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