2008-2009 F.4 ELIT

Second term unseen poetry quiz (Carol Ann Duffy)

Valentine – Carol Ann Duffy

1) Comment on the use of the senses. (6 marks)

Sight – Imageries (mental pictures e.g. onion, ring…);

- Brightness (e.g. satin, moon, light, ‘blind you with tears’, …);- Reflection (‘wobbling photo of grief’);- Colour (e.g. red heart, brown paper, platinum loops…)

Smell – ‘Its scent will cling to your fingers’;

Taste – ‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips’;

Touch – ‘Its scent will cling to your fingers/ cling to your knife’ /

‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips’ ; All these make the descriptions more

vivid because human beings understand the world through the senses.

ii) Discuss the different aspects of ‘love’ mentioned in the poem. (3 marks)

1) The deceitfulness of love – Love promises wonderful things, but when the truth is revealed (i.e. ‘the careful undressing of love’), it brings ‘grief’.

2) The possessiveness/ faithfulness of love – (‘Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,/ possessive and faithful’; Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring’)

3. The violence of love – (‘Lethal/Its scent will cling to your fingers,/cling to your knife). The poem ends in an ominous way.

iii) Comment on the relationship between the speaker and the addressee. (2 marks)

The speaker and the addressee are a couple, but it seems that the relationship has turned sour, and the problem may have arised from ‘possessiveness’ or someone not being faithful.

The ominous ending also suggests that the relationship becomes negative, or may be even violent.