Valentine

Cards (6)

  • “Not a red rose or a satin heart”

    • The poem starts with the word 'not', a negative, which is ironic because from the title we expect it to be a love poem and therefore begin positively
    • Straight away the poem challenges cliche ideas of love and valentines, as Duffy asserts that she is not giving her partner a 'typical' gift
  • "It promises light"

    • Despite an onion being a very unconventional gift for a loved one, this line shows that Duffy wants the recipient to understand that it is given with care
    • Shows how an unlikely gift or thing can still be positive and make someone happy - shows optimism for embarking on a new relationship with someone
  • "It will blind you with tears / Like a lover "

    • Duffy returns back to using a more sullen tone, reminding her lover that relationships can and will still hurt you
    • Simile comparing love and the onion shows that love can sting and make us emotional (onions make people ‘cry’)
  • "I am trying to be truthful"

    • Duffy trying to be 'truthful' again shows that expressions of love can come in unconventional ways, it can seem blunt or curt
    • Love is often something shrouded with expectations and ideals, however this poem exposes the real, sometimes ugly, truth behind real relationships
  • "Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
    possessive and faithful"

    • 'possessive' has very negative connotations of control and power, whereas 'faithful' has good connotations of loyalty and truth - both of these being used in the same line to describe this relationship shows the conflicting nature of love and how there are always good and bad traits within a partner
    • 'stay on your lips' shows that love is strong and dominant, and both the good and bad aspects of a relationship will stay with you
  • "Its scent will cling to your fingers,
    cling to your knife"

    • Duffy mixes harsh, unusual ideas within a poem about valentines, comparing love to the scent of an onion, which is usually seen as a bad, unpleasant thing, however here she is referring to its strength, showing that love is potent and resonates