AS English Literature- Duffy and Larkin

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 ...

Synopsis- The purpose of Valentine is to expose the reader to a true representation of love that commercial media and society often tend to keep hidden, this form of love envisaged is purely "truthful", it is not exaggerated and it shows the genuine troubles associated with relationships. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "It is a moon wrapped in brown paper" Here the moon clearly alludes to a symbol of love and in this sense it is concealed, this could suggest that at the beginning love i protected and cherished but as the relationship ages the layers are stripped the more honest and genuine a love becomes.  The significance of the moon could connote that the moon is not always there showing the inconsistency of love, the moon is also out of reach which could imply that the speaker feels like true love and happiness is completely out of reach. 2.) "Satin heart" Satin is a material heavily associated with luxury and expense, Duffy could be port...

Synopsis- Duffy used the phrase "Away and See" as it is a Scottish phrase meaning "go and have a look", showing links to Duffy's early childhood in Scotland. This poem is written from the perception of a mother who has a daughter reaching the age of which they branch away from the grasp of their parents and grow their independence into adulthood. The over-riding tone of this poem is joyous and sentimental however at times there is an element of regret within the mothers words for not seizing every opportunity thrown at her in her youth, therefore she deeply encourages her daughter to seize what life has to offer her. Key Quotations + Analysis 1.) "Suck at a boiled sun" -  Here Duffy uses metaphorical language to compare the sun to a boiled sweet, this could imply various things one of which being an essence of childlike imagery. This shows that although the mother is happy for her daughter she is still very reminiscent of her being a child and ...