1 - The Long Queen Flashcards
(37 cards)
what is the summary?
the poem begins by focusing on the principle of marrying ‘Time’ instead of an actual husband, and elizabeth focuses on ruling successfully instead of marriage and romance, duffy then moves through the type of people that queen elizabeth rules over, focusing on the binding quality of being a woman.
what does the poem present elizabeth as and how?
an overseer and protector of the females of the world, through childhood, menstruation and childbirth.
what does duffy establish with the presentation of elizabeth?
she establishes the suffering caused by patriarchal oppression but suggests that the nature of women is one beauty and power.
what is the poetic voice?
a third person narrator and the tone is formal and ceremonial, as if instructing listeners and readers which is also reinforced by the questions and introductory first words of each stanza.
what is the significance of the poetic voice?
it embodies the strength, resilience and complexities of the queen, offering insights into her thoughts, feelings and struggles, the voice may resonate with empathy towards the struggles, sacrifices and triumphs of the queen, bringing a human element to a significant historical figure.
what is the structure?
the poem is split into 7 stanzas, each measuring 6 lines.
what could the consistency of the structure reflect?
the stability of queen elizabeth’s reign; as she rules for a total of 45 years, her power and authority is also gradually builded up with the increasing lengths.
there are also shifts in the tone, why?
to highlight different stages of the queen’s life.
what is the significance of this poem being the opening one of the collection?
it sets the tone of the collection by introducing a strong female queen which gives a sense of female empowerment: elevating the status of women by focusing on one of the most influential rulers.
it is also placed as the first poem as it comes to represent a gold standard of remembering women’s experience, both on an individual and collective level, it is prioritised due to being first.
what is the poem written in and why?
free verse, lacking a strict rhyme scheme or consistent meter which provides felixbility in expression, allowing the focus on the queen’s voice, emotions and thoughts.
how is a sense of continuity and fluidity created?
through enjambent, allowing lines to flow into each other without punctuation.
what did duffy seek to explore with this poem?
the complexities of female power, leadership and the challenges faced by women in positions of authority throughout history, it may highlight the struggles, sacrifices and triumphs of the queen, putting light on the overlooked or underrepresented roles of powerful women in history.
she also wanted to evoke empathy and understanding for the queen, showcasing her vulnerabilities, strengths and the burdens she carried as a leader, she invited readers to question traditional historical narratives and consider other perspectives.
what poetic methods did duffy use?
asyndeton list, imagery, symbolism, metaphors, irony, repetition, alliteration, personification, anaphora and rhetorical questions.
“the long queen couldn’t die”
- literal meaning = she had a long reign
- metaphorical meaning = she cannot escape her duties, her freedom has been taken away, the extent of her influence and power is emphasised.
- semantic field of immortality - presented as a goddess.
“cold weight of the crown”
- huge weight of responsibilities, contrast of vulnerability.
- ‘cold’ = lack of comfort, ebrasive, no human emotions (sense of emptiness).
“long live the queen”
- an important declaration, there is respect and high regard for the royals.
- an example of anaphora (emphasises a message).
“time for a husband.”
- time is personified, suggests that she is lonelier without a husband but can achieve full agency.
- caesura signifies her power.
“what was she queen of?”
use of rhetorical question
- possibly criticising her or carrying on her story.
repetition of “in”
suggests that she has become a part of the females - signifies her femininity, her ruling was in every aspect of their lives.
“wild kicks”
a form of rebellion against patriarchal tradition of women viewed by men as gentle and quiet - enforcing female solidarity.
“unseen”
- the queen’s acts have not been recognised - opinions/judgements, sense of mystery.
- the idea that she only presents a public face and the internal suffering is kept from her people.
“some said in a tower in the dark heart of a wood”
- dark imagery which is a contrast to previous stanzas - less realistic, gothic and she is being mythologised.
- the queen’s identity reduced to a fairytale e.g. ‘tower’ = rapunzel locked away.
“awoke from the bad dream”
“swooned into memory, bereaved, bereft”
“wrote it all down like a charge-sheet”
“scouring the markets and shops for her old books and toys”
(stanza 4)
- lack of individualism
- 4 different types of women, symbolising the different struggles that women face.
“no girl growing who wasn’t the apple of the long queen’s eye”
- dead metaphor - uses it deliberately as she has nothing to compare to, the queen has no children of her own - relying on dead metaphors.
- maternal imagery - she is a mother to all women, symbolic.
