Nostalgia - Carol Ann Duffy

• Those early mercenaries'


  Duffy introduces the reader to the subject of the poem - this is exophoric referencing, since the readers may not be certain to the full context. Leaves us to think of what events could occur. Moreover, the fact that they are known only as 'mercenaries' and not soldiers links to the idea that nostalgia is unheard of at this moment in time. Perhaps people during that time were merely recognising the soldiers, which is why Duffy could've placed this at the beginning in order for us to recognise the mercenaries' tough job.
• down, down.'


  The repetition of 'down' suggests that the soldiers feelings are becoming more and more depressed as they continue on with their job, but also implies the decline of their mental conditions. Perhaps this could reflect the sinking deeper into the unknown affliction of nostalgia, the mercenaries experience during the battle, which could foreshadow a series of melancholy events later on in the poem.
• crude coins clenched'


  The alliteration of the percussive 'c' implies harsh negativity in the poem. The active verb 'clenched' emphasises tension, which could reflect the progression of nostalgia that the soldiers have. Historically, unscrupulous rulers would reduce the amount of precious metal used in coins, which meant that people would bite down on the coin to test its soundness. Perhaps this concept could link to how the soldiers are clinging on to their past, afraid that their soundness would be taken away from them.
• here' (in italics)


  Cataphoric reference to reference 'sweet pain in the heart' in stanza 2, where Duffy comments on how nostalgia as a feeling is something you need to go through on your own, which also represents confrontation. The use of spatial deixis, too, is confusing to the readers, since we don't know exactly what she is feeling, corresponding to how the mercenaries didn't know the homesick feeling they had.
• Repetition of 'wrong' in stanza 1.

  The repetition of 'wrong', collocated against different sensory inputs, charges the poem with a sense of synaesthesia, almost as if each sense is physically rejecting being away from home. This makes it seem as if the soldiers are yearning to return back to the mountains, where they came from, emphasising the nostalgia in the poem.
• pined, wept, grown men.'

  These are quite plosive, which intensifies the harshness the mercenaries face during battle. The juxtaposition of 'pined, wept' with 'grown men' questions the masculinity of the men, which links to gender values and gender stereotypes. Perhaps Duffy is commenting on the fact that since nostalgia was unheard of during this time, it could also reflect the stereotype of men having to be a strong figure in society, but here, Duffy proves the stereotype wrong.
• Alliteration/fricative sound of 'h': 'Hearing', 'heart; how it hurt...heavier...hear...home'

  This repeated sound of 'h' is quite emblematic of the word passing from person to person, almost reflecting how a disease spreads, and the idea of 'nostalgia' catching on much alike how the mercenaries themselves have become inflicted with this homesickness. The repeated 'h' also creates a soft flow within the poem, reflecting the sombre tone which has been created, and Duffy could be demonstrating here how this unknown feeling of sadness is powerful and overtaking.
• - the sad pipes -'


  The fact that this is grammatically isolated adds a melancholic tune to the poem, and also in parentheses. This heightens the multi-sensory concept, (seen in the first stanza) the sense of which the poem embodies, of longing, being a mechanism to impose the feeling of nostalgia upon the reader. Perhaps Duffy here wants us to sympathise with the lives of the mercenaries, which could make us recognise their tough job. It could also make the readers imagine a sad, soft song playing in the background, which could reflect how the mercenaries' lives were desolated.
• repetition of 'same' in stanza in 3.


  The triple repetition of 'some' could be an anaphoric reference to 'wrong' in the first stanza, in order to conflict with the more plosive sound of 'wrong'. Duffy uses a more softer sibilance of 's', which could suggest that the mercenaries still possess that depressive demeanour from the times in battle, meaning that the sense of inability stays with them, and that they remember everything that happened. Perhaps this negative atmosphere reflects the harsh feelings the mercenaries had and that it still haunts them, despite arriving home, where they longed to be.
• chiming the hour on the clock, and everything changed.'


  The extra line at the end may suggest how the memories the mercenaries had are irreversible, meaning the men can't go back to their once ordinary lives. The fact that 'everything changed' is placed at the end of the stanza implies how harder life for the mercenaries will be now to live. This creates an incredibly depressing atmosphere, as the soldier looks back on the past events in a familiar place, where he can't find the past happiness he once felt. This links to the idea of nostalgia, since this impact of affliction has made the inability to recapture the past as palpable.
• Other poems to compare/examine with:

  Maturity - Stafford AfternoonsEmotions - The Cliché KidMemory - The Captain.../Nostalgia - Before You Were MinePower - Litany