Valentine is an intense love poem in where the poet Carol Ann Duffy critisises the conventional symbols of love such as “red roses” or “satin hearts” and compares her perspective of love to “an onion”. By portraying the linguistic technique an extended metaphor, “I give you an onion” Duffy illustrates how normally, lovers choose to represent their love with common gestures, which have lost meaning with time and can therefore be forgotten or lost easily. However, Duffy informs her readers that love should not be taken for granted over time, as some lovers may do, it should be cherished, like an onion “possessive and faithful”, love should have significance especially amongst youngsters today, and once found should not be mistreated.
On the other hand, Shakespeare’s uses a satirical tone throughout “Sonnet 130” to mock the conventions of courtly love during the Elizabethan era, where males would always complement their mistresses (by writing them meaningful love poems) to show appreciation of their love. “ I think my love as rare” highlights Shakespeare’s view of how lovers should be honest with one another and be truthful instead of pretending that their love is perfect by ignoring the faults over a period of time when clearly there are many mistakes which have caused conflict within their relationship. Whether it be insulting a loved one’s physical attributes or their personality Shakespeare emphasizes how love is not true love unless these faults have been identified once they have been identified their love has been strengthened.
“But no such roses see I in her cheeks;”
However Shakespeare compares the persona’s love to a number of negative physical attributes which criticize her physical qualities, “My mistresses eyes are nothing like the sun”. By using extended metaphors in his description Shakespeare rejects the idea of creating an idealistic image of his lover and instead insults her “if snow be white, why then her breasts are dun”. Shakespeare shows that love is not in imagery; love is accepting her as she is faults and all.
In conclusion, I think that Shakespeare mocks love in sonnet 130, however Carol Ann Duffy is promising her readers that her love is more original honest and more true, she says ‘I am trying to be truthful’. I believe love is about honesty regardless of the time period.
M.
Thanks M. You make some interesting points and some good links between the two poems.
ReplyDeleteYou are beginning to use technical vocabulary with more confidence and use a number of quotes to support your ideas (though do try to ‘embed’ your quotes – see Alsy’s post below as she does this very well).
A couple of pointers for improvement: firstly, please use PARAGRAPHS! Can you edit the post so that it is organised into paragraphs – I have done the first one for you. Secondly, you have written well about how Sonnet 130 is influenced by its context, but how is Duffy’s poem influenced by its context? Answer below please.
It’s no secret that a man’s ego has a powerful pull on him.
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Mr Gix