Valentine is a love poem.
It was written by Carol Ann Duffy in the 1990i?? s. It is a very unusual poem, when you hear its title you think it is going to be very romantic, about gifts, chocolates, kisses etc. But when you read a bit you see that it is very different. Remember is another love poem, it was written by an 18 year old girl, Christina Rossetti.
It is about a woman who sees the future as very ugly and hasn't got any expectancy for the future. Easter Monday was written by Eleanor Farjeon it is also a love poem.It is based on a man who fights in the war and he doesn't receive three letters from his girlfriend because he goes over the top and dies. These three poems portray men very strongly, and in their poems we can see how much love the poets feel towards them. For example here is an extract from Remember "And afterwards remember do not grieve" Here we can see that she wants him to remember her but if that is going to make him unhappy, it is better that he forgets her. It shows all the love that she feels towards him and she doesn't want him to suffer.
Easter Monday and Remember poems are about woman that have lost there love, they all talk about the same thing, how much they that men that they have lost. Although Valentine is about a man that it is still there. These three poems are all in the first person, this makes them more real and direct, and the reader will feel more involved: "I give you an onion" In this extract from Valentine it seems like the onion is going to be for the reader so he will be encouraged to read on. These three poems make use of one word sentence: "Here" This creates a lot of emphasis and tension.Easter Monday is about the past and something that happened in the past and Valentine is in the present.
Valentine and Easter Monday are about gifts, an onion and an egg, this is symbolic of something else such as the love they had towards a man. These three poems show the intense way in which how first she loved men because in Remember we can see that she just wants him to remember her nothing else, only that. If it is going to make you unhappy it is better to forget me she says.This shows how much she loves him.
It was such a lovely morning when you spoke" The man has a lot of affection and gratitude towards the writer and a hopeful tone of it. She speaks about all the pleasant things of the man and how he found the egg before Easter Monday which shows some happiness. In Valentine Duffy uses a lot of metaphors and repetition. She says: "It is a moon wrapped in brown paper" When you first hear this you find it very unromantic and funny although afterwards the poet starts to give reasons to why he chose that gift.The first line is a metaphor because the poet uses an onion as an example to say what she is giving him is very precious and romantic ( the moon).
"It will blind you with tears" in this extract it shows that love can be very emotional and happy as well as unhappy and make you feel depressed. It shows the realistic side of love. "Not a cute or a kissogram" This sentence shows the importance of the poem. " Possessive and faithful as we are" from this sentence you can work out the passion of their relationship and how joined together they are.
"Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring" This lines show a reference to marriage.Duffy also uses a metaphor when she says the platinum loops because these are precious. Remember is a very simple poem, this poem also shows the sad side of love although this time it is talking about what does she wants him to do when she dies. From here comes its title remember.
It is a typical 19th century poem written in first person. The argument changes as you go down the poem. "Remember me when I am gone away" This is a reference to what she wants him to do when she dies, just to remember her. "Gone far away into silent land" in here she uses an euphemism because she says silent land instead of saying eternal life.It will be too late to late to counsel then or pray" In this line she refers to when she is dead, when she is dead it will be too late to pray or advise her, she will be beyond help.
When she talks about silent land she is talking about the grave yard, she has a very bad view of death, this is very strange because at that time the church was very important and she was a very religious woman. "Better by far you should forget and smile Then that you should remember and be sad" Here she uses an enjambment, she uses to give a strange view of the poem, to give it more rhythm.In the last lines she contradicts herself and says that he must forget her and be happy although she prefers him to remember her and be sad. This poem portrays men as dominant in the relationship and very nice. In conclusion, this three poems portray men in a positively way and they show very well all the love they feel towards them. Especially Remember and Valentine.
Remember is a good example of what to do in case of someone you love dies. You should remember him but learn to live your life and don't be so sad when ever you remember him. This poem is my favourite way because it has a didactic side because you can learn something out of it.
