duffy-revision-1.pptx

Higher English
Set Texts
The Poetry of Carol Ann Duffy

Week 1
• Recap the key ideas of the poem:
• Valentine

Task 1
• Read through slides 5-17
• Make notes about the background and key ideas of the
poem “Valentine”
• Answer the questions for each stanza. Use the revision
booklet (annotated poems and notes) to help

What is the poem about?
• Carol Ann Duffy wrote Valentine after a radio producer asked her to write an original
poem for St. Valentine's Day.
• From the title, you would expect this to be a tradition romantic love poem, however,
the content of the poem contrasts with the title.
• This poem is written in the first person. The speaker appears to be the poet,
addressing her lover as "you“ 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 it is an exploration of the different stages of love and
relationships.
• This is a good text to write about, because it has a single central image, which is
developed throughout the poem: the onion is an extended metaphor for love.

“Valentine” – Form and Structure
• The poem is written in free verse and it does not have a fixed rhyme
scheme, which helps give the speaker a more realistic voice.
• Each stanza is very short, and several are only one line long. This
form echoes the form of an onion itself, and the layers that go to
make it up.
• Duffy also makes use of repetition throughout her poem as a way
of highlighting her rejection of traditional notions of love and
Valentine’s Day.
• The four longer sections reflect the different stages in a modern
relationship – from the hopeful, romantic beginning through to the
potential marriage or painful break-up.

“Valentine” – Extended Metaphor
Stages of metaphor What is the poet saying about
relationships?
An onion is light underneath a
darker outer skin
Onions make a person’s eyes
water
Raw onions leave a strong taste
on the lips
Onions are made up of rings
The smell of an onion lingers on
the skin
Onions are chopped up

“Valentine” – Extended Metaphor
Stages of metaphor What is the poet saying about
relationships?
An onion is light underneath a
darker outer skin
As a relationship unfolds, different aspects of a
person are revealed.
Onions make a person’s eyes water Relationships can hurt you and make you cry
Raw onions leave a strong taste on
the lips
The memories of a relationship are hard to forget
Onions are made up of rings wedding rings - marriage is the ultimate commitment in
a relationship
The smell of an onion lingers on the
skin
Heartache, pain and bitterness continue after the end of
a relationship
Onions are chopped up Break up, destruction of relationship - love can hurt
us

Stanzas 1 and 2 Overview
• The single first line establishes a blunt, straight forward tone.
The speaker seems sure of their opinion about Valentine’s Day
and love.
• The speaker of the poem addresses her lover directly
throughout the poem making it intimate and personal.
However, the subject matter is universal meaning that anyone
can relate to it.
• The first two stanzas address the speaker’s rejection of
traditional Valentine’s gifts and establish the extended
metaphor of the onion which continues throughout the poem.
Duffy uses humour to explore serious issues. An everyday object is used
to convey a deeper theme.

• The tone changes from stanzas 1 and 2 to stanzas 3
and 4 from positive to negative. This is established
through word choice and sentence structure.
• It is clear that Duffy intends to discuss all stages of
love and relationships, not just the happy moments
that are often celebrated on Valentine’s Day.
Theme of complex relationships is established.

• Contrasting language is used throughout this stanza
highlighting the complex nature of love and
relationships.
• The language in this stanza mimics the language of
wedding vows.
• These stanzas reveal another layer of relationships,
continuing the extended metaphor of the onion.

Stanza 7 Overview
• As the poem reaches its conclusion, Duffy explores
the darker side of love and relationships.
• The poem has taken us through the many stages of a
relationship: from the beginnings of romance, to
passion and commitment, to possessiveness and,
finally, to the end of a relationship.

Themes
• Relationships should be honest
• Relationships are emotionally complex.
• Love
• Violence/Ending
• Powerful speaker

Tone
• Unconventional
• Disapproving
• Tender
• Passionate
• Angry/ negative

Rhythm
• Natural feeling with the enjambment and simple
conversational words. Poem feels like lover’s speech
naturally addresses the listener.

Extended metaphor
‘I give you an onion.’ (metaphor)
‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.’ (extended)
‘It will blind you with tears’ (extended)
‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,’ (extended)
‘Its scent will cling to your fingers,’ (extended)

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS TEMPLATES
Word Choice:
“QUOTE” is an example of word choice. “__________” has connotations of …Duffy suggests …(link to
question)
Imagery (simile/ metaphor/ personification/ alliteration/ onomatopoeia/ symbolism)
“QUOTE” is an example of imagery (state which type of image). Just as _______ so too _______. This
suggests (link to question)
Sentence Structure (length/ repetition/ punctuation/ enjambment etc.):
“QUOTE” is an example of sentence structure, specifically ______. The TECHNIQUE is used to highlight ….
which suggests ….
Tone:
“QUOTE” is an example of tone. Duffy establishes a __________ tone in these lines through her use of
_______________. (Then use appropriate template).
Contrast:
“QUOTE” is an example of contrast. [Analyse first part of contrast using appropriate formula.] [Then
analyse the second part of the contrast using the appropriate formula.] [Finish with an overall comment
about what the contrasts highlights/ suggests.]

