ChynaWitzke

__** Valentine **__
By: Carol Ann Duffy (2001)

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the carful undressing of love.

Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion. Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are.

Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like.

Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.

Way 1: First Impressions
My initial thoughts, on the poem “Valentine”, by Carol Ann Duffy is its unusual portrayal of love. It is completely contradicting the stereotypical valentines day gifts, such as a “red rose” and “satin heart” (line 1), or a “cute card” or “ kissogram” (line 12). Instead of these gifts, the poem is suggesting to give an onion as a present, the onion being a metaphor for love. It is expressing the truthfulness of love. How love “will blind you with tears” (line 7), but also expressing the positive aspect with the line “fierce kiss will stay on your lips” (line 14). The poem even states in line 11, that it is just trying to express truth. Love can not be expressed with cards and roses, because it is more complicated than that. Love has many layers, both good and bad, much like an onion.

I find that the poem flows well, and the way it is broken up into eight stanzas helps the reader understand what is being expressed, yet I am currently having issues with lines 9 and 10. I understand the text, but do not understand why “It will make your reflection” (line 9) is separated from “a wobbling photo of grief.” (line 10). It does not seem to flow or make sense, in my mind.

Way 2: Engaging with the Text
There is no rhym or alliteration within this poem, but I hear the words flowing in stanza 2 and 6, which shows the connection of ideas. While in lines 6, 18, and 21 the sound is short and direct, making me believe that these lines are important. Also, in lines 14 and 15, the ‘s’ sound is emphasized with words like “kiss”, “lips”, and “possessive”. And in the last two lines (22-23) the word “cling” is noticeably repeated, which emphasizes the lingering effect of an onion on your fingers and knife. The seperation of the poem into several stanzas gives the reader a pause and emphasis on the text that was last read.

Way 3: A Point about Form and Its Relationship to Content
This poem is an example of lyric poetry. Its form is irregular, offering no set rhyming scheme. There are line breaks that separate the stanzas and give the reader time to reflect on what was just expressed. Both the stanzas and lines vary in length emphasizing the irregularity. By having this poem be irregular, Carol Ann Duffy is further accentuate the irregularity that her poem is trying to express. She is stating the opposite gifts to give on Valentines day, and is also giving the reader a structurally irregular poem to read. When we think of love poems, we normally think of sonnets, which are very structured 14 line poems (Brown and Yarbrough 84), but this is not the case with “Valentine”.

Line 1 and Line 12 express the "not" factors within this poem, and coincidently both lines seem to set up the topic for the following lines. By having line 12 not expressing the traditional elements of Valentines day, the reader is presented with the theme of the poem, exactly in the middle of the 24 line poem.

Throughout the poem “Valentine”, Carol Ann Duffy offers symbols, metaphors, and similes to portray love. The traditional symbols of love given on Valentines day, such as a “red rose” or “satin heart” ( line 1) and “cute card ” and “kissogram” (line 12) are all rejected. Instead the metaphor of the onion is used for love. The onion represents the truth of love, which is that it is not all satin hearts, but can cause tears as well. As Duffy explains the onion in detail, she is stating that the onion is a metaphor for “a moon wrapped in brown paper.” (Line 3). She then uses a simile in line 5, comparing the onion to the “careful undressing of love”, through the unwrapping of the onions outer skin. Within lines 7-8, Duffy is again using the symbol of the onion, to compare its power to make you cry, to a lover being able to make you cry. Duffy also describes the rings of the onion as a metaphor for a wedding-ring (line 19). Through the progression of the poem, the metaphor of love, the onion, continues to be peeled and cut, showing the real multiple layers of a relationship.
 * Way 4: Unpacking an Instance of Figurative Language**

The setting is “when and where a narrative takes place” (Brown 53). “Valentine” does not offer any details explaining where the setting is, but it does clearly state when. The setting is on Valentines day. Apart from the blatantly obvious suggestion of the setting being Valentines day from the title, in line 2 when it says “I give you an onion”, it is offering the onion as a Valentines day present. It could also be assumed that this conversation is taking place within a kitchen, because of the use of the onion as a metaphor. The lack of knowing where the setting is taking place can suggest that no matter what the location, the message is relevant.
 * Way 5: Analyzing the Setting**

The poem “Valentine” is in the first person point of view, this is apparent with the use of the word “I” and the narrator is actually involved in the story (Brown 63). With the words “Here” (line 6) and “Take it.” (line 18), the reader feels involved in the poem, as if someone else is present. With the first person point of view, the reader is only given the perspective of the narrator, we do not know who the narrator is speaking to, or how they are reacting to what is being said.
 * Way 6: Identifying and Analyzing Point of View**

The obvious ambiguity within this text, is the onion. The onion not only represents a literal onion, but also love. Both love and an onion can cause tears. The onions multiple layers represent the multiple layers of love, including the good and bad. In lines 3 and 4, “It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. / It promises light”, the words “moon” and “light” are synonymous with each other. When we reestablish the idea that the onion is being represented as the moon and love, love is being described as offering light. A light meaning bright, symbolizing a positive relationship.
 * Way 7: Analyzing Complexity, Ambiguity, & Difficulty**

Lines 22 and 23, “Its scent will cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife.” offers ambiguity as well. A knife is sharp and separates things, but within this text it can also represent a breakup in a relationship. The words “scent” and “cling” refers to the onion, but also how love can linger even after it is over.

