To what extent is feminist criticism helpful in opening up potential meanings in Caroline Duffy\'s Valentine PDF

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To what extent is metaphorical criticism helpful in opening up potential meanings in ‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy?...

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To what extent is metaphorical criticism helpful in opening up potential meanings in ‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy? ‘When we talk about metaphor, we mean the use of language to refer to something other than what it was originally applied to’1. The cynical view of love is somewhat popular when addressing a metaphorical and feminist view, and Carol Ann Duffy is no different in expressing her perception of love through the cynic’s eyes. Metaphor is strong in expressing meaning through the poem however feminism predominantly challenges the ‘mechanisms of patriarchy’2 and ‘the cultural ‘mind-set’ in men and women which perpetuated sexual inequality’3, opening up deeper meanings that Duffy illustrates in ‘Valentine’. Extreme feminist writers such as Germaine Greer with the impression that ‘Women fail to understand how much men hate them4’ it is clear that the mentality of misogyny and the patriarchal society can release the raw and truthful aspects of a relationship in contemporary society. The metaphor of the onion expresses the subversion of expectation as the reader finds the non-stereotypical gifts for Valentine’s Day, the unwrapping of love presented by the onion presents the idea to the reader of the different layers of a relationship. In the poem Duffy subverts the reader’s expectation of Valentine’s Day, especially with the contradiction of the title and the first line, starting with a cynical view. St Valentine’s day became one of the most commercialised days of the year when a study proved that over 1 billion valentines are sent every year, 85% of which are sent by women. The appeal that Valentine’s Day brings to women is echoed in Duffy’s poem when giving examples of the traditional gifts for this time of year. The structure of the poem reflects the unoriginality of these gifts, with the short lines of ‘not a red rose or satin heart’ and ‘not a cute card or kissagram’ portrays the short lived gift ideas, as well as showing the amount of times someone has probably received one of these gifts, making the receiver already bored of it. Therefore this makes the idea of the onion as a present new to the reader and also represents the idea of the model what ‘romance’ is, reflecting how, in modern society the precedent toward women and romance is changing. The metaphor of the onion also presents the idea that ‘there is sometimes no other word to describe particular thing’ 5 as 1 Knowles & Moon. 2006. Introducing Metaphor 2 Bertons, H. 2001. Literary Theory: The Basics. 3 Bertons, H. 2001. Literary Theory: The Basics. 4 Germaine Greer 1994 . 5 Knowles & Moon. 2006. Introducing Metaphor

love and relationships are unique in different people’s lives and circumstances. Therefore the portrayal of love that has been explored for thousands of years in literal ways, can be shown through metaphor as something with so many layers. The onion is the most important metaphor in the poem due to its relevance to the idea of love and its reflection on the emotion of women in a relationship. Even though the poem appears universal, there is still a sense that it would be a woman narrator rather than a man, due to the emotional side to it. However a feminist reading would challenge the representation that women are seen as ‘other’6 to men and focus on the universal view. The onion represents the undressing of love, therefore the more you peel the onion and uncover the layers, and the easier it is for the smell to cling to your hands and to make you cry. The idea that love is blind is seen in the poem stating that the onion ‘will blind you with tears’ displaying the reflection of love that and relationships that the onion has, but also Duffy uses this ‘undressing of love’ to express to the reader the delicate aspect of a relationship and the ‘fragile frames’ in which women are perceived to be due to their emotional attachment typically associated with romance and love. This relates back to Cupid in early mythology. Cupid was often seen as blindfolded in early paintings and similarly in the Anne Kingsmill Finch poem ‘Cupid, ere depriv'd of Sight’7 which reiterates the love is blind concept as tears that the onion brings often distort a person’s vision, the reflecting in a relationship of the perception of a lover or loved one. The metaphor of the tears distorting a person’s view is revisited later in the poem as it gets more dark and deep, the scent that will‘ cling to your knife’ represents the long lasting effects of a relationship and its effect on everything else you ‘touch’ showing that finally your whole life begins to be effected by a relationship. The tone of the poem is one that is often satirical and sarcastic in feminist poems due to the typical patriarchal society that causes women to be oppressed, therefore literacy constitutes ‘acceptable versions of what ‘feminine’ is’ . The raw tone of the relationships is then used in the harsh wording of ‘fierce kiss’, ‘possessive’ and ‘lethal…knife’ which creates the vulnerable side of the narrator. As the ending of the poem is punitive and strong there is a sense of grief of a relationship that has ended and the modern language then allows the contemporary audience to relate fully to the emotion behind it. The metaphor of the lethal 6 Barry, P. 2002. Beginning Theory. 7 Anne Kingsmill Finch, 1661-1720, Cupid and Folly .

knife opens up the danger behind a relationship and its harm that it can do to someone; breaking their heart. Duffy’s use of the metaphorical death of a person after a relationship is over depicts the modern day relationship and how much romance has been commercialised to an extent that makes relationships about material items, however turning the whole poem into a metaphor creates the deep and personal meaning of a relationship. With a feminist view on the poem the poem could be seen to reflect the emotional side of women, seen as a weakness, then ‘mirroring the distribution of power of males and females in society’8. The feminist reading of this poem is strong in a sense that it is seen as universal and as the first woman, lesbian, Scottish, feminist to be the Poet Laureate in 2009 Duffy explores the relationships of modern society and their commercialised romance. However even with a feminist critic opening the poem there is still a sense of the emotional and stereotypical side to women. The metaphorical aspect of the poem opens it up to express the many layers, just like the onion, of a relationship, exploring the commercial and consumerist day that is St Valentine’s Day, however the feminist view also opens up more doors to the way in which it can be read, especially with Duffy as the writer. Even with the harsh tones and strong ending to the poem it cannot be divorced from the fact that the ideological base of mainstream literacy interpretations of feminist critics9 are still effected by modern society in the way that the patriarchal male is still vibrant. This depiction of the poem shows the undeniable fact that metaphor opens up meaning using ‘extraordinary rather than ordinary language’10. Words - 1230

8 Bertens, H 2001 Literary Theory: The Basics 9 Barry, P 2002 Beginning Theory 10 Lakoff & Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By...