English lit

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alentine: Carol Ann Duffy Links to: Sonnet 43, As imperceptibly as Greif, A wife in London and Afternoons. Structure: Regular line stanzas for the idea that love is perfect. Carol Ann Duffy uses an extended metaphor throughout.
Main ideas: That she doesn’t like the idea of cliché valentine gifts. From the beginning its clear to see that she rejects any traditional valentine gifts e.g. cards. Themes: - Love - Perfection
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Describing what she’s giving her lover but not something traditional. She’s rejecting anything.
"Not a red rose or satin heart"
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A metaphor for love, extended throughout the poem. A powerful gift. Reflects the Layers of love that are available. Each onion skin is another layer of each other unraveled.
"I give you an onion"
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An onion makes you cry when you start to cut it just like when the argument or when the relationship starts to drift.
"It will blind you with tears"
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By using the “knife” it suggests that any wrong mistake can end the relationship.
"cling to you like a knife"
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A Wife in London: Thomas Hardy: Structure: Four stanzas that consist of five lines each. This contributes to the meaning of the poem because it creates a sense of time for readers
Main Ideas: A wife waiting in London for news about her husband who has been fighting in the Boer War in South Africa. Symbolic fog, swirls round the London streets. Fog is ominous and can cover things up, much like communications in war.
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Symbolizes the many women who have lost war relatives, waiting.
"she"
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Brown, dull, foggy London. In contrast to husband’s place of death.
"Sits in the tawny vapor."
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Street lamps lit by gas, would gradually burn out during the night-early morning. Contrast in heat & light/life & death.
"the street-lamp glimmer cold"
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Onomatopoeia of ‘knock’. Crack – shows a sharp, breaking noise, splits silence cracks her life too.
"A messengers knock cracks smartley,"
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Homely image of fireside, usually comforting and warming. Now very visual imagery highlighting his words on the page. Adds the imagery making it easier for the reader to empathies with the wife. If we can picture something, we may understand.
"by the firelight flicker"
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

"Not a red rose or satin heart"

Back

Describing what she’s giving her lover but not something traditional. She’s rejecting anything.

Card 3

Front

"I give you an onion"

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

"It will blind you with tears"

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

"cling to you like a knife"

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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