Post by mslewis on May 3, 2012 15:13:49 GMT
Hi again - the essay plan we did in class on ambiguity in "Valentine". 
Choose a poem in which there is an element of ambiguity.
Show how the poet’s use of ambiguity enriches your appreciation of the poem as a whole.
Ambiguity – poem can be interpreted in several ways
Ambiguity is in poet’s portrayal of love: she is saying that the experience of being in love has both positive and negative aspects as her theme is the reality of love. Might seem contradictory but actually honest. Poem is effective in conveying the varied and contradictory emotions of love. It is not rational. Poet’s imagery, word choice and structure help to convey her ambiguous message effectively.
Para 1: Optimism at start of relationship
- structure of 1 line stanza and word order reveals her rejection of traditional Valentine’s gifts as they do not offer an honest portrayal of what love is. Cliched and meaningless. Instead the narrator offers her love an onion.
- free verse emphasises lack of predictability in love, does not follow a pattern
- extended metaphor of onion: Why chosen. “Moon wrapped in brown paper…” suggests hope, romantic, deepening intimacy
- simple language used to emphasise honesty and echo direct speech, also enable her to reach as wide an audience as possible
- Personal pronouns create a personal, intimate tone. Emphasises unique qualities of their love
Para 2: Begins to explore darker side of love with strong feelings it evokes
- extended metaphor “blind you with tears” ambiguous – joy and sadness
- extended metaphor “make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief”: reflects how love can alter our self-perception in a negative way
- structure of line “I am trying to be truthful” – sums up theme of poem in a simple, direct one line stanza
Para 3: Continues to explore strong feelings of love, both positive and negative
- “fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful” – words with negative as well as positive connotations to suggest how the strong emotions of love can have negative, even dangerous consequences. “Possessive” v ambiguous
- “for as long as we are” word choice could mean forever or that the relationship may not last forever, an unusual idea to explore in a love poem. Emphasises love does not always follow a predictable pattern or end happily.
Para 4: towards the end of the poem explores different possibilities of path relationship will take
- “Platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring” – marriage might either deepen their bond or corrode the relationship
- “if you like” – word choice presents as option. Not normal in love poetry. Acknowledges that there are no certainties in love. May not end in marriage.
- Word choice of “lethal” – connotations of deadly. Strong impact that feelings can have on a person.
- “Cling to your fingers, cling to your knife” – ambiguous as it is a positive thing that love can be so powerful it is never forgotten but also sinister connotations of violence, possessiveness.
Conclusion: Duffy presents love in an ambiguous way in “Valentine” which enables us to appreciate the theme she explores: the reality of love. She shows the complex and contradictory emotions involved through her word choice, imagery and structure, leaving us in no doubt that love is not simple, uncomplicated and everlasting as it is portrayed in traditional love poetry.
Choose a poem in which there is an element of ambiguity.
Show how the poet’s use of ambiguity enriches your appreciation of the poem as a whole.
Ambiguity – poem can be interpreted in several ways
Ambiguity is in poet’s portrayal of love: she is saying that the experience of being in love has both positive and negative aspects as her theme is the reality of love. Might seem contradictory but actually honest. Poem is effective in conveying the varied and contradictory emotions of love. It is not rational. Poet’s imagery, word choice and structure help to convey her ambiguous message effectively.
Para 1: Optimism at start of relationship
- structure of 1 line stanza and word order reveals her rejection of traditional Valentine’s gifts as they do not offer an honest portrayal of what love is. Cliched and meaningless. Instead the narrator offers her love an onion.
- free verse emphasises lack of predictability in love, does not follow a pattern
- extended metaphor of onion: Why chosen. “Moon wrapped in brown paper…” suggests hope, romantic, deepening intimacy
- simple language used to emphasise honesty and echo direct speech, also enable her to reach as wide an audience as possible
- Personal pronouns create a personal, intimate tone. Emphasises unique qualities of their love
Para 2: Begins to explore darker side of love with strong feelings it evokes
- extended metaphor “blind you with tears” ambiguous – joy and sadness
- extended metaphor “make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief”: reflects how love can alter our self-perception in a negative way
- structure of line “I am trying to be truthful” – sums up theme of poem in a simple, direct one line stanza
Para 3: Continues to explore strong feelings of love, both positive and negative
- “fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful” – words with negative as well as positive connotations to suggest how the strong emotions of love can have negative, even dangerous consequences. “Possessive” v ambiguous
- “for as long as we are” word choice could mean forever or that the relationship may not last forever, an unusual idea to explore in a love poem. Emphasises love does not always follow a predictable pattern or end happily.
Para 4: towards the end of the poem explores different possibilities of path relationship will take
- “Platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring” – marriage might either deepen their bond or corrode the relationship
- “if you like” – word choice presents as option. Not normal in love poetry. Acknowledges that there are no certainties in love. May not end in marriage.
- Word choice of “lethal” – connotations of deadly. Strong impact that feelings can have on a person.
- “Cling to your fingers, cling to your knife” – ambiguous as it is a positive thing that love can be so powerful it is never forgotten but also sinister connotations of violence, possessiveness.
Conclusion: Duffy presents love in an ambiguous way in “Valentine” which enables us to appreciate the theme she explores: the reality of love. She shows the complex and contradictory emotions involved through her word choice, imagery and structure, leaving us in no doubt that love is not simple, uncomplicated and everlasting as it is portrayed in traditional love poetry.