Valentine

Valentine

SUMMARY
1. 1. Valentine is a poem that rejects conventional expectations and classic tokens of love {"red rose" / "satin heart"}
2. 3. Carol Anne Duffy explores the concept of love through unrealistic comparisons & unusual imagery because an onion is a very unflattering, rancid and unromantic object
3. 2. The poem itself is an extended metaphor about how the unromantic properties of the onion fits the notion of love and subverts against the commercial exploitation of the 'Valentine's' Event and the language of love
4. 4. Each stanza also shows the different phases of love, how it begins with all the best intentions yet it can gradually deteriorates into misunderstandings and violence.
5. CONTEXT: Duffy wrote this poem for a newspaper to be published on February 14th - Valentine's Day. However, the very first line of the poem challenges these preconceptions as the speaker in the poem offers her sweetheart an onion
6. 5. Duffy uses the extended metaphor of an onion to show her speaker’s increasing frustration that the gift of an onion has been rejected. Eventually, the speaker, overwhelmed by the rejection, resorts to threatening/almost violent language.
7. FORM: Carol Ann Duffy’s symbolic use of the onion is reminiscent of the metaphysical (17th century) poets approach to using ordinary objects to surprise the reader. Therefore Valentine is known as a 'conceit' poem.
KEY THEMES
1. DESTRUCTIVENESS OF LOVE
2. PAINFUL EMOTIONS CONNECTED WITH LOVE
3. DISINTEGRATION OF LOVE
4. BREAKDOWN OF RELATIONSHIPS
5. LOVE IS = BLIND, BITTER, DESTRUCTIVE, FIERCE, POSSESSIVE, LETHAL
ANALYSIS
1. Positive Aspects
  1. 1. Duffy uses the extended metaphor of an onion to show her speaker’s positive attitude to love.
  2. 2. The title of the poem suggests that it will deal with fairly conventional notions of love. ‘Valentine’ Connotations of hearts/flowers/romance – we all like the idea that someone loves us and cares enough to show it through giving us gifts
  3. 3. Yet unconventional gift offered - an onion. ‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.’ Excellent 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.
  4. 4. Positive aspect of love - optimism at the beginning of a relationship – love has many layers. ‘It promises light like the careful undressing of love.’ Love has many layers – deeper emotion may be felt as you peel away the layers. The simile suggests a physical relationship. Word choice of ‘careful’ suggests tenderness/ affection/warmth/ sensitivity. All of above are reasonable suggestions to make.
  5. 6. Positive aspect of love - optimism at ‘promises/light’ Positive – words linked with pleasant/enjoyable the beginning of a relationship aspects of love; ‘promises’ also suggests assurance – a guarantee that the relationship will prosper.
  6. 7. The longer a relationship lasts it will become more serious and may lead to marriage ‘Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,’ Comparison between the rings of an onion and a wedding ring; platinum – precious metal – wedding rings often made of this; commitment/ steadfastness/ devotion/ faithfulness of the person offering the unconventional Valentine gift implied in this metaphor. Very convincing – almost anyone can be won over with the promise of marriage and all that it implies.
  7. 5. The longer a relationship lasts it will become more serious and may lead to marriage ‘Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,’ Comparison between the rings of an onion and a wedding ring; platinum – precious metal – wedding rings often made of this; commitment/ steadfastness/ devotion/ faithfulness of the person offering the unconventional Valentine gift implied in this metaphor. Very convincing – almost anyone can be won over with the promise of marriage and all that it implies.
2. Negative Aspects
  1. 2. The onion represents a relationship which may occasionally cause you pain. ‘It will blind you with tears like a lover.’ Simile – truth/honesty – suggests love can cause distress; Word choice suggests pain and grief. Believable – in relationships, one partner can often be cruel/ hurtful.
  2. 3. The onion is like a mirror – but the image may be distorted.. ‘It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.’ Extended metaphor – ‘wobbling photo of grief’ – pain/tears/ distress can be caused by relationships/ truth/honesty; word choice suggests pain and heartache. I am certain that this is the case – relationships are not always completely agreeable
  3. 4. Powerful love is very difficult to forget as is a brutal/violent relationship. ‘fierce kiss will stay on your lips,’ Taste of the onion is strong and 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. The word ‘fierce’ has connotations of anger/brutality/violence. Too often we read about domestic disharmony and I am persuaded by Duffy that this could happen.
  4. 5. Strength and power of the ‘possessive and faithful,’ ‘possessive’ suggests an relationship – a change in the relationship. element of jealousy, even control – persona’s tone becomes forceful. Many instances in Literature and the Media – therefore convincing argument.
  5. 6. The longer a relationship lasts it will become more serious and may lead to marriage – which may become a restrictive relationship. ‘Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,’ Comparison between the rings of an onion and a wedding ring; platinum – precious metal – wedding rings often made of this; yet ‘shrinks’ may suggest that the relationship may restrict you in some way or is about to end. Believable – 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.
  6. 7. Intense relationship may lead to violence. ‘Lethal.’ 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. Persuaded by Duffy – media/literature – many examples. P
  7. 8. Powerful love is very difficult to forget and may lead you into dangerous situations where the final outcome may be brutal/ violent. ‘Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.’ 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; Duffy’s word choice (‘knife’) indicates that the speaker threatens violence in the final line. Very believable – realistically this could happen when one partner is rebuffed ie feels that the other has rejected or slighted them.
  8. 1. Duffy uses the extended metaphor of an onion to show her speaker’s increasing frustration that the gift of an onion has been rejected. Eventually, the speaker adopts a threatening attitude as their lover refuses to accept the gift.
3. Structure
  1. 2. Central idea of the poem is the central line ‘I am trying to be truthful.’ 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’.
  2. 3. Speaker immediately dismisses conventional symbols of love and repeats this later in poem ‘Not a red rose or a satin heart.’ ‘Not a cute card or a kissogram.’ First line – verbless sentence – direct statement – dismisses coventional symbols of love; note that the word ‘not’ starts each sentence so that there can be no doubt that the persona does not wish to show their feelings through overly sentimental conventional symbols. Repetition of similarly structured line 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.
  3. Speaker is insisting that lover will accept gift of an onion. the speaker is almost challenging the person she is talking to, keeping the emotion controlled yet strongly connected with love: ‘Here.’ ‘Take it.’ Comment on the use of (and the tone of) commands. Why does Duffy choose to place each command on a line on its own? Is this ‘convincing’?
  4. 1. The speaker, overwhelmed by the rejection of the gift, resorts to threatening, almost violent language ‘Lethal.’ Why use a one-word/one line sentence? Comment on the tone of this word. Is this ‘convincing’?
  5. 4. Powerful love is very difficult to forget and may lead you into dangerous situations where the final outcome may be brutal/ violent. ‘Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.’ Is this an effective concluding statement? Is this ‘convincing’?
LINKS TO OTHER POEMS
1. - ADULTERY - CLOSE - DISGRACE - HAVISHAM
2. Phillip Larkin's: AN ARUNDAL TOMB
  1. This poem shows the 'lies' love can tell, and the falseness of how their relationship is portrayed. The fact that their hands are clasped in one another's grip is seen to be symbolic of their undying and everlasting love for each other. Larkin uses humour, along with sarcasm and irony to demonstrate that this is in fact symbolic of nothing and merely by 'a sculptor's sweet commissioned grace'.

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