‘Valentine’

by
Carol Ann Duffy

Pupil Unit
Includes Formative Assessment Strategies
 Critical Essay: Poetry

‘Valentine’
by
Carol Anne Duffy

By the end of this Unit you will be able to write Critical Essays on the poem ‘Valentine’.

You will be able to write relevantly about the central concern(s)/theme(s) of the poem
and be able to support your views by reference to appropriate poetic techniques.

You will learn about/revise the following techniques:

 Imagery

 Tone

 Word Choice

 Structure

 Symbolism

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
You will be able to adapt your knowledge of the central concerns/themes of the poem
and the techniques used to answer questions which ask you to choose a poem…

‘…which you feel is particularly relevant to a teenage audience.’

‘… in which … a seemingly unimportant incident acquires increased

significance by the end of the poem.’

‘… in which you feel there is a significant moment which reveals the central
idea of the poem.’

‘… which creates a sense of menace.’

‘… on the subject of love.’

‘… in which there is a noticeable change of mood at one or more than one

point in the poem.’

Activities in this unit are designed to be performed in classroom conditions

involving discussion, peer assessment and written assignment. The teacher
will facilitate the lessons and discussions giving appropriate advice and
modelling when appropriate.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
‘Valentine’
Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.

It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.

Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 ‘Valentine’

The poem is
not about an
onion.

You have 2 minutes

to discuss with a
partner what the
poem is about!

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 Focus of Close Analysis

‘the positive aspects of love

conveyed in the poem and how
Duffy has conveyed her speaker’s
positive attitude through imagery,
word choice and symbolism.’

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 Pupil

‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy

The task we are going to concentrate on as we examine Duffy’s poem

is:

Choose a poem on the subject of love.

Show how the poet treats the subject, and explain to what extent
you find the treatment convincing.
(Higher English 2001)

First we are going to examine the positive aspects of love conveyed in the
poem and how Duffy has conveyed her speaker’s positive attitude through
imagery, word choice and symbolism

 Duffy uses the extended metaphor of an onion to show her speaker’s

positive attitude to love.
 Working with a partner, complete the table below.
 Model your responses on the two that have been done for you.

Context/ Evidence/Quote Analysis/

Understanding Evaluation/
Personal Response
The title of the ‘Valentine’ Connotations of
poem suggests that hearts/flowers/romance – we
it will deal with all like the idea that someone
fairly conventional loves us and cares enough to
notions of love. show it through giving us
gifts
Yet unconventional ‘It is a moon wrapped in Excellent metaphor -moon is
gift offered - an brown paper.’ a conventional symbol of
onion. love – suggests romance;
‘brown paper’ – no fancy
wrappings to disguise the
object – truth/honesty. This
is very believable.
Positive aspect of ‘promises/light’ Hint Comment on the word
love - optimism at choice of ‘’promises?
the beginning of a
relationship Is this ‘convincing’?

The longer a ‘Its platinum loops shrink Hint

relationship lasts it to a wedding-ring,’ What does Duffy’s persona

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 will become more suggest about the
serious and may relationship in this
lead to marriage – metaphor?
a commitment
which is not to be Is this ‘convincing’?
made lightly.
Positive aspect of ‘It promises light Hint
love - optimism at like the careful undressing
the beginning of a of love.’
relationship – love
has many layers.
Strength and power ‘…faithful, Hint
of the relationship. as we are,

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Mini Essay

Your teacher will model how you should use the information from one of the rows of the
table to suit a “line of thought” and how you should link the information ensuring that
whenever a statement is made there should be analytical and evaluative comment made

Mini-essay Task

Show how the poet reveals the positive aspects of the

speaker’s attitude to love and explain to what extent you find
the treatment convincing.

The following can be done in pairs, each pair taking one or two rows from the table:

 Write your paragraphs and swap with another pair or group.

 The other group should consider whether anything else can be added.
 Use your notes from the template to help you.
 Your mini-essay should show understanding (context), reference to the text
(quote) and evaluative response (analysis and personal comment).

