AS English Literature- Duffy and Larkin

Synopsis= A caul is when a baby is born still in their amniotic sac, this was deemed as especially lucky and as a result sailors would buy the caul and use it as a token of luck. It is significant to note that Duffy was born within her caul therefore this poem has a somewhat autobiographical sense and one could argue that the caul is a symbol of Duffy's fortune. Key Quotations + Analysis=  1.) "I'll never be drowned" Here the speaker is perhaps reliant on the fortune that her caul brings her and it is a part of her that will "never" diminish,  "never" alludes to a tone of sarcasm which is significant as cauls were supposed to prevent a sailor from drowning at sea. Therefore, this sarcastic attitude is perhaps a result of misfortune in the speakers life causing her to majorly doubt the validity of the cauls fortune.  2.) "under the waves or spoil on a beach"  The speaker is questioning whether her caul is still used for luck ...

Synopsis= Here the poet observes and uses various sources of light to perhaps show an absence of love or rebirth/circle of life. Duffy stresses the importance of light and poses the question 'are we living in the shadows looking for light?', however it is important to note that the light in this poem is not important, it is the way the light is expressed by Duffy. Key Quotations + Analysis= 1.) "The shy stars go stuttering on" Here stars are usually a symbol of hope, positivity and guidance, however the fact that they are shy it indicates that they are hiding themselves, this perhaps implies that the hope in life is temporary. Stuttering conveys that the guidance of the stars is somewhat ambiguous and lacks a strong consistency. 2.) "The flare of another match" This could suggest that there is always hope and the speaker can somewhat control that by generating light such as above. There is also always "another" opportunity to generate ...

Synopsis= This poem has an inconsistent focus, it begins nostalgic and pleasant but moves back to childhood and teenage memory, in the later stanzas Duffy still uses childhood imagery but in the present tense where they feel immobile, ending with reality and the speaker coming to the realisation that she is losing her memories. The inconsistent focus of this poem mimics the fast moving pace of time and memories and how these have a permanent imprint on our later lives. Key Quotations + Analysis= 1.)  "Dried ink on the palms suddenly ran wet" Here dried ink refers to when you are younger in school when it was typical to jot your crushes name on your hand, this is significant as it "ran suddenly" mimicking that nervous feeling when around your crush. This would cause your hands to go clammy and it could also portray how our first love slips away. "Palm" can be easily hidden showing that although memories are a part of us we can mask them from anybody...

Synopsis= The programme "Top of the Form" was a BBC radio and TV quiz for secondary schools in the UK running from 1948-1986. Therefore this poem is based upon a speaker who was on this programme during the 60's and won, however since this victory they have been unable to move past this moment of their childhood and this theme is prevalent throughout the poem. Key Quotations + Analysis= 1.) "Fizzing hope" "Fizzing" has connotations of sugary/fizzy drinks such as coke, which has further allusions to childhood as this was a drink commonly consumed during our school years.  The word choice fizzing also suggests that the speaker believes his youth was so special it was worth celebrating as champagne bottles are also known as "fizz". However it is significant that over time a fizz dies out and becomes flat, which mimics the significance of his memories. They are still "fizzing" to him but to everyone else they are flat.  2.) ...

Synopsis= Nostalgia is classed as a desire to return to a former time in our lives which is heavily conveyed in this poem. It is set in the past in the perception of mercenaries from Switzerland who had to leave their homes in search of fortunes. Nostalgia can also be classed as a mental illness that is incurable, sickness is portrayed in this poem both physically as the mercenaries would often suffer from severe altitude pains and pain of being removed from their home setting. Key quotations + Analysis= 1.) "Crude coins clenched" This imagery gives the impression that the coins are worthless, just like the memories in their head, it also portrays money in a negative light which suggests that the mercenaries are bitter tat they've had to leave their home for the sake of earning money. The use of consonance conveys the harshness of nostalgia to a persons mental health and the blunt, severe feeling of the altitude pains that the Swiss mercenaries felt. It could also...

