Poems

• cozy apologia background 


  as a hurricane approaches the speaker takes refuge to her study and thinks about her partner .She compares him to everyday objects aswell as a traditional knight in shining armour.She then reflects on modern life ,hurricane,old boyfriends .She says her love is ordinary and genuine .
• Cozy apologia author 


  written by Rita dove who is an African American poet ,She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1987.Cozy apologia was published in 2004
• Form of cozy apologia 


  the poem is written in free verse which makes it sound conversational

  the no. of syllables in each line varies creating the sense that cozy apologia reflects the speaker train of thought

  the 1st stanza uses regular rhyming couplets so the reader might expect that it’s a sonnet

  the rhyme scheme is disrupted in the middle of the 2nd stanza perhaps to reflect the disorder by the hurricane
• evidence form cozy apologia 


  Stanza 2 has lots of caesurea and enjambment which creates a stop start effect which mirrors the speakers thought patterns
• Valentine background 


  the speaker of the poem is giving a gift to the partner, but rather than a traditional Valentines gift their gift is an onion. The rest of the poem explains why the onion is more appropriate symbol of love that other stereotypical gifts.
• author of valentine 


  Carol Ann Duffy, Scottish poet Valentine published in 1993 as part of a collection
• Form of valentine 


  Carols poem is very different to traditional love poems. The stanzas are written in irregular lengths several of only one line which makes the poem seem disjointed .some lines are single words which gives emphasis to the forceful tone of the speaker
• form evidence for valentine 


  “not a red rose”- this immediately tells the reader that it is not a traditional love poem
• 2nd form evidence valentine 


  “tears like a lover “-enjambment breaks these similes up making the poem feel disjointed.The separation also emphasises how unpredictable the similes are.
• structure valentine 


  The poem is a list of the ways that onion symbolises love.The words and ideas are built up and repeated throughout the poem. This could mirror the different layers of an onion as the poem’s meaning is revealed and gradually.
• evidence structure valentine 


  “I am trying to be truthful”-The line here is unconnected to any others and almost divides the poem into 2 .It could represent the ”heart “of the poem -the speaker is trying to find the true meaning of love
• extended metaphor valentine 


  the extended metaphor of the onion is used to represent love .The speaker sees the onion as an honest symbol -it symbolises the joy and intimacy of love but also the pain .Its an unusual metaphor which contrasts with more stereotypical symbols like roses .
• evidence metaphor valentine 


  “I give up an onion “-here the gift is introduced which becomes an extended metaphor for love .Its an unexpected contrast with the 1st line .
• 2nd evidence metaphor valentine 


  “brown paper “-this emphasizes that the onion is a plain unsentimental gift.
• DOAN backround 


  the narrator remembers how they used to collect frogspawn from a flax-dam.They were enthusiastic about nature and the sticky frogspawn .However after the narrator grew up they found the frogs disgusting .The shift in the narrator’s perception of nature highlights the way that peoples view change as they grow up
• DOAN author 


  Northern Irish poet

  died 2013

  he often wrote themes such as childhood ,nature ,politics

  poem was published in 1960
• DOAN form 


  the poem has a first person narrator who is reflecting on their childhood .Its written in blank verse which makes the poem sound conversational .The lack of a rhyme scheme might suggest that change is not always predictable .

  ”but best of all”

  ”I”

  ”daddy frog “

  introduction of childlike language and 1st person voice show the narrator is slipping into their childhood self .”Nimble” here the enjambment emphasises the narrators excitement .
• Structure of the poem DOAN

  • 2 stanzas
  • Each stanza presents a different attitude towards nature
• 1st stanza

  References to decay, but narrator's childish enthusiasm makes their relationship with nature seem secure
• 2nd stanza

  Relationship with nature becomes more troubled - nature is presented as unfamiliar and threatening
• "flax has rotted"

  Language associated with decay foreshadows the way the narrator becomes repulsed by nature
• Language used

  • Simple conjunctions "and"
  • Repetitive sentence structure convey the speaker's youth
• use of senses DOAN


  the poem contains language that appeals to the senses(synaesthesia ).The use of sensory imagery lets the reader become immersed in the poem and focuses their attention on the poems setting

  “gargled delicately “-oxymoron shows childish enjoyment of something disgusting.

  ”wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell “-images Of sound, touch and smell -its a rich memory .