The All-Too Familiar Pain of Unrequited Love as Told by Duffy’s “Warming Her Pearls”:

A Reader’s Response
Dorothy Joy Nadela, Jhoanna Ellaine Odulio
Joyce Sta. Ana, Maria Victoria Vargas
Introduction
Whether in fiction or poetry, love is perhaps one of the most―if not the most―prominent
themes used in literature. Many authors have given their own sentiments, or depicted this concept
in their own ways through their works. After all, love’s definition is not universal; one’s definition
of the word may be directly shaped from his/her personal experiences, or from observing other
people’s experiences. Another might define love based on media he/she has consumed (books,
movies, and the like). Moreover, it is safe to say that people experience different types of love
throughout their lifespan. For one, Robert Sternberg’s Triangular theory of love shows that there
are different types of love depending on which of the three components: intimacy, passion, and
commitment, are covered. In a literary context, works like Kiera Cass’s “The Selection” series
starts with infatuated love, which later on develops into consummate love by the third book. In
poetry, Lang Leav’s “Motherhood” showcases companionate love between mother and child.
However, not all types of love are fostered by happiness. As such, this analysis strays away from
the happy aspect of love, and instead explores the sadder part of the spectrum, the part that sheds
light to human frailty wherein love rests in the hands of someone who is unfortunately unwilling,
unable, or incapable of reciprocating it. Such is shown in the case of unrequited love.
Lucky are those whose romantic feelings are reciprocated by their beloved, but such is not
always the case. Unrequited feelings have been proven to cause a lot of stress and anguish, both
mentally and emotionally. Published in 1987, “Warming Her Pearls” is a free verse poem written
by Scottish poet Carol Ann Duffy. It is a dramatic monologue told from the persona’s point of
view―a maid who adores the mistress she works for―who is experiencing an unrequited love.
The poem is set during the Victorian era in Britain, which lasted from 1837 to 1901 and portrays
a common scenario wherein an individual’s feelings and affection are unrequited. It also explores
one’s internalizations, perceptions, and mannerisms towards his/her unreciprocated feelings, as
well as how the idea of love is being set: the pearls―which the poem highlighted as the main
subject for representing love. Moreover, the poem exhibits a wide range of imagery to portray
passionate musings on one's unrequited love for another person of the same sex. It depicts a
hypothetical love affair between people from different social classes during a time when such a
relationship was not conceivable owing to societal inequality. In addition, the poem considers the
impossibility of a joyful lesbian relationship in the Victorian age, as well as the ways in which
such a relationship might be possible.
The poem is most likely set during a time when wealth and class societal issues were
present, same-gender partnerships were both taboo and illegal, and options were barely available
for everyone regarding this matter. In the poem, because of the persona’s poor social status, she
would very certainly be rejected if she expressed her feelings to her mistress. To maintain her
illusion, the speaker sexually idealizes her mistress and conceals her feelings instead in order to
detach herself from that tumultuous reality. Additionally, the poem lists points and major concepts
of one’s view of unrequited love. It shows how a person could develop strong romantic feelings
for someone, including the frustrations that follow when these feelings are not reciprocated. The
poem portrays the concept of a one-sided experience, which can perhaps render its readers to feel
sad, hurt, or pitiful towards the persona, especially those who have undergone unrequited affairs
themselves.
As such, Duffy’s “Warming Her Pearls” elicits empathy from readers who, regardless of
gender orientation, have experienced unrequited love. Using both close-reading and reader-
response strategies, the primary focus of this work will be on demonstrating comprehension of the
reading, and clearly explaining and supporting reactions as to how the poem portrays and
highlights one’s experience of an unrequited love. The paper will extract and analyze the poem by
part―particularly lines which depict or relate to the experience of unrequited love―through
Formalism. Then, the critics’ personal experiences and opinions will also be narrated and
compared to the persona’s experiences in order to fully capture the poem’s intended meaning.

