1. Valentine By
Carol Ann Duffy

2. Complete the spider diagram thinking about the word ‘Valentine’
Complete the spider diagram thinking about the word ‘Valentine’. Write down as many words/phrases as you can that sum the whole thing up!
Hearts
Valentine’s Day
Cards
Chocolates
Flowers

3. What are the things that are normally associated with Valentine's day that Carol Ann Duffy rejects?
2. Instead of these things, what object does Carol Ann Duffy choose to represent love? What is surprising about this?
3. Highlight all of the words/phrases that seem out of place in a Valentine poem.
Eg. ‘tears’ ‘grief’
4. Highlight the words/phrases that show love/romance

4. What is the poem about?
On the surface – it’s about the giving of an unusual present for Valentine’s day.
Really about love and relationships between two people.
Rejects clichéd ideas of love and tries to be truthful
The poem is universal: it could be to and from anyone

5. It is an EXTENDED METAPHOR; the poet compares her love and the relationship to an onion, this image is carried on throughout the whole poem
Underline any similes and metaphors you can find

6. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper - metaphor It promises light/like the careful undressing of love - simile It will blind you with tears/like a lover - simile It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief - metaphor Its fierce kiss – personification It scent will cling to your knife - personification Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring - metaphor

7. What is Duffy saying?
‘it is a moon wrapped in brown paper / It promises light’.
Many layers. Might not look like much but it’s what’s underneath
Promise a good future
‘blind you with tears / like a lover’ – an onion is like love – can cause pain and upset.

8. What is Duffy saying?
‘platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring.’ This suggests that the longer the relationship continues the more serious it will become.
‘cling to your knife’. Suggests violence – chopping the onion/chopping the relationship. Not wanting to let go.

9. What is Duffy saying? ‘its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
‘Its scent will cling to your fingers’
love is very difficult to forget and will stay in your mind, like the lasting smell and taste of the onion

10. Tone Tone = mood of the poem. Starts off intimate and truthful
Turns more sinister
Duffy tries to make the poem sound like someone speaking by using the pronouns “I” and “you” and starting lines in the middle of a sentence. “Not a …”

11. How does Duffy use structure?
Structure = the way the poem is set out.
(Rhyme, rhythm, word or sentence patterns and the way the lines are laid out.)

12. How does Duffy use structure?
‘Not a red rose or satin heart.’ & ‘Not a cute card or kissogram’
The word ‘not’ is stressed because it appears first in the line
It is emphasised by repeating the structure of the lines and having them standing alone.

13. How does Duffy use structure?
The poem is written in FREE VERSE, = there is no rhyme scheme.
This is important! She is trying to make it sound like speech.

14. Word choice
Is the word “possessive” positive or negative? What does it make you think of?
Is the word “cling” positive or negative? What does it make you think of?
Is the word “fierce” positive or negative? What does it make you think?
Is the word “careful” negative or positive? What does it make you think of?
Is the word “lethal” positive or negative? What does it make you think?

15. Its fierce kiss – Personification – Compares taste of the onion to a passionate kiss. Fierce could also imply violence/anger Its scent will cling – personification – Compares smell of an onion to a memory – won’t go away.