Model:
Q5. “cling to your fingers/ cling to your knife” is an example
of sentence structure, specifically repetition. The repetition is
used to highlight the difficulty the speaker feels when trying
to escape the memories of her relationship which suggests
that relationships can often be hard to move on from.
Stanzas 1-2
1. Analyse Duffy’s use of sentence structure in establishing
the speaker’s views on Valentine’s Day. (1 mark)
2. Comment on Duffy’s use of imagery to explore positive
aspects of love and relationships. (1 mark)
Stanza 3-4
3. Comment on Duffy’s use of language in establishing tone
in these stanzas. (1 mark)
Stanza 5-6
4. Comment on Duffy’s use of contrast in these stanzas. (2
marks (one mark for each side of the contrast)
Stanza 7
5. Analyse Duffy’s use of sentence structure in conveying a
central idea of the poem in the final stanza. (1 mark)
“QUOTE” is an example of word
choice. “__________” has
connotations of …Duffy suggests
…(link to question)
“QUOTE” is an example of
imagery (state which type of
image). Just as _______ so too
_______. This suggests (link to
question)
sentence structure, specifically
______. The TECHNIQUE is used
to highlight …. which suggests ….

Extension Task
• Work through the textual analysis questions in the
revision booklet for Valentine
• Send your answers to your teacher

Week 2
• Recap the key ideas of the poem:
• War Photographer

Task 1
poem “War Photographer”
• Answer the questions. Use the revision booklet
(annotated poems and notes) to help

Real Photographers
“The dilemma for the photographer... is
the question of what to do - do I take
the photograph? Or do I do something to
help?”
“I remember all the associations
connected to that photograph... it may
just be a body, but I might know
whose body that is.”
Ken Guest
(Afghan war photographer)

Excerpt from documentary
War Photographer (2001)
• Directed by Christian Frei
• Experience of James Nachtwey
• "The worst thing, as a photographer, is to feel that I'm
benefitting from someone else's tragedy. This idea haunts
me . . ." - James Nachtwey

Form
o 4 stanzas
o 6 lines each
o 24 lines total
o 9-12 Syllables
o Rhyming couplets
o Separated by one line
o Trying to set order in chaotic emotions
o Enjambment in most lines
o Third person pronouns
o (He, his, they)
o Detachment from job
o Distancing of Rural England from war zones

Literal Meaning
• Speaker: a war photographer
• Returned home after war
• Trauma after experiences
• Haunting images of war
• Contrast of war zone and England
• Develops pictures and remembers when and why it
was taken
• Editor choses pictures good enough for audience
• Cycle is closed
• Photographer goes to another war

Figurative Meaning and Ideas
• Contrast of war zone and daily life in England
• Carelessness and safety of common people
• Disasters of war
• Indifference of common people towards war
• Only care on a superficial level
• Strong images are considered inappropriate
• War is censored by editors of audience
• Difficulty of portraying a war without feeling guilty
• Photographer’s dilemma when taking pictures
• Traumatic images from war

Allusions
• Biblical Allusion
• “All flesh is grass” (6)
• From Isaiah 40:6-8
• Life is fleeting and transient, a reminder that we are
all mortal
• War Zones
• “Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.” (6)
• Globalizing poem
• Contrast to “Rural England” (9)
• “Sunday supplement” (21)
• War is mentioned along with football games and
traffic jams
• Weekend headlines program
• Press censoring information

Ambiguities
• “A stranger's features / faintly start to twist
before his eyes, / a half formed ghost” (13-
15)
• Developing pictures
• Picture of dead person
• Haunting memories
• “A hundred agonies in black-and-white” (19)
• Good vs. evil
• Monochromatic colors
• Numb feeling while printing picture

Figurative Language
o Metaphor/Simile
o “Spools of suffering set out in
ordered rows” (2)
o “As though this were a church
and he / a priest” (4-5)
o Juxtaposition
o “Fields which don’t explode
beneath the feet” (11)
o “Pain which simple weather
can dispel” (10)
o “He earns his living and they
do not care” (24)
• Imagery
• “Blood stained into
foreign dust” (18)
• “The reader’s eyeballs
prick / with tears” (21-
22)

War Photographer
• Duffy was inspired to write this poem by her friendship with a war photographer. She
was especially intrigued by the peculiar challenge faced by these people whose job
requires them to record terrible, horrific events without being able to directly help their
subjects.
• Duffy perhaps shares an affinity with these photo journalists - while they use the
medium of photography to convey certain truths about the human condition, she uses
words and language to do the same job.
• Duffy provokes us to consider our own response when confronted with the
photographs that we regularly see in our newspaper supplements, and why so many of
us have become desensitised to these images.
• By viewing this issue from the perspective of the photographer, she also reveals the
difficulties of such an occupation.
• By the end of the poem, it is clear her subject straddles two vastly different worlds yet
increasingly feels he belongs to neither.