Summary
“Warming Her Pearls” is a dramatic monologue that is told by the point of view of the
persona’s longing thoughts of the lady for whom she works. That persona is none other than the
servant girl who works willingly for her wealthy mistress, who is seemingly fond of wearing
ballgowns and attending parties like a typical socialite. The poem is featured on page 58 of her
1987 poetry anthology, “Selling Manhattan”, which was first published in London under Anvil
Press Poetry. The book was reprinted in 1989, 1990, 1992, and a new version was released in the
year 1996―only to be reprinted once more in 1998. Moreover, the poem was dedicated to a woman
named "Judith Radstone," the person who informed Duffy about the Victorian tradition of having
maids wear pearls under their garments to enhance their shine.
The persona's responsibilities, as well as the living conditions she describes through
various words such as “Yellow Room”, “gown”, “fanning”, “dancing”, “French perfume”,
“carriage” and “jewels” heavily suggest that the poem is set during the Victorian era, on a big
estate in the United Kingdom owned by a wealthy family and their workers. This period lasted
from 1837 to 1901; during which same-gender relationships were both taboo and illegal, and
discrimination of social classes was rampant, which were perhaps few of the many reasons why
people did not have direct chances or opportunity to interact and express how they feel. Limited
interactions meant little opportunities for one to advance, especially considering that both of the
characters did not only have different social classes, but were also both of the same sex. Societal
hindrances like these can put pressure on most, hence resulting to an unrequited love.
The poem begins with a description of the pearls. A pearl necklace is pressed against the
persona’s flesh, as per her mistress’s instructions to wear it until the evening―when she will brush
her mistress's hair―warming the pearls to bring out their brightness. At 6:00 p.m., the maid wraps
her mistress's cold and pallid neck with the warmed, gleaming pearls. She is obsessed with her
mistress and spends her entire day thinking about her. Meanwhile, the mistress relaxes in a sitting
room, debating whether to wear a silk or taffeta gown later that evening. As she mulls over these
issues, she fans herself.
On the other hand, the persona is happy to be working. As she completes her tasks, her
body warms up, and the warmth is gradually transmitted to the pearls. The necklace hangs loosely
around her neck, as if it were the mistress's rope. The maid thinks her mistress is attractive. She
lies in bed, dreaming about her mistress, confined to the servants' quarters in the attic, and imagines
the mistress dancing with a group of tall guys who are perplexed by her fragrance. The speaker's
slight but persistent aroma stays beneath her mistress's French perfume, having been conveyed to
her mistress along with the pearls, which glisten like creamy gems.
The speaker watches her mistress's skin take on a gentle pink color as she applies powder
to her mistress's shoulders with a rabbit's foot, as if lazily letting out a sigh. When the speaker
stares in her mistress's mirror, her hot mouth slightly opens, as if she wants to speak. A full moon
glows outside as the mistress rides home in a carriage. The maid imagines her mistress undressing,
removing her jewelry, placing the pearls in their case with her tiny fingers, and then slipping into
bed naked. The persona imagines that the mistress does this every night. She lies awake while her
mistress sleeps, thinking about the pearls, which are now turning chilly because no one is wearing
them. The poem ends with the speaker burning with lust and frustration all night long since she
hasn't found an object into which she can focus her scorching passion.
Structure-wise, the poem observes an open or free form, with a common variation of ten to
twelve (10-12) syllables per line. The poem is divided into six (6) quatrains, meaning six (6)
stanzas with four (4) lines each. The main theme of the poem discusses unrequited love, while
other subthemes to be observed include same-sex relationships, discrimination of social class, as
well as subdued feelings of affection. Duffy perhaps intended to write about women’s struggles
when it comes to pursuing same-sex relationships, since she is pointed to have been “highlighting
significant 21st century feminist issues by connecting the past with contemporary problems”
(Aakanksha). However, this critique mainly sees the work, with its literary devices, as an accurate
depiction of unrequited love.