Brown and Yarbrough discuss the canonicity of a poem as “The collection of works judged by literary scholars, readers, and writers of the current culture and past cultures to be worthy of study and continual rediscovery.” (323).
 * Way 8: Considering Canoncity**

“Valentine” can be considered a canon because of its cultural values and figurative language. It is a great poem to study, because of its many metaphors and similies. It is also intreging to have a poem discuss a symbol of love, the onion, throughout the entire poem, relating it to love on multiple levels. The poem also contains cultural significance because Valentines day occurs every year. Readers can relate to the idea that Valentines day has become a consumers holiday, focused on cards and candy, rather than love.

On the other hand, it could not be viewed as a canon because scholars likely would not consider this poem a standard addition to a textbook or classroom discussion. Its context is culturally relevant, but not of high importance.

“Valentine” rejects conventional symbols of love, such as the “red rose” and “satin heart” (line 1), and the gestures associated with traditional valentines day gifts. Similarly, Carol Ann Duffy is objective to societal norms, she is a lesbian (Contemporary Authors Online, Gale). It is not apparent from reading “Valentine” that Duffy is a homosexual, but knowing this, we can see how in her own life and in this poem there is an opposition of societies traditional beliefs. It should also be pointed out that Duffy does not address a sexuality to her valentine, instead she uses the word “you”. I previously believed this was simply to involve the reader, but it could be interpreted as not attributing gender to who she is speaking to.
 * Way 9: Biographical Context**

Duffys poems, in general, take a position of having womens empowerment and rejection of tradition. In 2009, Duffy became the first female poet laureate in Britain. Although she was considered for the job ten years prior, but Tony Blair did not break from appointing a man for the traditional male position (Lyall). Only a couple years later, in 2001, Duffy wrote “Valentine”, which rejects traditions and promotes honesty. Within the last 15 years or so, England has seen progressive changes from the traditional to a more liberal approach, much like Duffys works.
 * Way 10: Historical and Cultural Context**

There is a connection between “Valentine” and psychoanalytic criticism, As Brown and Yarbrough note“the root of people’s motivations and of their problems could frequently be found in the unconscious, and this is the assumption on which Freudian psychoanalysis is based” (215). It can be assumed, from reading the text, that Carol Ann Duffy has felt the pain that love can inflict. By comparing love to an onion, she is associating her previous relationship to something that caused her “tears” (line 7) and something that is “Lethal.” (line 21). A psychoanalyist would question Duffy on her previous relationships, both as an adult and as a child. A psychoanalysist would likely assume that there was tension and conflict between Duffy and one or both of her parents, because of their emphasis on the Oedipus complex. Reading this poem it is apparent that Duffy does not view love in a traditional sense, and this is because of previous life experiences, which she likely suppressed in her subconscious.
 * Way 11: Theoretical Application**

The cultural studies critical theory approach can also be connected to this poem. Cultrual studies focuses on culture as a whole, and “Valentine” discusses many cultural elements. For example, in the first line, “Not a red rose or a satin heart.”, a “red rose” and “satin heart” are traditional cultural representations of both love and valentines day, but by looking at love in its whole context, love can result in “a wobbling photo of grief.” (line 10). Marxism, and its idea of materialism, “the belief that needs and wants dictate all that occurs in society” (Brown 235), can also be used to evaluate this poem. The “needs and wants” of someone on valentines day is to get the traditional gestures of love, that Duffy is rejecting. Duffy wants to express love as it is in reality, not what people want it to be.
 * Way 12: Another Theoretical Application**

My initial interpretation of the poem was correct, but through examination of the various “ways”, my understanding has increased. “Valentine” is a poem about love, not societies fake ideas of love, but the realities that come along with loving someone. Love is “possessive and faithful” (line 15), but only for as long as it lasts. Even when a relationship turns “lethal” (line 22), love continues to “cling” and leave a mark on your life.
 * Way 13: Unifying Interpretation**

Not only is “Valentine” about love, and the rejection of traditional love gifts, but of tradition in general. Through the biographical research on Carol Ann Duffy, I discovered that she is a lesbian. This information is only relevant because her life is rejecting the traditional beliefs in society, which seems to influence her work. Duffy is not afraid to express the truth, and the truth of love is that “it will blind you with tears” (line 7). Love is complicated and made up of many elements.

Brown, James S. And Scott D. Yarbrough. __A Practical Introduction to Literary Studies.__ Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.
 * WORKS CITED**

“Carol Ann Duffy.” 6 Apr. 2009. Gale Database: Contemporary Authors Online. 23 Jul. 2009. <1. [r=d&origSearch=true&o=DataType&n=50&l=d&c=1&locID=cicctr&secondary=false&u=CA&t=KW&s=2&NA=Carol+Ann+Duffy|http://galenet.galegroup.com.ezproxy.uwc.edu/servlet/GLD/hits?r=d&origSearch=true&o=DataType&n=50&l=d&c=1&locID=cicctr&secondary=false&u=CA&t=KW&s=2&NA=Carol+Ann+Duffy]>

Lyall, Sarah. "After 341 years, Britain Picks a Female Laureate." 2 May 2009. Academic Search Premier. University of Wisconsin Colleges. 23 July 2009 <[]>.