Themes
• The poem focuses on two main themes:
• the horror of war
• our increasing indifference to the victims of conflict
These themes are revealed not only through Duffy’s word choice and imagery, but also through the
central paradox that while the imagery of war is more widespread than any other time in history, its
impact upon those of us exposed to it is rapidly declining.
• The horror of war
• Duffy’s skilful yet understated imagery helps to convey the terrible personal stories that lie behind
every conflict.
• Perhaps almost in an attempt to counter the graphic imagery that we have become so used to
seeing, her depictions are subtle and understated and she often leaves the reader to compose their
own images.
• Our increasing indifference to the victims of conflict
• Throughout the poem, Duffy conveys the increasing separateness and isolation the photographer
feels both towards his own country and the newspaper he works for.
• Unlike us and his editor, he is unable to protect himself from the horror of the subjects he
photographs and there is a sense of growing bitterness as he continues to feed the voracious need
for news in the knowledge that we are increasingly unmoved and unaffected by the images.

Questions
• What did you think the poem was about? Note down your
ideas.
• Who would be the intended audience?
• What is the purpose of the poem?
• Do you think that you understood the poem? Write down
anything that you were unsure of.
• What did you like or dislike about the poem?
• Discuss with another person and make notes on your poem.

Extension Task
revision booklet for ‘War Photographer’

Week 3
• Recap the key ideas of the poems:
• Originally

Task 1
poem “Originally”

Overview
• Autobiographical
• Focus on isolation and confusion felt as a result of move
from to England
• Examines literal and metaphorical journey
• Examines to what extent our identify is shaped by our
environment
• Moves from personal memories to reflection on the subject
of childhood

Structure
• Three stanza of 8 lines
• Stanza one recalls the journey from Glasgow towards her
new home
• Stanza two explores her initial sense of not fitting in to this
new landscape.
• In the third stanza she considers the larger question about
how our sense of identity is formed, shaped and affected by
such transitions

Structure
• The poet’s anxiety and uncertainty is revealed through the lack
of a regular rhyme scheme which reinforces the lack of order
in her life.
• Series of fragmented memories, using deliberately childish
words or phrases, is reminiscent of the way most of us recall
our own childhood and adds to the authenticity.

We came from our own country.
• Move affected the entire family
• Assonance of “our own” reinforces her definite
sense of belonging to and possession of a particular
place.
• Illustrates the overall negative attitude to the move

“red room” which “fell through the
fields.”
• describes the interior of the train
• 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.
• At the same time, the word choice and alliteration of fell and
fields emphasises her feelings of impotence and lack of
control in the making of this important decision.

“our mother singing/our father’s
name to the turn of the wheels.”
• The optimistic mood of her mother acts as a distinct
contrast to the obvious negativity of Duffy herself
• Also slightly ambiguous - the reader is unsure
whether their father is in the train carriage with them
or if they are travelling to meet him at their
destination.

Home, Home.
• the behaviour of her younger brothers whose
emotions seem to reflect her own: they are crying
and one of them is bawling
• The repetition and capitalisation of the word home
reinforces the misery and overwhelming sense of
loss and separation that she associates with this time.

“the miles rushed back to the city ”
• to emphasise her own desire to return to Glasgow, to
reverse this trip and reinhabit
• “rushed” potentially emphasises that she has not had
enough time to say goodbye to her old life.

“the street, the house, the vacant
rooms/where we didn’t live any more.”
• Again, the first person plural of “we” emphasises that,
even though this poem is written from her own
perspective, she clearly considers the impact of the move
on the rest of her family.
• In contrast to her younger siblings, Duffy is silent as she
“stared/ at the eyes of a blind toy.”
• The word choice of “blind” exposes her uncertainty and
anxiety as they head towards something unknown and
unfamiliar.

“All childhood is an emigration.”
• This metaphor reveals one of the key ideas explored
by Duffy in this work as she considers the wider,
more generic experience of childhood itself which,
by definition, is equated with changes and transitions
that are often beyond our control.

Analysis – Stanza 1
1. What does the use of the pronoun ‘we’ suggest
about the writer’s experience?
2. Duffy remembers the ‘red room’ that ‘fell through
fields’. Identify the language technique being used
here and explain, in your own words, what she is
describing.
3. How does the poet convey the emotional turmoil
of the journey in the remainder of this first
stanza?

1. ‘All childhood is an emigration’. Explain both the literal and the
metaphorical implications of this statement of the poem’s
central theme.
2. Explain, in your own words, the two kinds of change Duffy
highlights at the beginning of this stanza.
3. How does she use sentence structure to convey the difference?
4. Write down and explain 3 quotes that show Duffy’s sense of
displacement.
5. Her feelings of vulnerability are also shown – how?
6. Identify the simile used here and explain what it tells us about
Duffy’s memories of these changes.

1. This final stanza gives us the poet’s reflections on the
experience. How does she mark this change?
2. How does she show herself and her family being
assimilated into the new way of life?
3. Write down and explain the simile she uses here. What
does it suggest about Duffy herself?
4. She does, however, still seem to feel a sense of betrayal.
How is this shown?
5. Suggest why Duffy might ‘hesitate’ when quizzed about
her origins?

Analyse the following quotations
• “Others are sudden/Your accent wrong.”
• “unimagined, pebble-dashed estates.”
• “big boys/eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand”
• “anxiety” that “stirred like a loose tooth.”
• “I want my own country”
• “you forget, or don’t recall”
• “a skelf of shame”
• “tongue shedding its skin like a snake”
• “Do I only think/I lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space/and the
right place?”

