Valentine by Carol Anne Duffy Case
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English Commentary – Valentine
In the poem Valentine Carol Ann Duffy uses the extended metaphor of an onion throughout the poem to criticize conventional ideas of love and Valentines Day. “Not a red rose or a satin heart” is the both the opening line and opening stanza that introduces this concept. By separating this line from the rest of the poem the author makes the contrast between her ideals and the stereotypical views of Valentines Day visually apparent to the reader.
Furthermore, by introducing this notion abruptly during in what appears to be mid-conversation, Duffy goes against the conventional ways of writing a poem emphasising her criticism of the ordinary. Despite for the most part using the structure of a Sonnet, which can be linked to traditionally romantic ways of writing; as in Shakespeare, the author repeatedly makes use of shorter lines. By doing this she is able to stress certain lines such as “I give you an onion” and “I am trying to be truthful”.
In the line “I give you an onion”, intimacy is created by using pronouns “I” and “you” addressing the reader in first person. Duffy gives her audience the impression that the person who she is referring to is present at that very moment by using these pronouns and delivering the poem in present tense, “I give you”. The author also uses commands “Here” and “Take it” to emphasise this idea and present the narrator as someone who is in control, using a confident tone.
In the third line the author describes the onion as “a moon wrapped in brown paper”. Here the reader is presented with an uncommon comparison that highlights the contrast between Carol Ann Duffys beliefs about the emptiness of more well-known romantic gestures. Visual imagery of the “moon” is often associated with romance and by being white, purity and faithfulness. “Brown paper” is an obvious contrast to “satin” an adjective used to describe the heart in the first line, witch is a luxurious fabric of high economic value. Here she suggests that brown paper however, has more sentimental value when linked to the moon and “light”, further symbolising truth and honesty.
The tone used is both confident, “Here” “Take it”, and seductive. The author brings light to this by using sensual metaphors such as “undressing of love” to describe the peeling of an onion that can be linked to the taking off of lovers clothes. this is highlighted in stanza six, “its fierce kiss will stay on your lips”. However, in the last stanza, despite the repeated use of a command “Take it” to reinforce the confident tone, the word “Lethal” suggests a darker meaning to the poem. Making use of sinister imagery,