Poem 6: Originally Carol Ann Duffy Scottish Set Text Poem 6: Originally Carol Ann Duffy

Background The poem is autobiographical Aged 6 Duffy moved from Glasgow (Gorbals) to England She explores the isolation and confusion she felt at the time and reflects on the impact it had on her Depicts the literal journey and the metaphorical journey she and her family experienced Title – considers to what extent our identity is shaped and defined by our environment and changes in culture

The Poem The initial catalyst for the poem are her memories of the move and the gradual assimilation into her new home This provokes a bigger, more philosophical exploration of the subject of childhood itself and the impact it has on our identity and sense of self later in life Most significant line – “All childhood is an emigration” – reveals the key idea that childhood is synonymous with change

Form and Structure Regular 3 stanzas of 8 lines Straightforward chronology ( 1= journey, 2 = sense of not fitting in; 3 = how our identities are formed by these transitions) Underneath the ordered structure, the poet’s anxiety and uncertainty is revealed through the lack of rhythm and rhyme to reflect the lack of order in her life The poem is mainly composed of a series of fragmented memories

Stanza One 1st person plural “we” used to illustrate the move impacted the whole family unit – a shared experience Assonance of “our own country” reinforces the definite sense of belonging and ownership of place Interior of car/train – “red room” – has connotations of anger, danger, anxiety reflecting her feelings towards leaving “Fell through fields” – alliteration highlights the lack of control, speed at the departure (from train) and sudden change (almost dream like) She recalls her “mother singing/ our father’s name to the turn of the wheels” – creates optimistic mood which contrasts with Duffy’s and her brothers (also ambiguous is the father there?)

Stanza One Younger brothers’ emotions reflect her own “Bawling” effective word choice emphasises the strength of emotion “Home,/ Home” – repetition and capitalisation (stressing the significance of the place) reinforces the misery and sense of loss/separation association with this time – they are desperate to return. Italics and enjambment used for emphasis. “ as the miles rushed back to the city” – personification again emphasises the speed of things and her lack of control as well as reflecting her own desires to flee back to the city and reverse this trip “the street, the house, the vacant rooms, where we didn’t live anymore” – list emphasises how much they have lost

Stanza One “I stared / at the eyes of a blind toy, holding its paw.” Enjambment creates a pause to mirror her stillness Blind – symbolic as they are heading into the unknown. It reinforces the uncertainty of this time and her anxiety Her silence could be indicative of shock or fear – she has been numbed by her loss

Stanza One Contrasts: First few lines create an upbeat atmosphere / mood which is contrasted later on when the children's reactions are described Mother’s reaction vs. children’s Poet's reaction contrasts with her brothers' - they  are vocal and obviously upset, while she is quiet / withdrawn

Stanza Two Opens with most memorable line – “All childhood is an emigration.” The metaphor reveals the key idea that childhood (is a journey) equates with changes beyond our control 1st 3 lines sentence structure reflects the idea of slow change – elongated, drawn out phrasing reflects the slow stages of childhood - . “Some are slow,/ leaving you standing, resigned, up an avenue/ where no one you know stays.” Sense of isolation apparent here too This is contrasted with the short abrupt sentences that follow – “Others are sudden. / Your accent wrong.” Wrong accent conveys lack of acceptance and belonging

Stanza Two Confusion of not belonging reinforced with effective word choice – “corners which seem familiar” and “unimagined pebble-dashed estates”, as well as “shouting words you don’t understand” “Seem” and “unimagined” expose the inability to navigate her way through this new landscape Aggressive image of older boys underpins her confusion (when confronted by strange language and behaviour) and emphasises her youth and fear – “Big boys/ eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand.” “Big Boys” – child like language to convey her youthfull innocence

Stanza Two Last two lines show the initial optimism of her parents is replaced with a gnawing unease – “anxiety stirred like a loose tooth” Simile conveys idea of something irritating ‐ always there and you  can't ignore it. The whole family affected by the move. Italicisation of “I want our own country” repeats idea from opening line, emphasising the ideas of origins and belonging Reads like a childish lament illustrating how upsetting this transition is

Stanza Three “But” – conjunction indicates the inevitable change and adaptation “You forget, or don’t recall, or change” – lists same idea for emphasis of change being difficult to pinpoint or define “Don’t recall” – exposes fragility of childhood memory Speaker is now older and more reflective “swallow a slug” – refers back to previous idea of big boys eating worms to illustrate her brothers have adapted and fit in – alliteration is simple to mirror how easy it was for them Deliberate use of Scottish dialect to illustrate her continued attachment to her roots – “skelf of shame” Her memories trouble her and prevent her from fully fitting in - just like a skelf ‐ something small but it sticks under your skin

Stanza Three “ I remember my tongue shedding its skin like a snake” - simile to convey idea of change again ‐ leaving the old behind and adapting to suit the new - “my voice / in the classroom sounding just like the rest” Moving towards conclusion she asks 3 questions “Do I only think/  lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space/ and the right place?” Enjambment used to illustrate the uncertainty of the speaker Lists all the things she thinks she may have lost ‐ but poses it as a question again highlighting uncertainty Inversion of “I only” – highlights her separation and isolation She challenges herself and us to consider our own notions of identity and self Is this the question she has been attempting to answer throughout the poem and is still nowhere nearer to an answer/ resolution?

Stanza Three “Now, Where do you come from? strangers ask. Originally? And I hesitate.” Poet is no closer to defining her identity as she needs to clarify the question Two very different questions ‐ is where you come from the same as your original home?  Hesitation reveals she still has mixed feelings about her origin final abrupt sentence again emphasises the poet's uncertainty about her identity and where she belongs

Themes Importance of early childhood shaping your identity Isolation (good point of comparison with other poems) Change Loss