Valentine

• “Not a red rose or a satin heart”
• “I give you an onion”
• “It promises light“

  ”it will blind you with tears”
• “It’s fierce kiss will stay on your lips,

  possessive and faithful”
• “It’s platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,

  if you like”
• “its scent will cling to your fingers,

  cling to your knife”
• The poem Valentine, written by Carol Ann Duffy, presents love through the extended metaphor of an onion
• The continuous use of dangerous language show the fact that love is not just a joyous emotion but has multiple layers to it one of which being pain.
• Duffy explains how she disagrees with the clichés that come with Valentine’s Day throughout the poem and explains in a way why an onion is a more suitable gift.