stanza four

• • “Take it.”
  • Short sentence
  • Hints that speaker has become a bit desperate and worries the gift will not be accepted and neither will she. Her tone is insistent / dominant.
• • “Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring, if you like.”
  • Metaphor
  • Compares the loops of the onion to a wedding ring that will ‘shrink’ which implies being trapped. The loops are ‘platinum‘ a very precious metal, which is ironic because the onion is not at all precious or desirable.
  • The implication here is that the further you get into a relationship the more serious it gets - ending in marriage.
  • ‘if you like’ added to show that the relationship could go in this direction, but not necessarily.
• • “Lethal.”
  • Short sentence
  • Stands alone, drawing attention to it. It highlights what the relationships can turn into even when love is true : there can be hard times or danger, suggesting that passion can get out of control.
  • The dark associations suggest that her lover will be lethal or deadly to her if they marry.
• • “It’s scent will cling to your fingers, if you like.”
  • Repetition / Word choice
  • Repetition of cling shows the way feelings take a grip on people.
  • The word ‘knife’ links marriage to a wound, creating violent imagery which implies that the 2 lovers have become enemies : marriage is like a ‘knife’ - sharp and cutting.