Skip to main content

Analysis of The Cliche Kid

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 speaker has mistaken such a large part of the memory being the gender, this could portray the speakers deviated mental health state as they are mistaking their own memories


 2.) "Give me a shot of something" 

  • This line really conveys the speakers desperation for perhaps a form of escapism such as a shot of alcohol or shot of drugs into his system
  • Shot also has a connotation to bullets which could signify that the speaker wants to escape permanently, not just temporarily from their life, through the means of suicide
  • "Give me a shot" is a cliche phrase/collocation which conveys that the speaker desperately wishes for someone to give them an opportunity and a chance 
3.) "I'm screwed up Doc, jumpy..."
  • The emphasis on this line is the ellipsis that ends the stanza, this could convey that the speaker is constantly losing their train of thought which shows they are isolated and trapped within their own thoughts. Duffy could be trying to convey here that the cliche of young people living carefree lives is simply not true and it is a severe issue that should be acknowledged.
4.) "The fresh baked grass- dammit - the new mown bread"
  • The use of these deviated idioms conveys the breakdown of the speakers mind and how they can no longer mask it from the world, their emotions are so overpowering that cannot form simple phrases and sentences
Structure- 
Duffy deliberately chooses this poem to have a strict structure of 3 lines per stanza which contradicts the overriding tone of the poem as the speaker is experiencing large emotional turmoil. This could imply that the speaker is in a desperate need for normality and structure within their life and they desire a life like a cliche. 

Links to other poems
The Suicide= Both speakers have a nihilistic, distorted perception of life, they are both desperately seeking for salvation from their thoughts and they both use escapism's
Oslo= Both speakers feel like outsiders due to being in unfamiliar surroundings, they are both in need for a source of comfort

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Analysis of Fraud

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Analysis of Adultery

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Analysis of The Windows

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more