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...