Helen of Troy

• mythological history: freeform structure: fantasy depiction through changing structure, final stanza only 2 lines perhaps subjucation at hands patriarchal society or her eventual demise and minimsation
• 'Beauty is fame.'


  declerative; expectations/exploitations

  • Symbolism of beauty: Beauty represents Helen's primary attribute and source of renown.
• 'Drop- dead gorgeous'


  death/life together, alliteration, modern phrase, ironic as the trojan war for her beauty, hyperbolic
• 'a daughter of the Gods


  follows this line with asyndeton adjectives to describe her beauty suggesting the mythical nature of Helen was not admired for strength and power like the other Gods, but rather she was admired for shallow beauty as no one looked for her strength beyond her face. Duffy is criticising the emphasis put on looks and appearance in society.
• 'fled' emphasises the power struggle between men and women but also plays into the semantics of hunter and prey - she is reduced to being a mere animal. 'Fled' also implies a woman cannot have freedom once she chooses a suitor, for unwanted advances are always bound to follow. For her beauty, she cannot be free.
• 'a ship which slipped away at dusk, beckoned by the finger of the moon'Duffy explores the mystery around Helen by using the semantic field of the night and cosmic imagery to link connotations of secrecy and danger.
• 'a little bird inside a cage'metephore trap of pursuing beauty and conforming to a beauty standard. Though many women seek to be beautiful for the attention of men and for self approval, Duffy suggests it is a way of oppressing women and trapping them - diminishing them to nothing but animals to be objectified and stared at. The 'cage' symbolises female oppression, not just to Helen who's beauty destroyed her life, but to all women. A 'little bird' also represents fragility and delicateness - juxtaposing the violence of Helen's life.
• stylish shroud


  sibilance - sinister nature... sexualised desire even in death