Examine the model below to see how you can structure and link your ideas in
your response to the task above:-

Context/ The title of the poem suggests that it will deal with fairly
Understanding conventional ideas of love:

Evidence/Quote ‘Valentine’

In this word there are connotations of romance. We all like the

Analysis/Evaluation/
idea that someone loves us and cares enough to show it
Personal Response
through giving us gifts like flowers and chocolates.

Yet Duffy’s speaker offers an unconventional symbol of their love

Context/
to their partner. The gift of an onion is presented by the persona
Understanding
as a positive expression of their feelings for their partner:

Evidence/Quote ‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.’

Analysis/Evaluation/ The moon is a conventional symbol of love and this metaphor

Personal Response suggests romance, tenderness and sensitivity. The ‘brown
paper’ – the skin of the onion – shows that there are no fancy
wrappings to disguise the object implying that the relationship
will be based on truth and honesty. This is very believable as we
would all like to think that our partners will not only treat us
sensitively and tenderly and keep the romance alive in our
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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 relationship but also that they will have no secrets from us.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Peer Assessment

How did you get on? Working with a partner, use the checklist below to assess whether
or not you have included all necessary information in your mini-essay.

If you have used all the information from your table and the model which your teacher
provided, you should have very little to improve in your mini-essay.

Context/
Understanding Evidence/Quote

‘Valentine’
‘It is a moon wrapped in
brown paper.’
‘Its platinum loops shrink
to a wedding-ring,’

‘promises/light’

‘faithful,’

Technical Accuracy

Topic Sentence

Full stops/capital letters used properly

Varied sentence structure

Quotes set out properly

Spelling correct

Linkage used eg In
addition/furthermore/moreover/yet etc

Complete
Completethe
thesentence…
sentence…

‘I‘Ineed
needtotoimprove…
improve…
Identify 2 areas
where you have
done well and write
them in the stars.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 Focus of Close Analysis

‘The negative aspects of love

conveyed in the poem and how
Duffy has conveyed, through
imagery, word choice and tone, that
her speaker/persona becomes
increasingly frustrated by their
lover’s rejection of the gift of the
onion and eventually adopts a
threatening attitude.’

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 Pupil
‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy

The task we are going to concentrate on as we examine Duffy’s poem is:

Choose a poem on the subject of love.

Show how the poet treats the subject, and explain to what extent
you find the treatment convincing.
(Higher English 2001)
In this section, we are going to examine ‘the negative aspects of
love conveyed in the poem and how Duffy has conveyed, through
imagery, word choice and tone, that her speaker becomes
increasingly frustrated by their lover’s rejection of the gift and
eventually adopts a threatening attitude.’

Negative aspects of relationships conveyed in the poem

 Duffy uses the extended metaphor of an onion to show her speaker’s

increasing frustration that the gift of an onion has been rejected.
Eventually, the speaker adopts a threatening attitude as their lover refuses
to accept the gift.
 Working with a partner, complete the table below.
 Model your responses on the two that have been done for you.

Context/ Evidence/Quote Analysis/

Understanding
The onion represents a
relationship which may
ocasionally cause you pain.
The onion is like a mirror –
but the image may be
distorted..
Powerful love is very difficult
Evaluation/
Personal Response
‘It will blind you with tears
like a lover.’
‘It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.’
‘fierce kiss will stay on your
Simile – truth/honesty –
suggests love can cause
distress; Word choice
suggests pain and grief.
Believable – in relationships,
one partner can often be
cruel/ hurtful.
Extended metaphor –
‘wobbling photo of grief’ –
pain/tears/ distress can be
caused by relationships/
truth/honesty; word choice
suggests pain and
heartache. I am certain that
this is the case –
relationships are not always
completely agreeable.
Hint

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
to forget as is a lips,’
brutal/violent relationship.
Strength and power of the ‘possessive and faithful,’ Hint
relationship – a change in
the relationship.
The longer a relationship ‘Its platinum loops shrink to Hint
lasts it will become more a wedding-ring,’
serious and may lead to
marriage – which may
become a restrictive
relationship.
Intense relationship may lead ‘Lethal.’ Hint
to violence.
Powerful love is very difficult ‘Its scent will cling to your Hint
to forget and may lead you fingers,
into dangerous situations cling to your knife.’
where the final outcome may
be brutal/violent.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Mini-Essay

Your teacher will model how you should use the information from one of the rows of the
table to suit a “line of thought” and how you should link the information ensuring that
whenever a statement is made there should be analytical and evaluative comment made.