Synopsis= This poem is based upon a relationship that has decayed over time, so much so that what is left is the shell of a marriage forged together through the commitments tied to their children and their family home. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.)  "Like a drawing, erased, coloured in" Drawings are a form of art, conveying that the relationship may have once been beautiful and precious.  Drawings are time consuming and require effort which imply that the couple put everything into this relationship but it still failed to be a success. "Erased" could show that they are aware of each others imperfections, yet instead of accepting them like an unconditional form of love should, he is erasing parts of her that he doesn't approve of.  "Coloured in" portrays that the couple may be presenting a false front to the public eye.  2.) "Pity of bells" The word choice "bells" heavily alludes to marriage bells, which indicate celeb...

Synopsis= This poem is based on a character in "Great Expectations" called Miss Havisham who is an archetypal spinster that was jilted on her wedding day and remains stuck in time. As a result the poem explores the bitter resentment of the speaker towards traditions and celebrations such as marriage. Key Quotations + Analysis= 1.) "dark, green pebbles for eyes" The colour green has clear connotations to jealousy and envy, conveying that the speaker is envious of the life she lived before she met the man that jilted her, or envious of the life she could have had with him if he hadn't jilted her. Pebbles implies that the speaker has developed a heart of stone since her heartbreak and she is emotionless, it also could link to the allegorical story Medusa who turns anything in her vision to stone.  Pebbles are almost immortal which could convey that the trauma has immortalised her, she will never be at rest for what he did. 2.) "A red balloon bursti...

Synopsis= Its clear to see that this poem is based off a relationship that has been crushed through one partners decision to be deceitful and commit adultery against their partner. As a result the speaker of this poem demonstrates the effects, both short term and long term, that this act of deceit has Key Quotations + Analysis=  "Wash Themselves. Now" This line conveys the sense that the speaker is trying to cleanse herself of her husbands deceit from her body, it could also portray that her husband is attempting to wash himself clean of the guilt caused from his sins.  "Now" implies that she must constantly cleanse herself to feel sane and her mind must be washed frequently as the thoughts of her husbands deceit fill her mind. "Sweet Darkness" Here Duffy's use of an oxymoronic phrase links to the similar phrase 'ignorance is bliss' , connoting that when the speaker was unaware of her partners deceit it was much better, she would ...

Synopsis= This poem reflects on a broken relationship which the speaker is in mourning for, during this process they become very aware of the transient nature of time and the fact that it is finite, it is a force that will inevitably bring about change and it is an unstoppable force. Duffy could also be using this poem to critic the statement of "living in the meantime"  Key Quotations + Analysis= 1.) "We will be dead"  This line gives a tone of fatalism to the poem which adds emphasis to the inevitable nature of time. The speaker feels as if they are subservient to time and it is beyond their control.  "Will" is a modal verb which accentuates that the effects of time are definite and no one can oppose it, it could also relate to how time will out live the relationship and any relationship formed as "we" is a plural therefore it includes everyone. This furthermore emphasises the sheer power of time  2.) "The clocks slid back... st...

Synopsis= Duffy focuses this poem on the impact that is left after going through a first love and the surreal feeling of falling in love that takes over a persona briefly. It is clear to see in this poem that the speaker is now disconnected from their first love but the memories of it are reflected on nostalgically and with pleasure Key Quotations + Analysis= Waking, with a dream of first love forming real words, as close to my lips as lipstick, I speaker your name, after a silence of years, into the pillow, and the power of your name brings me here to the window, naked, to say it again to a garden shaking with light. This was a child's love, and yet I clench my eyes  till the pictures return, unfocused at first, then almost clear, an old film played at a slow speed. All day I will glimpse it, in windows of changing sky,   in mirrors, my lover's eyes, wherever you are. And later a star, long dead , here seems precisely  the size of a tear....

