‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Critical Essay Introductions:
Remember T A R TS:
Title, Author, Refer to question, themes and techniques, Summary
Essay Question
Choo a poem which incread your understanding ofwe remain
any aspect of life in the modern world.
State what aspect of life in the modern world the poem
illustrates and go on to show how the poem, both by its
content and by its style, incread your understanding.
A poem which incread my understanding of love in the modern world was Carol Ann Duffy’s‘Valentine’.
verIn the poem the poet gives her lover an onion as a Valentine’s Day prent. The onion symbolis the speaker’s feelings regarding love and relationships within the context of the modern world. Duffy us word choice, imagery, enjambment, and free ver to convey the speaker’s feelings about love in the modern world.
Critical Essay Main Body Paragraphs –P E E E Point, Evidence (quotation), Explain (analy an aspect of language),Evaluate (give your opinion)
Approaching the Essay
Essay Question
moonwalkerChoo a poem which incread your understanding of
any aspect of life in the modern world.
State what aspect of life in the modern world the poem
illustrates and go on to show how the poem, both by its
content and by its style, incread your understanding. Step 1: Noting Key Ideas
Consider the question and note your ideas for key points about the poem that relate to the essay question
Step 2: Remembering and Selecting Quotations
A vital part of your essay will involve the analysis of quotations. For each point you wish to rai you must include relevant evidence from the text. Note the quotation and the analytical point you plan to make about it.
Step 3: Logical Order
Develop a plan, following the PEEE format. It is at this point that you need to think about the comments you will make about your quotations –bullet point the. In each paragraph, it should be clear how this ‘answers’ your question/task.
Step 4: Start the Writing Essay
You should now have prepared enough material to help you begin your essay. Keep the criteria in mind at all times, remembering that you must balance your explanation of what is said with how it is
said.
Essay Plan – Example
‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Task/Question:
A study of how in the poem ‘Valentine’, Carol Ann Duffy explores the nature and effect of modern relationships.
Introduction:
乐知少儿英语Remember title, author and reference to task. Introduce idea that Duffy is challe nging the traditional view of Valentine’s day and aiming to prent a more ‘realistic’ view of love through this extended metaphor.
Paragraph 1: From the first line of the poem, it is clear that the speaker in this poem wishes to reject modern symbols of love and romance.
diary的复数kaixinwEvidence: Sentence inversion; focus on ‘Not’. Repeated in poem. Reference to typical symbols/gifts.
Explanation: Duffy is aiming to show they are meaningless; her gift ems unusual but prents opportunity to reflect real experience.
小语种学习网how comeParagraph 2: Through an extended image of an onion, Duffy explores both the positive and negative aspects of love.
Evidence: Begins with positive. Comparison with ‘moon’ suggests romance, something heavenly. ‘wrapped in brown paper’ implies a gift.
Explanation: Recognising that love can still bring joy and is still worth chasing. Effect of relationship remains something positive. Paragraph 3: However, as Duffy continues to develop this comparison, she reflects on the painful nature of love.
Evidence: Referen ce to physical and emotional pain; ‘blind you with tears’ and makes vision ‘a wobbling photograph of grief’. Explanation: Love can alter judgment and can distress. Aim to alter purpo of Valentine poem now to recognize true nature and effect.
Paragraph 4: The image of the onion is then ud to reflect upon the powerful nature of love.
imlEvidence: Word choice in ‘fierce kiss’ and ‘posssive and faithful’.
Explanation: Relationships can be consuming, with possibility of obssion or true commitment. It can be both frightening and rewarding.
Paragraph 5: Towards the end of the poem, Duffy begins to suggest that failed relationships can be difficult to overcome. Evidence: word choice of ‘lethal’ and repetition of word ‘cling’Explanation: suggests love can cau death literally/metaphorically. Once experienced, relationships often hard to forget and can remain part of you.punch line
Conclusion: Clear that Duffy feels the gestures of Valentine’s day have become hollow and meaningless. Traditional reprentations of love no longer reflect what relationships can be like. Metaphor of onion ud as vesl – reflects experience.
