1. by Carol Ann Duffy Kelso High School English Department
Valentine
by Carol Ann Duffy
Kelso High School English Department

2. Valentine – Form/ Language
The poem is written in free verse using irregular stanzas to support the content and purpose of the poem; to reject traditional restrictive conventions such as marriage and other notions of love and warn lovers that being overly possessive can have fatal undesirable consequences. 
While ostensibly a poem on the theme of love, Duffy deliberately avoids the use of language or imagery that we associate with this type of poetry. Instead, the words are often stark and monosyllabic to allow her to present her ideas clearly and unambiguously.

3. Valentine –Structure Stanza One – Duffy rejects tradition
Stanza Two - Duffy offers us an alternative symbol of love
Stanza Three - Duffy explores the negative aspects of love
Stanza Four – Single sentence to emphasise her honesty
Stanza Five – marks the second half of the poem. Structural repetition – look at line 1 –’Not’ , syllable count, rejection of two common symbols of love.
Stanza Six – Duffy explores the idea that jealousy and violence can creep in and undermine love.
Stanza Seven – Duffy discusses images with connotations of married life. She implies that marriage turns romantic love into a chore or a punishment.

4. Effective
Title
Valentine

5. Not a red rose or a satin heart.
1. Word Choice
Not a red rose or a satin heart.
2. Word Choice

6. 4. Extended Metaphor
5. Punctuation / Sentence Structure.
I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love.
7. Word Choice
6. Metaphor.
9. Simile
8. Word
Choice

7. Sentence Structure /
Tone / Punctuation /
Positioning
11. Extended
Metaphor
Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.
12. Enjambment / Simile / Word Choice
13. Extended
Metaphor

8. I am trying to be truthful.
14. Alliteration / Sentence Structure /
Central Idea.

9. Not a cute card or kissogram.
Word Choice / Sentence Structure /
Juxtaposition

10. 16. Repetition
I give you an onion. Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are.
17. Extended metaphor / Word Choice / Sibilance
18. Juxtaposition / Tone / Ambiguity
19. Enjambment /
Punctuation

11. Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like.
21. Sentence Structure /
Punctuation / Tone
Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like.
22. Word
Choice
23. Word
Choice

12. Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.
24. Sentence
Structure /
Tone
Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.
25. Word
Choice.
26. Repetition /
Ambiguity

13. Themes Relationships should be honest
Refusal to accept relationships a simply ‘romantic’.
Relationships are emotionally complex.
One should be cautious in love (line 17)

14. Tone Cynical and distrustful Disapproving Tender Humorous Passionate
Angry/ negative

15. Rhythm
Natural feeling with the enjambment and simple conversational words. Poem feels like lover’s speech naturally addresses the listener.

16. Extended metaphor
‘I give you an onion.’ (metaphor) ‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.’ (extended) ‘It will blind you with tears’ (extended) ‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,’ (extended) ‘Its scent will cling to your fingers,’ (extended)

17. Duffy uses an onion as a metaphor for love, for example ‘it is a moon wrapped in brown paper’ this makes me think of a present because they are ‘wrapped’, which suggests that Duffy feels an onion is like a gift.