Analysis
Unrequited love occurs when, as previously mentioned, the object of one’s affection is
unable to return the same sentiment. This type of love is manifested in various works in literature:
Alcott’s “Little Women” employs a specific case of ‘friendzone’ wherein the protagonist, Jo,
refused to accept Laurie’s feelings. A classic example in Roman mythology would be that of Echo
and Narcissus, wherein the former is cursed and thus is unable to speak for herself, while the latter
is obsessed with his own image and is unable to listen: a match made in Hell, so to speak.
Interestingly, a research article by Bringle et al. stipulates five different types of unrequited love.
One of which is “Crush on Someone Nearby Without Initiating a Romantic Relationship,” which
this critique will address through one of Carol Ann Duffy’s poems entitled, “Warming Her Pearls.”

Next to my own skin, her pearls. My mistress

bids me wear them, warm them, until evening
when I'll brush her hair. At six, I place them
round her cool, white throat. All day I think of her,

The very first sentence of the poem displays “skin” as a synecdoche that stands for her
supposed “neck.” To recall, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines this figure of speech “by which
a part is put for the whole (such as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (such
as society for high society)…” (“Synecdoche”) The latter is being demonstrated, in which the
persona, albeit only having worn her mistress’ pearls on her neck, exaggerates the feeling as if her
whole body revels at the pearls’ touch. The persona then introduces the mistress with using the
pronoun “my”, and this is worth noting because a more respectable way of introducing her mistress
would be to refer to her as “the” mistress―yet the persona uses a possessive pronoun. In the fourth
line, describing the mistress’s throat as “cool” and “white” makes the readers feel how the poem
is told through the persona’s point of view, and such emphasis could only mean that the maid has
paid close attention to her mistress’s neck as she was placing the pearls. “All day I think of her”
is a dead giveaway of the maid’s romantic feelings for the other, as psychology states that
constantly ruminating about someone signifies an obsession.
The persona’s demeanor seems normal at first, considering that she is a maid who works
for her mistress. However, the stanza is written in such a way that makes it seem like the persona
finds the experience worth narrating about. When one has a romantic interest (better known as a
‘crush’ in informal terms), he/she often puts meaning to the smallest occurrences, while also
glamourizing, exaggerating, and even over-fantasizing the mundane. What is supposed to be the
persona’s usual task as a maid is being depicted as an almost romantic scene, especially
considering the last line which outright reveals the maid’s interest for her mistress. "All day I think
of her” implies that the speaker has no choice but to think of her desired mistress; the phrase "so
near yet so far" could be a perfect description of the speaker's relationship with her mistress. The
line could indicate that the love is one-sided and unrequited. Unrequited love causes you to think
of someone who does not share your feelings, causing the lover to spend the entire day thinking
about the one he loves. Whether it's someone you have a crush on, when you could not stop
thinking about the person you want, it usually means you want to spend time with them, learn more
about them, or learn more about what they are. However, in light of the current state of the speaker,
due to class discrimination, the speaker's status as a maid is a barrier to her desired love. According
to research by a mental health counselor, “unrequited love can push excessive showing of actions
and a surprising truth about obsession. When you're obsessed with someone, it's usually because
you believe or feel that they have something you need, and that their presence will somehow
improve your life circumstances” (Guilbeault). This is a rare occurrence. If you can't find
happiness and contentment within yourself, you'll have an even tougher time trying to find it
outside of yourself.

resting in the Yellow Room, contemplating silk

or taffeta, which gown tonight? She fans herself
whilst I work willingly, my slow heat entering
each pearl. Slack on my neck, her rope.