Extension Task
revision booklet for ‘Originally’

Week 4
• In Mrs Tilscher’s Class

Task 1
poem “In Mrs Tilscher’s Class”

What is the poem about?
• The poem explores a young child growing up within a nurturing primary
school environment. Mrs Tilscher, from the poem's title, is portrayed as a
loving teacher who has a profound effect on her pupils.
• This poem is drawn from Duffy's own experience. Mrs Tilscher was a real
teacher and therefore the use of the personal pronoun 'you' places her
back into the past, as she recalls her positive memories of school.
• Duffy uses different times of year to represent the stages in the child's
journey towards adolescence.
• The delight of Mrs Tilscher's Class seems to protect the children from
the insalubrious outside world, but it does not last forever.
• The children grow and move towards adolescence, where they experience
new feelings and sensations, and ultimately leave Mrs Tilscher behind.

Main Concerns
• an important experience from the past,
• a poem in which an aspect of life has been revealed,
• an idea or ideas which have been developed in a poem,
• a poem which is thought provoking,
• a poem which is relevant to young people,
• a poem which deals with an emotion such as happiness,
sadness, joy, nostalgia…

Form and Structure
• The poem takes the form of four stanzas of
varying length.
• The first two stanzas have an even eight lines.
They describe the positive atmosphere of the
primary school classroom.
• Stanzas three and four introduce the theme of
change and growing up. Each has seven lines, which
perhaps reflects the destabilising nature of
adolescence.

Stanza One Overview
• Stanza one introduces an idyllic primary classroom.
• The speaker is spellbound by her teacher who makes
learning an adventure.
• It ends on a note of happiness with the laughing
school bell, calling the lessons, and the stanza, to a
close.
Themes introduced:
• Childhood innocence
• Memories

Stanza Two Overview
• In stanza two, Duffy continues to portray the same wonderful
environment of a classroom. However, she juxtaposes the almost
magical descriptions of the classroom with the horrors of the external
world (by including the names of Brady and Hindley).
• Duffy was around 10 years old during the time of the ‘Moors Murders’
and would have felt the impact of this during her childhood.
• Structurally, while these names shock the reader, they have little impact
on the rest of the verse, as they are enclosed within lines of positive
description.
Themes:
- Relationships

Stanza Three Overview
• Duffy introduces a turning point in stanza three.
• The time is Easter, when in the Christian calendar Christ rose again. It is a time
of growth and new beginnings.
• It is at this point that the child speaker learns how she was born. The speaker
learns about sex and sexual reproduction. This revelation shocks them and
signals a change in their knowledge and awareness. It suggests growing up.
• It is interesting that this stanza takes place outside the classroom, as if
this growth could not happen in the comforting bubble Mrs Tilscher
created.
Theme:
- Change
- Identity

Stanza Four Overview
• The final stanza describes the child's sexual
awakening, as she experiences unfamiliar feelings and
no longer finds the answers with Mrs Tilscher.
• Significantly, the poem ends with the speaker leaving
the school gates perhaps to embark on the next stage
in her life.

Themes/Links to Other Poems
Love – Links to “Valentine”, “Originally” and “Mrs Midas”. The speaker
feels a great deal of affection and admiration for her teacher.
Isolation – Links to “War Photographer”, “Valentine”, “Originally” and
“Mrs Midas”. The persona feels lonely as they transition from the
innocence of youth to the confusion of adolescence.
Relationships – Links to “Valentine”, “Originally” and “Mrs Midas”. Strong
bond between the child and her teacher, like a mother figure to her. she
feels safe in her company.
Identity – Links to “War Photographer”, “Valentine”, “Originally” and
“Mrs Midas”. The persona feels a sense of confusion as she journeys
through adolescence; a confusing and unsettling time for many.

Questions
• In lines 9-11 discuss how at least 2 features of language
make the speaker’s excitement about the classroom clear?
(4)
• In lines 17-23 show how Duffy conveys the changes
throughout the Easter term (4)
• Using your own words explain two important ideas
conveyed in the final verse (2)
• Explain the effect of the list “Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum.
Aswan.” (2)
• Explain in detail the metaphor used in lines 5-6. (3)

Questions
• What does the phrase the “laugh of a bell” tell us about
the school environment? (2)
• How does the mention of “Brady and Hindley” contrast
the other images of the stanza? Why is this effective? (3)
• How does the language of the final stanza create a clear
conclusion? (2)
• Summarise in your own words the attitude of the speaker
towards school and Mrs Tilscher. (2)