Mini-essay Task

Show how the poet reveals the speaker’s increasing

frustration and the effect this has on his comments about
(and attitude to) love and explain to what extent you find the
treatment convincing.

The following can be done in pairs, each pair taking one or two rows from the table:

 Write your paragraphs and swap with another pair or group.

 The other group should consider whether anything else can be added.
 Use your notes from the template to help you.
 Your mini-essay should show understanding (context), reference to the text
(quote) and evaluative response (analysis and personal comment).

Examine the model below to see how you can structure and link your ideas in
your response to the task above:-

Context/ The onion represents a relationship which may ocasionally cause

Understanding pain:

‘It will blind you with tears

Evidence/Quote
like a lover.’

The speaker’s desire to be truthful and honest is shown by the

use of the simile which implies that love can cause distress.
Similarly, the word choice used to show that an onion will make
you cry suggests that love will cause you pain and grief. At this
point, I feel that the speaker is not actually trying to offend
Analysis/Evaluation/ their partner but simply ensuring that their partner understands
Personal Response what the onion represents. There is no malice in this statement
as the speaker only wants to make sure that their partner does
not misunderstand the message contained in the gift of an
onion. This is entirely believable as in relationships one partner
can often be cruel or hurtful, even without intending to upset
the other person.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Peer Assessment

How did you get on? Working with a partner, use the checklist below to assess whether
or not you have included all necessary information in your mini-essay.

If you have used all the information from your table and the model which your teacher provided,
you should have very little to improve in your mini-essay.

Context/
Understanding Evidence/Quote
‘It will blind you with
tears
like a lover.’
‘It will make your
reflection
a wobbling photo of
grief.’
‘fierce kiss will stay on
your lips,’
‘possessive and faithful,’
‘Its platinum loops shrink
to a wedding-ring,’
‘Lethal.’

‘Its scent will cling to

your fingers,
cling to your knife.’

Identify 2 areas
where you have Complete the sentence…
done well and write
them in the stars.
Technical Accuracy ‘I need to improve…

Selected Poems for Higher English
‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Topic Sentence
Full stops/capital letters used properly
Varied sentence structure
Quotes set out properly 16
Spelling correct
Linkage used eg In
addition/furthermore/moreover/yet etc
 Focus of Close Analysis

‘How Duffy has conveyed, through

structure, that her speaker/persona
who offers the gift of an onion as a
representation of their love for their
partner, becomes increasingly
frustrated by their lover’s rejection
of the gift and eventually adopts a
threatening attitude.’

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
 Pupil
‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy

The task we are going to concentrate on as we examine Duffy’s poem is:

Choose a poem on the subject of love.

Show how the poet treats the subject, and explain to what extent
you find the treatment convincing.
(Higher English 2001)

In this section, we are going to examine ‘How Duffy has conveyed, through
structure, that her speaker/persona who offers the gift of an onion as a
representation of their love for their partner, becomes increasingly frustrated
by their lover’s rejection of the gift and eventually adopts a threatening
attitude.’

Structure

 Duffy uses structure to show that her speaker/persona who offers the gift
of an onion as a representation of their love for their partner, becomes
increasingly frustrated by their lover’s rejection of the gift and eventually
adopts a threatening attitude.’
 Duffy has used FREE VERSE in this poem – there is no obvious rhyme
scheme or rhythm.
 The poem shows one side of a conversation.
 Working with a partner, complete the table below.
 Model your responses on the two that have been done for you.