The second stanza reveals that the persona knows the mistress well enough to be able to
tell what goes on in her mind. Interestingly, to use “willingly” as a word to describe her act of
working literally means that it is “done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance”
(“Willingly”). This is true because a maid is usually obedient and diligent when it comes to her
job. However, one more definition of the same word comes to mind, which uses “willing” to
describe an eager person who is “inclined or favorably disposed in mind.” The “slow heat”
pertains to the persona’s body heat gradually seeping into the pearl, and what is assumed to be a
blush is perhaps induced by her passionate thoughts for the lady. Psychoanalytic approaches
speculate that blushing is a result of repressed exhibitionism, which “refers to a person’s
unconscious desire to expose themselves to other people, and when it is oppressed because of
social norms, people blush. The blood that rushes through the face is redirected from the genitals”
(Leary). The last sentence of the stanza refers to the mistress’s pearls as a “rope”, and this is
emphasized because the sentence is written as a hyperbaton, wherein the order of words is inverted
for the sake of emphasis. Using the word “rope” would mean that the maid considers the pearls
as a firm tether connecting her to her mistress, not in such a way that is tightly wrapped on her
neck (because it is “slack”), but it is definitely not unnoticed―even heavy, perhaps. “The (next)
line suggests that the mistress has quite literally held on to her servant, as she is in the position of
power, but her servant is also so enthralled by her that she wants to do her bidding” (McClements).

One’s attraction to another could lead him/her to observe the romantic interest. This is
especially true, as manifested by fangirls who crush on their idols and dedicate a lot of time to
research and know more about them. Crushing on someone almost always means that we are
interested to get to know them better, to the point when we unknowingly start to observe our
crushes and end up noticing details about them. This means that this is how the maid knew what
her mistress would be thinking―through observing her―as it is very unlikely that the maid and
her mistress would be having conversations outside work. This part begins to relay to the readers
how a relationship between them would be very unlikely and close to impossible, not only because
they are both women, but also because of the vast difference of their social classes.

She's beautiful. I dream about her

in my attic bed; picture her dancing
with tall men, puzzled by my faint, persistent scent
beneath her French perfume, her milky stones.

The first sentence of the third stanza shows the persona’s admiration for the mistress,
describing her as “beautiful.” However, there is more to this admiration as expressed so far. The
maid even dreams about her mistress as she is resting, where in fact it is supposed to be a time not
to think about work. “Attic bed” is a symbolism that highlights the differences of their social class
once again, reminding the readers that the persona is a servant. However, there is no indication
that she is spiteful of this fact. She continues to daydream about her rich mistress, and fantasizes
men being confused about her scent being present and tangled with that of the mistress. This line
of thought is indicative of the persona’s obsession towards the mistress, and her desire to be
associated with her, owned by her (or perhaps even to own her). The pearls, which is being referred
to as “her milky stones”, is once again pointed by the persona. The metaphor used at the end of
this stanza to describe the pearls as such gives them another distinctly feminine, earthy quality”
(McClements).

With all of the aching and sorrow that unrequited love brings, a person who has been in a
one-sided relationship may occasionally want for the person he or she loves with the imagination
and desire to own the person. The line “puzzled by my faint, persistent scent” could be interpreted
as jealousy, insecurity, or bitterness on the part of the men who have been danced by the mistress.
The speaker really wants to push the tall men away from her mistress—in which, according to the
poem, she expresses herself through the scent of her perfume, possibly to let everyone know that
she is owned by another scent. The speaker displayed patience, but it eventually turned into
frustration, which turned into bitterness, and are example of bad habits that have caused behavioral
alterations in the person who has been denied love. Most people experience feelings of envy, which
eventually lead to a losing battle since the sufferer tries too hard to be acknowledged by the other
person.

It is normal to give compliments to someone, especially if this individual is a person of