Model Answer (Q2):
“Brady and Hindley/ faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake.” Duffy
uses sentence structure, specifically a long sentence to emphasise the
horrors of the outside world, represented by child murderers Ian Brady
and Myra Hindley. The complex long sentence therefore mirrors the
confusing and conflicting feelings brought to mind by the reference to
the notorious child murderers.
“QUOTE” is an example of word
choice. “__________” has
connotations of …Duffy
suggests …(link to question)
imagery (state which type of
image). Just as _______ so too
_______. This suggests (link to
question)
sentence structure, specifically
______. The TECHNIQUE is
used to highlight …. which
suggests ….
Stanza 1:
Q1. By referring closely to stanza one, show how Duffy uses features
of language to create a positive image of Mrs Tilscher’s classroom. (2
marks)
Stanza 2:
Q2. Look at stanza two. Show how Duffy uses form to mirror the
content of the poem in this stanza. (1 mark)
Q3. Discuss the impact that the allusion to ‘Brady and Hindley’ has on
the poem. You should refer to theme in your answer. (1 mark)
Stanza 3:
Q4. Explore Duffy’s use of word choice to convey the central ideas of
the poem in stanza three. (2 marks)
Stanza 4:
Q5. By referring to imagery or symbolism, analyse Duffy’s portrayal of
the change from childhood to adolescent in stanza 4. (1 mark)
Q6. By referring to Duffy’s use of language show how stanza four acts
as an effective conclusion to the poem. (1 mark)

Extension Task
revision booklet for ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’

Week 5
• The Way My Mother Speaks

Task 1
poem “The Way My Mother Speaks”

Overview
• Duffy reflects on the transition between childhood
and adulthood.
• This intense period of change is explored through a
train journey away from home.
• The speaker is in “limbo” and reflects on their life
and the challenges ahead.
• It represents the universal pain of change

Form and Structure
• The poem mirrors the rhythm of the train to show us that the
speaker is in a state of limbo between two important stages in their
life.
• The poet conveys this rhythm through the use of repetition and
explores the difficulties experienced at this time of change through
the use of contrast, contradictions and paradoxes.
• This highlights the confused state of mind at this time of their life.
• There is no regular pattern/rhyme scheme for the stanzas as this is
an unusual experience they are going through
• Uses first person narrative to draw the reader in and make this
seem more personal and powerful

Title
• The title of the poem evokes the antithesis of change,
something permanent and attaching.
• The words say more to us than their actual meaning: “The
Way my Mother Speaks” is about one person and her
idiosyncrasies, but it also reflects a dialect, a specific area.
• It conveys a sense of belonging to one’s family, roots and
culture, all embodied, with love, in the character of the
mother.
• It also implies that there are differences, language and
culture changes to be discovered when we leave.

I say her phrases to myself in my
head
• First person narration
• This makes us immediately aware that the persona is
speaking about their own mother.
• The expression “shallows of my breath” reminds us
that the speaker longs to hear these familiar words,
but can only voice them privately and quietly so as
not to be overheard.
• We realise they are on their own.

Restful shapes moving
• Paradox
• This image reflects the speaker's confusion.
• We can understand that the train is moving, not the
scenery.
• Yet it is easy to perceive it the other way round, as we are
stationary, probably sitting down.
• Creates the sense that the speaker is getting left behind as
they are still emotionally rooted with their mother

The day and ever. The day and
ever.
• The use of Italics and repetition highlight the rhythm of
the train.
• It also makes us aware that the speaker is in tune to this
rhythm and thinks about their mother.
• The Italics alert us that these are the very words spoken
by the mother.
• They represent the speaker's sense of loss as they are
moving away from their roots.
• They do not want to forget.

Stanza 2
• Change is also very present in the second stanza.
• The train journey is evoked again.
• The poet emphasises its tedium with the use of
broad vowels, such as “slow, goes down, browsing”,
but it is in the contrast and contradictions that we
find their attitude to the changes that are upon them.

too blue swapped for a cool grey
• The use of assonance draws our attention to Duffy’s choice of
colours.
• The blue here has connotations of sunny weather, warmth and
comfort, laughter.
• This represents their home life, protected and cherished by their
mother.
• The grey represents the uncertainty of the future, the potential
for rain, seen here as metaphorical tears.
• A complex contradiction is then offered to us. Once more this
contradiction has to be read both literally and figuratively.

Nothing is silent. Nothing is not
silent.
• The use of negative represents the reluctance the speaker
has at jettisoning their past behind.
• The double negative is perhaps a realisation that they do
not really have to abandon their roots, that they can carry
them within them.
• The sounds in their head are therefore silent, but not quite
as they can hear them as if they were real.
• These complex images and ideas help us to understand
their feelings of loss, hesitancy and confusion.

Stanza 3
• The final stanza is more positive.
• At times you can feel the sense of excitement felt by
the speaker on the threshold of adulthood: the joy of
taking charge of their life, yet the bittersweet
emotions that come from leaving the safety of
childhood behind.
• This is explored through the extended metaphor of
the pond.

Like a child/and dipped a net/in
a green erotic pond
• Simile and metaphor
• The image shows the tentative approach, “dipped”, and
the excitement of the undertaking.
• This image is offered to us among contradictions which
emphasise the conflicting feelings of the speaker
• Shows a connection to past memories
• Childlike innocence alongside the emerging adult identity
that the speaker must now embrace in order to thrive.

Only tonight/I am happy and sad
• Word choice/contrast
• These emotions feel at odds with one another, yet we can
understand them as we, ourselves, are likely to have
experienced them at some stage.
• The use of “only” helps us realise that this is a once in a
lifetime occasion for the poet, as indeed for us all.
• We sympathise with the poet as we grasp the magnitude
of the change.

