Analysing the poem ‘Valentine’

‘Valentine’ is a poem where all of its stanzas are an extended metaphor. For example, “I give you an onion” symbolises the famous vows used in a wedding ceremony-“I give you this ring”. The extended metaphor is about the characteristics of an onion fits the notions of love. Throughout the stanzas it uses the conventional symbols of love such as “red rose, “lover” but then creates a negative image about the words that may at first seem impossible to create a negative tone about.

Carol Ann Duffy wanted to get a truthful image of love across to the readers and break away from the stereotypical view that love is always positive and that relationships are not always a good thing. One example in the poem is the line,” possessive and faithful, as we are, for as long as we are.” She starts go along with the normal conventions as a love poem but the last line of the stanza is doing the total opposite as “as long as we are” is establishing in the readers mind that actually love does always exist forever.

The poem is written by someone who obviously does not think greatly about the whole concept of love lasting forever. In fact, it brings out what love is exposed, stripped of all the pretend beliefs of its fairy-tale like nature “It will make your reflection a wobbly photo of grief”. This does make the mood somewhat depressing and saddens the reader especially if they have recently been through an unsuccessful relationship, it would no doubt re- enact any memories from that relationship and they would have a deeper connection to the poem.

The way Carol Ann Duffy uses certain words and phrases to get her message across is very cleaver as she has associated it with the usual vows people take at their wedding. “I give you an onion” “I give you this ring” .The way she compares it to an onion could suggest that she personally does not think