Higher English SST

• pathetic fallacy - heavy, sexy sky" (IMTC)

  projecting human emotions onto natural phenomena or inanimate objects, here emphasising the significance of this change
• metaphor - "skittle of milk" (IMTC)

  the comparison in this image highlights the shape of the bottle as well as the strong sense of playful fun in early years education
• listing - "Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan." (IMTC)

  this series of exotic and memorable place names is stressed through the use of full stops to give each location added significance
• second person - "You could..." (IMTC)

  directly involves the readers and encourages us to remember our own childhood experiences
• synaesthesia - "the air tasted..." (IMTC)

  the persona's experiences are presented to appeal to a combination of our senses, stressing the overwhelming nature of puberty
• first person narration - "I say..." (TWMMS)


  the voice of this poem is very personal and intimate as the poet shares her own experiences and personality
• dialect - "The day and ever." (TWMMS)

  A Scots/Irish expression for "back in the day and ever since", which conveys the continuity and stability provided by a parent and family (secure identity)
• double negative - "Nothing is not silent." (TWMMS)


  use of this technique alongside the contradictory phrase "Nothing is silent" highlights the confusing and bewildering capacity of language to conceal and reveal, to mean many things at the same time
• run-on line - "The day / and ever" (TWMMS)

  highlights significant length of time and sense of moments dragging on
• mirroring - "the way my mother speaks" (TWMMS)

  poem's concluding words repeated the title to strongly round-off this reflection on the persona's relationship with her parent.
• setting - "late September" (TWMMS)

  time of year signifies that the romance of summer has ended, the nights are becoming colder and darker (as is Mrs Midas' relationship with her husband)
• rhetorical question - "Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?" (Mrs Midas)

  using humour to convey her confusion & uncertainty about what is happening; her mind tries to rationalise what is actually supernatural
• historical allusion - "Field of the Cloth of Gold" (MM)

  famous meeting point between Kings of England & France in 1520 where decorations disguised surrounding deprivation of the nation; Midas' abilities cover over the cracks in their relationship & he starts to behave like a king
• word choice - "toyed" (Mrs Midas)

  emphasies how Midas displays childish, unstable behaviour; more interested in possessions than interacting with his wife
• alliteration - "glass, goblet, golden chalice" (MM)

  repetition of "g" sounds, a harsh consonant, suggests Mrs Midas' disbelief & vividly conveys the transformation before her eyes
• very short, one-word sentence - "Him." (MM)

  highlights Mrs Midas' contempt and disbelief towards her husband who has made such a foolilsh and selfish wish
• use of Latin - "aurum" (Mrs Midas)

  by using this word from a 'dead' language (one that is rarely spoken today) Duffy emphasises the uselessness of gold
• sardonic humour - "give up smoking for good" (MM)

  persona's personality is effectively captured as she uses jokes as a coping strategy & tries to stay optimistic about her difficult situation
• irony - "a bowl of apples stopped me dead" (MM)


  reference stresses how fruitless & barren their relationship has become
• impersonal pronoun - "its" (Mrs Midas)

  Mrs Midas' nightmare of giving birth to her husband's baby is intensified by the lack of any humanity in the "amber eyes"
• third person - "the woman who married the fool who wished for gold" (Mrs Midas)

  speaks of herself as a caricature, object of ridicule & gossip, stressing how her self-esteem is damaged
• pun - "Look, we all have wishes; granted / But who has wishes granted?" (Mrs Midas)

  plays on the different meanings of the word to stress how ridiculous this situation is, which breaks the usual rules & leaves her exasperated
• dramatic monologue - "I give you an onion" (Val)


  Duffy adopts a persona of someone presenting their lover with an unusual gift that is full of meanings, which are gradually revealed
• tone - "wobbling photo of grief" (Valentine)

  the mood at this point in "Valentine" is poignant and reflective, as if the persona is viewing old photographs of their relationship through tears
• simile - "like the careful undressing of love" (Val)

  Duffy highlights the parallel between onion layer and growing to know someone in a deeper relationship; tenderness of romantic physical intimacy
• turning point - "I am trying to be truthful" (Val)

  exact middle line of the poem highlights the key idea of honesty and authenticity, not hiding behind false conventions but the tone becomes darker as the gift is clearly being rejected
• repetition - "as we are / for as long as we are" (Val)

  seems to exclude the possibility of positive change; trapped in a vicious circle; ironically echoes wedding vows but increasingly serious commitment is a one-sided fantasy
• oxymoron - "fierce kiss" (Valentine)


  unusual as this physical interaction is not tender or gentle as expected but much more forceful, dangerous, even violent
• contrast - "Not a red rose or a satin heart" (Val)

  The gift of an onion is distinguished from traditional Valentine tokens, which are seen as cliched and commercialised
• connotations - "shrink" (Valentine)

  layers of meaning include fearfully backing away from someone, prospects becoming much smaller & American slang term for a psychologist
• sibilance - "spools of suffering" (War Photographer)

  repetition of the "s" sound highlights the image, enhancing the threat and subverting the traditional associations of photography as recording happy occasions
• symbolism - "red" light (War Photographer)

  the colour signifies blood, representing the casualities of conflict, and reinforces the poem's sombre, reflective tone
• onomatopoeia - "crunch" (Mrs Midas)


  word that sounds like what is being described which highlights how Midas cannot eat food & will be unable to live much longer
• emotive language - "running children..." (WP)


  particularly shocking picture is painted, focusing on the young, innocent victims of war to heighten our sympathy
• ambiguity - "ghost" (War Photographer)

  suggests the faint emerging image, but also that the man in the photo is dead (hence why the picture was taken) & now haunts the photographer's mind
• metonym - "eyeballs prick" (War Photographer)


  type of imagery that uses a part to signify the whole - in this case, the reader's lack of engagement is emphasised as they briefly glance at the photos and do not engage fully with the horrors of war