valentine

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

On the surface the poem is about giving an onion to your partner on valentine’s day. Throughout the poem the speaker talks to the reader as a warning about relationships. At the start the relationship is new and positive because its about the excitement of getting to know someone. Later, the poet describes how a relationship can fall apart. The poem has a single central image of love which is shown through the extended metaphor of the onion which is used to show the different layers of a person and a relationship. Duffy’s approach to love is negative because she had only had negative experiences of love as she was a lesbian in a time where same sex marriage was illegal and divorce rates were high.

Question 2

beginning

Answer 2

• The poet gives their partner an onion and describes it as a ‘moon wrapped in a brown paper bag.’ The literal meaning of this quote is about how the onion looks as it wrapped in a brown outer layer and the inside is white and round like a moon. However the ‘moon’ could represent something lovely inside their partner that they have yet to discover because its hidden. The fact that the onion still has it’s shell could suggest how the poet and their partner are at the very beginning of their relationship and that they don’t know much about each other yet.
• When you begin to peel open the onion ‘it will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.’ This could represent two things. The poet could be looking in a mirror and their reflection may be ‘wobbling’ because they’re crying so they can’t see the image clearly. It could also represent how you’re looking at photos of your memories and crying because of them. The dual meaning of this quote helps to emphasises how complex relationships can be.

Question 3

middle

Answer 3

• Next, the poet says ‘I give you an onion.’ This quote is repeated twice throughout the poem which suggests how the poet is trying to convince their partner that the onion is a better symbol of love than typical gifts like a ‘red rose.’ This could suggest that she has a different outlook on love than most people because she’s giving such an unusual gift. The blunt tone could also suggest how she’s being honest about her feelings.
• The taste of the onion will ‘stay on your lips, possessive and faithful.’ The contrasting words of ‘possessive’ and ‘faithful’ could represent both the negatives and positives of a relationship as the word ‘possessive’ could suggest controlling but the word ‘faithful’ represents loyalty.

Question 4

end

Answer 4

• The onion’s ‘platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring.’ The ‘loops’ are the centre of the onion and could be the centre of the relationship. The fact that they ‘shrink’ could suggest how the loops are getting smaller and that their relationship is restricted by marriage. It could also suggest that the partner is reluctant but because the ring has shrunk they cannot get it off so they were forced to wear it.
• Finally, the scent of the onion will ‘cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.’ This is suggests that the smell is so strong that it will always stay with you. Therefore, you can never forget the other person. The repetition of the word ‘cling’ suggests how the relationship could be suffocating and overwhelming meaning that the relationship was negative.

Question 5

form & structure

Answer 5

• It follows the relationship from start to end and is structured around the extended metaphor
• The lines on their own emphasise how strong her opinion is.
• The poet uses free verse which could suggest how unpredictable relationships are because they change all the time. It also represents an honest view of relationships.