1. Figurative Language
Word Choice
Structure
Stance

2. Valentine Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy
Not a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love. Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief. I am trying to be truthful. Not a cute card or a kissogram. 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. Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like. Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.

3. Connotations of hearts/flowers/romance
Figurative Language
Connotations of hearts/flowers/romance
– we all like the idea that someone loves
us and cares enough to show it through
giving us gifts
Word Choice
Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy
Structure
The title of the poem suggests
that it will deal with fairly
conventional notions of love.
Stance

4. ‘Valentine’ is written in free verse,
Figurative Language
Word Choice
Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy
Not a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love. Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief. I am trying to be truthful. Not a cute card or a kissogram. 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. Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like. Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.
Structure
‘Valentine’ is written in free verse,
seemingly unstructured, rather than
any conventional form or pattern,
in keeping with idea that love should
not be constricted by marriage or
possessiveness.
Stance

5. Stance
‘Valentine’ pragmatically portrays love that is initially mutual, passionate, but shows it can be ruined in time by infidelity or destroyed by possessiveness which becomes dangerous, “Lethal” to relationships.
‘Valentine’ suggests that relationships can bring unhappiness, in some cases due to a partner being unfaithful; or danger, in as a result of a partner’s extreme possessiveness, thereby requiring someone to be cut out of another’s life.
In ‘Valentine’, it is shown that couples can lose fidelity and ultimately relationships.
In ‘Valentine’, possessiveness and infidelity can destroy relationships. “Lethal” and “knife” suggest violent, wounding, hurtful ends to relationships.
‘Valentine’ suggests intense emotional pain, wounding caused by break up of relationship.
‘Valentine’ suggests that relationships eventually bring “grief”, are not permanent: fidelity lasts only up to a point, leading to break ups which leave former partners alone

6. Stanza 1
Not a red rose or a satin heart.

7. Not a red rose or a satin heart. Structure Stance
Figurative Language
Word Choice
“Not a red rose or a satin heart.”
- Symbols commonly associated with Valentine’s Day, but here they are presented as clichés to be immediately dismissed
‘Not a red rose or a satin heart.’
First line is verb-less
Negative assertion
Not a red rose or a satin heart.
Structure
Stance
“Not a red rose or a satin heart.”
- Short single-sentence stanza conveys the speaker’s defiance

8. Stanza 2
I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love.

9. Figurative Language Word Choice Stance
‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.’ – metaphor: moon is a conventional symbol of love – suggests romance; ‘brown paper’ – no fancy wrappings to disguise the object – truth/honesty. This is very believable.
‘promises/light’ – Positive – words linked with pleasant/enjoyable aspects of love; ‘promises’ also suggests assurance – a guarantee that the relationship will prosper.
‘It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.’ – Love has many layers – deeper emotion may be felt as you peel away the layers. The simile suggests a physical relationship. Word choice of ‘careful’ suggests tenderness/ affection/warmth/ sensitivity. All of above are reasonable suggestions to make.
- Onion is an unconventional gift offered.
- Positive aspect of love - optimism at the
beginning of a relationship – love has many
layers.
beginning of a relationship
Stance

10. Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover
Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.

11. Figurative Language Word Choice Stance Structure
It will blind you with tears – simile. truth/honesty – suggests love can cause distress; Word choice suggests pain and grief. Believable – in relationships, one partner can often be cruel/ hurtful. Tears of joy & sadness.
“It will make your reflection/
A wobbling photo of grief” – Extended metaphor – ‘wobbling photo of grief’ – pain/tears/ distress can be caused by relationships/ truth/honesty; word choice suggests pain and heartache. I am certain that this is the case – relationships are not always completely agreeable.
The onion represents a relationship
which may occasionally cause you pain as well as
joy.
The onion is like a mirror – but the
image may be distorted.
Stance
Structure
Speaker is insisting that lover will accept gift of an onion. the speaker is almost challenging the person she is talking to,
keeping the emotion controlled yet strongly connected with love:
Here
Commands - tone is forceful/aggressive – there is no room for compromise, the speaker is irritated/angered by their partner’s rejection of the gift; each command is on a line on its own – reinforcement - The short, direct statement show the speaker’s insistence, indicating that they are desperate for the lover to accept the gift and understand their feelings. Duffy’s use of the first person narrative helps to communicate strong feelings to the reader, as the reader can imagine a real person speaking and offering the gift of love – of an onion – to a lover.

12. I am trying to be truthful.

13. Central idea of the poem is the central line/stanza Stance
Figurative Language
Word Choice
Structure
Central idea of the poem is the
central line/stanza
Stance
“I am trying to be truthful.”
Central line – brevity helps to support this very direct statement; attitude of speaker before this line is mainly positive/gentle; after, more brutal, threatening. Very personal – note use of first person ‘I’.

