long queen

• what is the long queen about?

  the long queen is an all-encompassing guardian angel of femininity looking out for all women - queen to all regardless of role or position within society
• 'the long queen couldn't die'

  • guardian angel who rules over all women - each woman carries on baton of womanhood initiated by this queen
  • spirit lives on in children
  • factual tone of statement suggests Duffy is presenting ideas a gospel truth , hence the title of the poems
• 'unseen , she ruled and reigned , some said in a castle, some said in the tower'


  mythic semantics - plays into narrative of legendary figure - influence felt across society
• context


  Elizabeth I - popular queen , depicted as strong , powerful , well-respected woman

  • known as virgin queen who refused to marry in her lifetime
• 'push till the room screamed scarlet and children bawled and slithered...sore flowers'

  • oxymoron - 'sore flowers' , points out disparity of patriarchy , women viewed as delicate weak creatures but children is painful , requires strength
• 'Long Queen. All her possessions for a moment of time'


  • 'long queen' , isolated between two caesuras , Queen can stand powerfully on her own , needs no help from other
  • Queen would put her rule of power , symbol of women power before her own happiness
• 'All hail to the Queen.'


  collective support for Queen , she's supported by all
• 'girls , spinsters and hags (...) witches, widows , wives , mothers of all these'

  asyndetic listing - displays extent of reach , providing support to all women , equally

  • consonance in 'w' sound , reflects unity of women , harmonic of everyone coming together under the figure of Elizabeth I