph with ‘In conclusion…’ State the name of the poem and poet again. State that this poem can be considered an unusual love poem. Mention again the techniques that make this poem an unusual love poem. Give your opinion – what did you like about the poem and why? Be

positive!

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