I am homesick, free, in love/with
the way my mother speaks
• List
• This contradiction, once explored, leaves us on a much
happier note. It feels as if the journey and the limbo are
coming to an end, and the speaker is moving forward,
having understood that their love for their mother, for
their culture and their roots will remain within them
whatever.
• They feel free to follow their own path, sure that back
“home”, the warmth, familiarity and love are still with
them if they need it.

Overview
• Duffy presents us with a journey through a period of life.
• This is both a real and metaphorical journey through life.
• By using the image of a train and creating contradictions and
paradoxes around the train, the scenery and the sky, she helps us
understand the speaker’s confused emotions and to identify with
them as well.
• All of us have been on a train journey, all of us will have to make
the journey from childhood to adulthood and leave the security and
warmth behind us.
• These emotions are made personal and specific at the same time
through the very characteristic use of language of the poet.

Questions
• How does the language used convey the speaker’s
confusion? (2)
• By referring to two examples of imagery, show how
Duffy creates the speaker’s feelings of anxiety. (4)
• Explain how lines 23-24 are an effective conclusion to the
poem. (2)
• What does the phrase “I saw her phrases to myself in my
head” tell the reader about the speaker’s relationship with
her mother? (2)

Questions
• Why does Duffy use italics in line 5 (1)
• What is the effect created by the double negative of
“Nothing is silent. Nothing is not silent”? (2)
• Explain in detail the effect of the metaphor in lines
18-20 (3)
• How does the poem highlight the main themes
illustrated by Duffy? (4)

Extension Task
revision booklet for ‘The Way My Mother Speaks’

Week 6
• Mrs Midas

Task 1
• Read through slides 92-
poem “Mrs Midas”

Mrs. Midas - Context
Who was King Midas?

King Midas
• In Greek mythology, King Midas was granted a wish by
the god Dionysus. Midas chose to have the ability of
having anything he touch turn to gold.
• However, Midas touched his daughter and she became a
gold statue. He also couldn’t eat anything because his
food turned to gold.
• He eventually begged for his powers to be reversed.

‘Mrs Midas’
• This is a dramatic monologue told from the point
view of Midas’ wife.
• It explores how she feels about the situation with her
husband and her perspective on his wish – of all the
things he could have wished for, he wished for this.
What does this say about what kind of person he is?

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.

Stuff that will be useful to know
• Blanching – method of cooking – boil something for a
short period of time and then submerge it in cold water
to halt the cooking process
• Fondante d’Automne – a delicious type of pear with
sweet flesh
• Field of the Cloth of Gold – A place of meeting
between King Henry VIII and King Francis 1
• Miss Macready – Mrs. M’s history teacher

Stuff that will be useful to know
• Burnished – Polished metal
• Aurum – Latin word for gold
• Luteous – a moderate greenish yellow
• Tutankhamun – An Egyptian pharaoh
• Halcyon – calm, peaceful days
• Ore – type of rock that contains important metal elements
• Pan – Greek God of nature

Form and structure
• Modern resetting of a familiar legend.
• Dramatic monologue from a female perspective,
similar to the other poems in The World’s Wife
collection, in which well-known male characters from
myths or history are presented from the viewpoint of
the forgotten or disregarded women in their lives.
• Duffy focuses on an aspect of this well-known
character King Midas and presents an imaginary
response from his wife’s viewpoint, providing fresh,
thought-provoking and comical insight into their lives.

Form and structure
• 11 stanzas (verses) of irregular line length.
• Each stanza 6 lines long; regular length unrhymed.
• Approx. 12 – 15 syllables = relaxed, narrative effect.
• Unpredictable length of lines reflects how unpredictable life
becomes for Mr and Mrs Midas.

Form and structure
• Stanzas one to six deal with the discovery of King
Midas’ granted wish, and the sheer panic at the
realisation and of the tremendous power he has been
given. At the same time, 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.

Form and structure
• Internal rhyme (rhyme within the lines) used as
well as personification and frequent
enjambment to convey the speaker’s train of
thought.
• Gives the narrative a feeling of prose.
• Rhythm in the ideas too, as concepts build on one
another and become clear to the reader.

Tone and style
• A conversational feel created with asides and interjections
(interruptions) of added or qualifying information. Effect =
intimacy between the speaker and listener.
• Conversational tone – since we notice the story we almost
forget how horrific and weird the events are.
• References to touch are subtle at the start but in the second
half of the poem, the notes of tenderness are more evident.

Allusion
This is when in one piece of literature, there is a
reference to another piece of literature, literary
idea or well-known reference.
No specific explanation is required in the text and the
reference is therefore loaded with connotations and
ideas.
There are allusions in Mrs Midas:

‘Field of the Cloth of Gold’
The site of a meeting that took place in France from 7
June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII and
King Francis I of France.
The glamour and extravagance of the meeting showed
two princes out-doing each other with their show of
riches.
Relevance to Mrs Midas?

Tutankhamun
• Tutankhamun was an Egyptian pharaoh (ca.
1332 BC – 1323 BC).
• The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter and
George Herbert of Tutankhamun's tomb
received worldwide press coverage.
• The tomb was largely intact so the archaeologists
were able to understand the manner of the burial
and all the riches of the King were sealed in the
tomb which was a tremendous find.
• It sparked a renewed public interest in ancient
Egypt.

