Carol Ann Duffy: Poems Literary Elements

The poems are told from the perspective of a first person subjective point of view.

Because the poems are a collection of modernist poems, there is no form and meter.

An important simile is found in the first poem, entitled ‘’Ship’’. In the poem, the narrator compares love to a boat on a river, being carried by the water. The boat stops in front of the narrator for a short period of time and she is able to experience happiness. The reason why the narrator compared love to a boat is to highlight the idea that love is passing and most of the time, temporary.

We find alliteration in the poem "Text’’ in the line ‘’we text ,text ,text’’ .

In the poem entitled "Ship’’ the general impression is that the narrator was hurt by the disappearance of her lover. Despite this, she claims, ironically, she is gland the mystery woman came into her life.

Most of the poems are either love poems, meditative poems, or narrative ones.

The action in the poem entitled "Little Red Cap’’ takes place in the woods and inside the wolf’s home.

The tone used in the poems is generally is sad one.

In the poem entitled "Havisham’’ the protagonist is the woman and the antagonist is the man who left her.

The major conflict in the poem entitled "Text’’ is between the real love and the love promoted by the media.

The poem "Little Red Cap’’ reaches its climax when the narrator kills the wolf.

In the third stanza of the poem "Little Red Cap’’, the narrator mentions the "murder clues’’ left behind as she traveled through the woods with the wolf. This foreshadows the crime that will take place at the end of the poem.

In the first stanza of the poem "Little Red Cap’’, the narrator lets the reader understand that the wolf was the dangerous creature. In the second stanza however, it is proven that this is an understatement because the girl is the one who seduced the wolf and made him do what she wanted him to do.

In the poem entitled "Ship’’, the narrator alludes that love is just like a ship that never stays too much in one place and sails instead to other people. Love thus is temporary for the narrator but despite this, it produces feelings of joy and happiness for her.

The "blue suede shoes’’ are used in the poem entitled "Elvis’s twin sister’’ as a general term to make reference to the late singer Elvis Presley and also to make reference to the rock music in general.

We find personification in the line "It puts my trademark slow lopsided smile’’.

We find hyperbole in the lines "They call me/ Sister Presley here,/ The Reverend Mother/ digs the way I move my hips’’.

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