Synopsis= Despite being a short poem, Duffy is conveying a literal and metaphorical message within 'Drunk' by demonstrating the reasons for and effects of using escapism's, in this case in the form of alcohol. Some critics see the intoxication of the speaker as being metaphorical of a broken relationship. Key Quotations + Analysis= Suddenly the rain is hilarious The moon wobbles in the dusk What a laugh. Unseen frogs belch in the damp grass The strange perfumes of darkening trees. Cheap red wine and the whole world a mouth. Give me a double, a kiss. 1.) "The moon wobbles" Alcohol has distorted the speakers vision, they cant see straight as they cannot see past the broken relationship. The word choice "wobble" is somewhat immature which could connote that the speaker uses alcohol to become more joyous and humorous. The moon is symbolic of many things  Insanity= The speaker feels delusional which we could evidently blame...

Synopsis= Duffy uses this poem to explore the themes of mental health and isolation amongst young people and could be perhaps expressing the daily pressures that young people face and the detrimental effects attached to them, shown through the speaker of the poem who is clearly in a deviated mental health state. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "The rustle of my fathers ballgown" This initially gives an extremely distorted image of the speakers childhood as they have obviously blurred the gender roles of their mother and father, this distortion could imply that the speaker has lost grip of their identity and do not have clear grasp on what gender role they fit in as they are so lost within cliche/stereotypical perceptions of gender that they are unaware of how to act. This further conveys the emotional turmoil of the speaker because they are confused in their own body.  The word choice "rustle" is significant as it is such a precise sound to remember yet the spe...

Synopsis= Duffy chose to give this poem a second person narrative as the speaker depicts a pivotal journey in their life in which they are leaving a location which once held a special place in their heart. Despite the sadness of the speaker for leaving behind a chapter there is a semantic field of disease, decay and death surrounding the description of the old location, which suggests that it has lost meaning to the speaker. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "Stumps of houses" The word choice stump here gives allusion to something not fully growing, this could convey that the speaker must leave this location in her past in order to reach her maximum potential. "Stumps" also links to stumps of cigarettes, this could imply that certain taboo escapism's such as cigarettes have stunted the growth of this towns residents to rise above and beyond the restraints of this place.  2.) "You go for a drink, relaxed"  Duffy decides to end the poem in a similar ...

Synopsis= It is widely believed that Duffy based the poem 'Fraud' on a man name Robert Maxwell, however his prior name was Jon Ludwick Hock. Maxwell managed to carve a new identity for himself in England after moving from Czechoslovakia where he became a largely successful MP and media head. However after his death there was a burst of controversy surrounding Maxwell as it was believed that there was a lot of flaws in his finances, mainly from pensions. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "I spoke the English" Here the speaker is trying to affirm his English identity, however the deviant grammar contradicts this as no native English person would make this mistake. As a result this error flaws the speakers cover and almost unveils his true identity. 2.) "Politicians in and out of their pram"  This line has a lot of plosive language which can convey the speakers bitterness towards politics, his bitter tone is somewhat ironic as Robert Maxwell himself was...

Synopsis= Duffy centres this poem around the life of a biographer, it is clear to see that the speaker lives a life full of resentment and shame towards themselves for not living a life similar to the ones they are employed to write about.  Key Quotations + Analysis  1.) "Because you are dead"   It is significant that Duffy opens the poem with this line as it signifies that the biographer only becomes relevant after the death of someone who lived a life worth writing about. This enforces the nihilistic attitude of the speaker and sets the tone for what the speakers self perception is.  2.) "Green and crimson and gold"  The wallpaper is described by the speaker into such great detail, implies that the speaker knows everything about their subjects life but they will never know that the biographer existed. Green has connotations of envy which clearly relates to the speakers jealousy, crimson is a deep red which alludes to anger and rage that the spea...

Synopsis= The speaker of this poem is an elderly lady who recalls a memory of her as a child on the beach, the poem focuses on the value of these childhood moments and the sad truth that they fade with age making it increasingly difficult to reflect as time goes on Key quotations + Analysis 1.) "If you think til it hurts..." This line demonstrates that despite the memories being a long time ago they are still fresh to her, they bring pain to the speaker as she is aware that she can not live without them but she also cant live with them. It is painful because she is forgetting memories. The thought of losing these memories brings pain to the speaker, she is desperate to recall them and is prepared to fight for them. 2.) "Not in sepia" Sepia gives an allusion of the past, therefore it demonstrates that the child on the beach is very much still a part of her present. Sepia is a muted colour which could portray the fading of memories, however there...