The main themes are:
• greed
• consequences of our actions
• loneliness and solitude

Greed
Greed is certainly a recurring theme as this is what
motivated Midas to make his wish in the first place.
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
Consequences of our actions 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
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.

Questions
• Describe the mood in the first verse and explain how it is
shown.
• How is Mr Midas’ destruction shown in the first verse?
• “glass, goblet, golden chalice”, Comment on the technique
used and its effect.
• Explain how the couple both react. Who do you feel
sympathy for?
• Why does Mrs Midas speak to the reader?

Questions
• Find an example of Mrs Midas’ sarcasm/humour.
• Why is she frightened? Find a quote to show this.
• Comment on the language/sentence structure at the
start of the 8th verse. Why is it important?
• How would you describe Mrs Midas and her husband
by the end of the poem?
• What does Mrs Midas regret most?

Extension Task
revision booklet for ‘Mrs Midas’

Week 7 and 8
• Recap some key themes
• 10 mark Q structure

There are a variety of elements to Duffy’s poetry.
• Conflict/pain
• Love
• Relationships
• Speaker/Persona
• Emotions
• Past and the present
• Loss
• Isolation
• Change
Can you link each of Duffy’s poems
to one or more of these elements and
themes?

Duffy’s Creation of Mood in her Poetry
Poetry has the power to evoke emotions and feelings in its readers and
audience members, if it is read out loud. These emotions and feelings help
establish a certain atmosphere or mood.
The writer of the poem creates the mood using a number of elements such
as language, setting, tone and theme. To define the mood of a poem, the
reader should analyse how these different elements interact and what feeling
or atmosphere they evoke.
‘Mrs Midas’ is a poem where a variety of moods are prevalent.
 Can you identify the different moods in the poem?

Stanza 1: “I’d just poured a glass of wine, begun
to unwind, while the vegetables cooked”
Stanza 2: “I thought to myself, Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?
Stanza 3: “What in the name of God is going on?”
Stanza 4: “I poured with shaking hand”
Stanza 5: “It was then that I started to scream”
“I couldn't believe my ears”
Stanza 6: “Look, we all have wishes; granted.
But who has wishes granted? Him.”
Word choice creates a mood of calm
Question creates a
mood of confusion
Question is used here to emphasise the
mood of confusion and disbelief.
Word choice creates a mood of fear
Word choice creates a mood of fear
and anger
Question and short sentence
creates a mood of anger

Stanza 7: “But now I feared his honeyed embrace,
the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art.”
Stanza 8: “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.”
Stanza 9: “the woman who married the foolwho wished for gold. ”
Stanza 10: “That was the last straw. ”
Stanza 11: “. I miss most,
even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch”
Imagery creates a mood of sadness
and fear
Word choice and imagery creates a mood
of fear and sadness
Word choice creates a
mood of sadness and
embarassment
Word choice creates a mood of frustration
List and repetition creates a mood of
sadness and regret

The Last Question (10 marks)
Look at the hand out of the set text specimen. The paper is broken down as follows:
There will be four questions.
The first three questions will be textual analysis style questions on one of the set texts that
will be given to you.
Two 4 mark questions (So, two quotes and two sets of analysis per question)
One 2 mark question (So, one quote and one set of analysis)
Your last question will be worth 10 marks, taken from one or more of Duffy’s other
poems although you should refer to the poem given and discuss how it connects to Duffys
other poems (‘one or more’ /‘at least one’)
 2 marks for identifying a commonality (theme etc in ref to the question)
 2 marks from poem given (quote and analysis)
 6 marks for referring to Duffy’s other poems (“one or more/at least one”)
Could be two quotes from one of Duffys other poems and one quote from a third, or all three from one.

Answer Structure
• 2 marks for “commonality”
• Statement about first text which describes how it fits the question
• Statement about the other text(s) which describes how they fit the question
• 2 marks for dealing with poem given
• 2x reference and comment
• 0 marks reference only/ 1 mark per reference and comment/ 2 marks for extensive comment
• 6 marks for dealing with other texts

Commonality
• In “Originally” Duffy explores the theme of growing
up as the speaker describes her feelings about
moving from Glasgow to England and struggling to
fit in.
• In “In Mrs Tilscher’s Class” Duffy explores a
theme of growing up as the speaker matures through
their final year in primary school and prepares to
leave the safety of Mrs Tilscher’s class.

Exam Poem
• “All childhood is emigration”
• Metaphor compares growing up to moving to another country
• Just as a moving to another country involves changes beyond
our control so growing up involves changes and developments
that we cannot alter.
• This illustrates the theme of growing up as often growing up
feels confusing and like a journey from one place to another,
from safety to the unknown.
• Repeat x1

Other Poems
• 6 marks for dealing with other texts
• In Mrs Tilscher’s Class
• “As the sky split open into a thunderstorm.”
• Word choice of “split” has connotations of destruction and something being torn apart
which highlights the speaker’s world changing as she grows up and obtains more knowledge and
maturity and therefore things will never be the same.
• Word choice of “thunderstorm” suggests the dramatic feelings about growing up, scary /exciting
This highlights the theme of growing up by suggesting the uncertainty the speaker is feeling about
leaving Mrs Tilscher’s class.
• Repeat x5

Question
• Discuss how the poet uses striking
words and imagery to explore a deeper
theme in “In Mrs Tilscher’s Class” and
at least 1 other Duffy poem.