Context/ Evidence/Quote Analysis/

Understanding
Central idea of the poem is
the central line
Evaluation/
Personal Response
‘I am trying to be truthful.’ Central line – very direct
statement; attitude of
speaker before this line is
mainly positive/gentle;
after, more brutal,
threatening. Very personal
– note use of first person
‘I’.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Speaker immediately
dismisses conventional
symbols of love and repeats
this later in poem
Speaker is insisting that lover
will accept gift of an onion.
the speaker is almost
challenging the person she is
talking to,
keeping the emotion
controlled yet strongly
connected with love:
The speaker, overwhelmed
by the rejection of the gift,
resorts to threatening,
almost violent language
Powerful love is very difficult
to forget and may lead you
into dangerous situations
where the final outcome may
be brutal/ violent.
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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
‘Not a red rose or a satin First line – verbless
heart.’ sentence – direct statement
‘Not a cute card or a – dismisses coventional
kissogram.’ symbols of love; note that
the word ‘not’ starts each
sentence so that there can
be no doubt that the
persona does not wish to
show their feelings through
overly sentimental
conventional symbols.
Repetition of similarly
structured line reinforces
speaker’s sincerity/desire to
be truthful/candid. Entirely
convincing – Valentines –
materialistic/superficial –
many people look for a
different way to express
devotion and the persona
has done exactly that.
‘Here.’ Hint
‘Take it.’
‘Lethal.’ Hint
‘Its scent will cling to your Hint
fingers,
cling to your knife.’
19
Mini-Essay

Your teacher will model how you should use the information from one of the rows of the
table to suit a “line of thought” and how you should link the information ensuring that
whenever a statement is made there should be analytical and evaluative comment made.

Mini-essay Task

How does Duffy convey through structure the speaker’s change in

mood/attitude? Explain to what extent you find the treatment convincing.

The following can be done in pairs, each pair taking one or two rows from the table:

 Write your paragraphs and swap with another pair or group.

 The other group should consider whether anything else can be added.
 Use your notes from the template to help you.
 Your mini-essay should show understanding (context), reference to the text
(quote) and evaluative response (analysis and personal comment).

Examine the model below to see how you can structure and link your ideas in
your response to the task above:-

Duffy has chosen to place the central idea of the poem right in
the middle of it. The speaker has dismissed conventional
Context/ symbols of love in an effort to show their partner just how much
Understanding love they feel for them. The speaker is very open and frank –
they simply want to show their partner that there is no
dishonesty in their feelings:

Evidence/Quote ‘I am trying to be truthful.’

This line is a very direct statement – a simple sentence. Before

this line the persona has spoken of their love in mainly gentle
terms which shows the sincerity of their feelings. Yet, after this
line, despite the sincerity of the sentiments previously
Analysis/Evaluation/ expressed, the language of the speaker becomes more brutal,
Personal Response more threatening thus reinforcing the speaker’s truthfulness and
integrity. By the use of the first person, Duffy conveys that the
speaker feels very strongly that they want honesty in their
relationship.

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‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Peer Assessment

How did you get on? Working with a partner, use the checklist below to assess whether
or not you have included all necessary information in your mini-essay.

If you have used all the information from your table and the model which your teacher provided,
you should have very little to improve in your mini-essay.

Context/
Understanding Evidence/Quote
‘I am trying to be
truthful.’
‘Not a red rose or a satin
heart.’
‘Not a cute card or a
kissogram.’
‘Here.’
‘Take it.’
‘Lethal.’

‘Its scent will cling to

your fingers,
cling to your knife.’

Identify 2 areas
where you have
Complete the sentence…
done well and write
them in the stars.
Technical Accuracy ‘I need to improve…

Selected Poems for Higher English
‘Valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Topic Sentence
Full stops/capital letters used properly
Varied sentence structure
Quotes set out properly
Spelling correct
Linkage used eg In
addition/furthermore/moreover/yet etc 21