14. Not a cute card or a kissogram.

15. Negated symbolism is repeated. Stance
Figurative Language
Word Choice
“Not a cute card or a kissogram.”
- Symbols commonly associated with Valentine’s Day, but here they are presented as clichés to be immediately dismissed / dismisses conventional symbols of love; note that the word ‘not’ starts each sentence so that there can be no doubt that the persona does not wish to show their feelings through overly sentimental conventional symbols. Repetition of similarly structured line reinforces speaker’s sincerity/desire to be truthful/candid. Entirely convincing – Valentines – materialistic/superficial – many people look for a different way to express devotion and the persona has done exactly that.
“cute card.”
- Alliteration – the harshness of these repeated consonants strengthen the speaker’s defiance against accepting the conventional images of romance.
“kissogram”
- Connotations: tacky, outdated, crass and repellent.
Structure
Negated symbolism is repeated.
Stance
- Short single-sentence stanza conveys the speaker’s defiance

16. 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. Powerful love is very difficult to forget
Figurative Language
Word Choice
“possessive and faithful.”
- ‘possessive’ suggests an element of jealousy, even control – persona’s tone becomes forceful. Many instances in Literature and the Media – therefore convincing argument.
“fierce kiss will stay on your lips.”
-Taste of the onion is strong and difficult to erase just like memory of a passionate relationship lasts after the relationship itself has ended. While this metaphor is truthful and sincere, the tone is forceful/aggressive. The word ‘fierce’ has connotations of anger/brutality/violence. Too often we read about domestic disharmony and I am persuaded by Duffy that this could happen.
“faithful / as we are”
- ‘Faithful’ suggests loyalty/devotion/ constancy of the lovers. This is what most people want to have in their relationships, therefore the whole idea of such fidelity is very believable. We – the I has been transformed / subsumed into the pair.
“you/your”
- ‘2nd person direct addresses strengthen the reality that the persona is addressing a lover
Structure
“I give you an onion.”
Extended metaphor repeated to emphasis
the poet’s comparison between love and the onion.
“fierce”
-angry, dominating, passionate; vivid and energised.
Powerful love is very difficult to forget
as is a brutal/violent relationship; it is
difficult to focus on other things.
Longevity – the strength and power of
a relationship is long-lasting.
Stance

18. Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like.

19. Figurative Language Word Choice Stance Structure
“platinum loops shrink” (-ve) Comparison between the rings of an onion and a wedding ring; platinum – precious metal – wedding rings often made of this; yet ‘shrinks’ may suggest that the relationship may restrict you in some way or is about to end. Believable – marriage is not just about the wedding day – it requires an adjustment to a relationship which may in fact restrict you both emotionally and physically.
(+ve) Comparison between the rings of an onion and a wedding ring; platinum – precious metal – wedding rings often made of this; commitment/ steadfastness/ devotion/ faithfulness of the person offering the unconventional Valentine gift implied in this metaphor. Very convincing – almost anyone can be won over with the promise of marriage and all that it implies.
“shrink” connotes constriction, a lack of freedom; over time, the lustre of the relationship diminishes
The longer a relationship lasts,
it will become more serious and may lead
to marriage.
This commitment may be construed as constricting,
and that the initial vitality of a relationship will –
over time –degrade.
Stance
Structure
Take it
Commands - tone is forceful/aggressive – there is no room for compromise, the speaker is irritated/angered by their partner’s rejection of the gift; each command is on a line on its own – reinforcement - The short, direct statement show the speaker’s insistence, indicating that they are desperate for the lover to accept the gift and understand their feelings.

20. Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.

21. Powerful love is very difficult to forget
Figurative Language
Word Choice
“cling”
- Negative connotations of overly possessive/overly attached (repetition)
“Lethal”
- Word choice has connotations of danger –– violence – even death; the speaker resorts to threat because they realise that their partner is unwilling to accept the gift - aggressive/threatening tone of speaker.
“scent”
- has feral connotations, lingering primordial smell that has a haunting affect
“knife”
- Smell of the onion is strong and difficult to erase – just like memory of a deep relationship may last after the relationship itself has ended; Duffy’s word choice (‘knife’) indicates that the speaker threatens violence in the final line. Very believable – realistically this could happen when one partner is rebuffed i.e. feels that the other has rejected or slighted them.
Structure
Final stanza offers a climax to the rising
intensity of the poet’s attitude and a completely negative view of powerful love.
Line 1. Minor (verbless) sentence – one word line – aggressive tone – suggests brutality/violence.
Powerful love is very difficult to forget
and may lead you into dangerous
situations where the final outcome may
be brutal/ violent.
Stance