Synopsis= This poem is centred around a couple who have been together for a substantially long time, so much so that the love between them has grown thin and the speaker of the poem feels like the relationship is long dead. As a result we see the effects  Key Quotations and Analysis=  1.) "A thickening cyst of dust and gloom" Here this poem conveys an immense sense of desperation and desolation within the relationship. A cyst is an abnormality which suggests that the relationship is unhealthy and damaging to the speaker and the fact that it is thickening conveys that the state of their love is progressively worsening and beyond reparation The word choices "dust and gloom" connotes a sense of ambiguity which could imply that the speaker does not know the point at which the relationship began to deteriorate. "Dust" is also old and decaying from which could infer the neglect of love between both partners. 2.) "Bowl of apples rotten to the core...

Synopsis= A Litany is a series of petitions for use in church service or procession, usually recited by the clergy and responded to in a recruiting formula by the people or a tedious recital or repetitive series. This poem is set in the 1960's and it is centred around a group of mothers who are conscious to protect their children from the harsh realities of the world, therefore they code their language. However the daughter, who is the speaker of the poem is knowingly aware of what they are trying to cover.  Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "Certainly not Leukaemia, which no one could spell" There is a clear tone of sarcasm here which implies how the child is aware of the code that the mothers use against the children, this line could perhaps be a criticism of society for restricting children from the truth only for them to be so harshly exposed to it in their adult lives. 2.) "Wasps...Butterfly" The imagery used here gives a sense of an awe for nature...

Synopsis= This poems heavily explores the theme of loneliness as the speaker pries into what appears to be a perfect life, this is also deemed to be out of reach for the speaker and unattainable. 1.) "Behind Yellow Windows" There are many connotations to the word choice yellow= it radiates a positive image and it is associated with happiness and joy. However, in darkness and through time, white and cream taints to a yellow colour. This could suggest that the speaker once had a similar life to the one they admire, but with age they have been excluded and shut away from all forms of sunlight/ joy, causing them to fade. 2.)  "Those who love you forgive you, clearly"  There is a sarcastic association with the word choice clearly, this could suggest that the speaker is bitter towards their lifestyle and is jealous that her life has not had such a positive outcome. Clearly could also convey that the speaker doesn't have a clear representation of their life ...

Synopsis=  Duffy portrays the influence of religion as overbearing in particular the rituals enforced by the church such as confession, which have the purpose of shaming those who sinned, instead of forgiveness which is the true purpose of Christianity.   Key Quotations + Analysis 1.)  "Tell your sins to the hidden man" This quote portrays the priest in a sinister light and conveys them as intruding, this is reinforced using the imperative verb choice of "tell" which could imply that the speaker has no choice as it is what is expected of them and no one ever seems to question it.  The fact that the priest is "hidden" is significant as it shows how the speaker believes it to be hypocritical that she must expose her sins whilst he can keep himself, and therefore his sins, hidden.  2.) " Out with those sins those little maggoty things"  This strongly suggests that the speaker has the view that it is a disease to have a sin, as maggots are...

Synopsis= This poem is centred around a young school girl, who grows into adulthood which we can perceive through a stream of consciousness told by the speaker. Through each stanza we see a different time period that the child goes through. The poem explores various qualities of "good" teachers ans how early childhood ambitions become so easily clouded and adulthood becomes more of a simulation. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "Her kind intelligent green eyes, her cruel blue one"- This has a symbolic connotation as it displays two different perceptions of teacher, an admiration (a younger perception of teachers) and resentment (for the teacher somewhat fooled her as he was not prepared for the real world during her time at school). As she grows older the speaker gets more and more cynical about teachers. This could imply that she realises they are not perfect or that she is somewhat blaming them for her downfall. 2.) "South Sea Bubble Defenestration of ...