My Answer
General Comment
• In “In Mrs Tilscher’s Class”, Duffy uses striking imagery such as
the comparison of the children to tadpoles and the personification
of the bell to illustrate the theme of growing up
• In “War Photographer”, Duffy uses the description of the war
zone and the memory of the man dying to illustrate the theme of
the horror of war
• In “Valentine”, Duffy uses the imagery of the onion as a symbol
of the good and bad side of love to highlight the theme of love.

Exam Poem
“inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks”
• This metaphor compares the children to tadpoles/frogs and shows how they change as
they grow up. Just as a tadpole develops into a frog and changes its appearance so too
the children develop physically and mentally as they grow up. The creates the effect of
emphasising how the children change as they develop through childhood. This illustrates
the theme of growing up as it clearly emphasises the changes the children go through
and how they become more complex and developed as they become older.
“the air tasted of electricity.”
• This metaphor compares …………….to ………………….. and shows
…………………………………………………. Just as a
……………………….. so too
……………………………………………….. The creates the effect of
……………………………………………... This illustrates the theme of
…………………………………. as it clearly emphasises
……………………………………………………….

Other Poem
"half formed ghost”
…………………………………………………. Just as a
……………………….. so too
……………………………………………….. The creates the effect
of ……………………………………………... This illustrates the
theme of …………………………………. as it clearly emphasises
……………………………………………………….
“running children in a nightmare heat”
…………………………………………………. Just as a
……………………….. so too
……………………………………………….. The creates the effect
of ……………………………………………... This illustrates the
theme of …………………………………. as it clearly emphasises
……………………………………………………….

Other Poem
“spools of suffering”
• This striking word choice of tells the reader ……………………….…
………………………….... The word choice of
“……………….…………..”
suggests…………………………………………………. The use of
alliteration creates the effect of ……………………………………………...
This illustrates the theme of …………………………………. as it clearly
emphasises ……………………………………………………….
“Not a red rose or a satin heart”
• This striking word choice of tells the reader ……………………….…
………………………….... The word choice of
“……………….…………..”
suggests…………………………………………………. The use of
alliteration creates the effect of ……………………………………………...
This illustrates the theme of …………………………………. as it clearly
emphasises ……………………………………………………….

Other Poem
“it will blind you with tears like a lover”
• This simile compares …………….to ………………….. and shows
…………………………………………………. Just as a
……………………….. so too
……………………………………………... This illustrates the theme
of …………………………………. as it clearly emphasises
……………………………………………………….
“It is a moon wrapped in brown paper”
…………………………………………………. Just as a
……………………….. so too
……………………………………………... This illustrates the theme
of …………………………………. as it clearly emphasises
……………………………………………………….

Try one of your own
• Discuss how Carol Ann Duffy uses the closing lines in Mrs
Midas and at least one other poem to highlight the poem’s
central concerns.

Week 9
• Attempt a timed 10 mark question
• Create a revision poster for each poem

Poem Summary
The Way My
Mother Speaks
In this poem the poet/persona is on a train that "goes down
England". The journey is both literal and metaphorical, as here Duffy
is concerned with the transition between childhood and adulthood
In Mrs
Tilscher’s Class
Duffy explores the theme of childhood and growing up in this poem.
She describes the joys of primary school before the children are
exposed to a more frightening adult world.
Valentine This poem expresses love and affection in the form of a conceit
whereby the symbol of love being offered by the persona is an
unconventional onion.
War
Photographer
This poem addresses the peculiar challenge faced by war
photographers, whose job requires them to record terrible, horrific
events without being able to help them directly.
Mrs Midas Mrs Midas is a poem written from the viewpoint of the wife of the
mythological King Midas from Metamorphoses. King Midas was
granted a wish whereby everything he touched would turn to gold.
Originally This autobiographical poem sees Duffy considering and exploring the
sense of isolation and confusion felt when she moved as a child from
Scotland to England.

Timed 10 mark Q
• By referring to “War Photographer” and at least one other
poem, discuss how Carol Ann Duffy conveys the feeling of
isolation.

The Last Question (10 marks!)
You will be asked about thematic connections in Duffy’s work:
Usually:
 Themes (conflict, pain. Loss,
isolation)
- War Photographer
-Mrs Midas
-originally
-The Way My Mother Speaks
 Change(All)
 Relationships (All)
 Emotions (All)
 Speaker/persona(All)
Past and the present
-The Way My Mother Speaks
-War Photographer
-Originally
-In Mrs Tilscher’s Class
-Mrs Midas
 Love
- Valentine
- Mrs Midas
- Originally
- The Way My Mother Speaks

Poster
You are going to make a poster focusing on what you have learnt about each
of the 6 poems by Carol Ann Duffy. You must include things like:
• Themes
• Quotes
• analysis
What makes a good poster?
 Bold title
 Striking images
 Clear handwriting

Revision
• Complete the remaining tasks in the revision booklet
• Ask your teacher if you have any questions

duffy-revision-1.pptx

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