romantic attraction or interest. Women especially, are often at the receiving end of nice
compliments, both from men and women alike. The first sentence of this stanza, when read for the
first time, might merely seem as a compliment given for a woman, from her fellow woman, but
the rest of the stanza reveals that there is definitely more than just plain admiration. The maid
ruminates about the mistress, thinking about her during her free time, and fantasizing about her.
This is truly reminiscent to the experience of liking someone who, unfortunately, does not like us
back. Most, if not all of us, are too scared to confront the reality of not being liked back, that we
resort to holding on to our fantasies because it is the only place where we can love someone without
restraint, without circumstances holding us back. Here, the poem points out the two women’s
difference in social class: the maid works for the mistress and is confined to her servants’ quarters,
while her mistress is out partying, dancing with men with her finery. Despite it being a commonly
used trope in literature, the readers cannot help but feel bad for the maid, as she seems to be aware
that a romance cannot be possible between them. There are two circumstances why this is so: (1)
The rich cannot possibly romance the poor, and (2) The mistress is a heterosexual, as pointed out
by the fact that she dances with men, possibly to look for a potential suitor or husband. Thus, she
retreats to her imagination in order to escape that harsh reality.

I dust her shoulders with a rabbit's foot,

watch the soft blush seep through her skin
like an indolent sigh. In her looking-glass
my red lips part as though I want to speak.

The speaker dusts her mistress's shoulders with a bunny foot in the next stanza. The speaker
interprets the situation as sexually heated, imagining her mistress blushing and sighing. So the
speaker is using a rabbit foot to dust the mistress's naked shoulders. According to research (Little),
a rabbit foot is frequently used as a charm for good fortune. However, in this case, it serves as an
extra leg for the maid, allowing her to make physical contact with her mistress. The delicate
substance of the rabbit's foot suggests the taffeta and silk mentioned previously, but it also subverts
them. The rabbit foot feels abrasive because it is associated with superstition; it is to the maid what
silk and taffeta are to the mistress. The mistress, on the other hand, does not protest to it and instead
blushes. Although some may insist that the intimacy between the two ladies is not one-sided, there
are occasions when being massaged or physically pressed for satisfaction causes you to sigh and
blush uncontrollably. As a result, there's no guarantee that the mistress is aware of the sexual
tension between herself and her maid, as it could simply be a response to the pleasure of the rabbit's
foot.
The speaker then looks in the mirror and sees her "red lips part as though I want to talk."
The red lips separating might be sexual, and the speaker makes it obvious that her lips are parting
for different reasons by inserting "as though I want to speak." This moment also underscores the
ways in which the characters are and are not permitted to express themselves; the speaker's silence
is more heated than her words because of the love she knew she could never have from her
mistress, resulting in the poem's suppressive acts. This is also due to the speaker's awareness of
the mistress's social class or rank disparity from the start. People rarely connect across classes
(Hakala). That's because studies reveal that most of us prefer to date persons with comparable
educational and economic backgrounds. People who have experienced one-sided love are more
likely to seek contact with the person they like. However, due to social discrimination and gender
sexuality difficulties, people do not have the freedom to express themselves and what they truly
feel.
“In her looking-glass my red lips part as though I want to speak” is yet another line that
indicates one-sided love. People who are unlucky enough to be in a relationship where love is not
returned lack the bravery and strength of will to communicate their sentiments and desired
behaviors toward their chosen person. This is because they are well aware that they have different
levels of affection for each other, or perhaps they already know what factors or things are present
in them or in the relationship between the character and the desired person—it could be a lack of
interest, discrimination based on class, or fixed norms. The sentence "my crimson lips part as if I
want to speak" refers to people who have a lot to say and are caught in their heads, but are unable
to express themselves because they know they cannot and should not. This is what most people
who experience unrequited love feel—the neglection of freedom to express. In research entitled
“Setting Boundaries (for yourself)”, when we yearn for someone, we are often compelled to do
things that are not in our best interests (Jiang). You may need to be strict with yourself in order to
stop focusing on them and restore control.

Full moon. Her carriage brings her home. I see

her every movement in my head.... Undressing,
taking off her jewels, her slim hand reaching
for the case, slipping naked into bed, the way

In the speaker's perspective, the next part follows the mistress home. The stanza begins
with the phrase "full moon." A full moon conjures up images of sexuality and femininity. The
mistress is returned to the great mansion in her carriage, and we envision her servant listening as
the door slams and imagining her every step as we read. As she removes the gems and places them
back in the case, there is a sense of ritual or routine. While the servant dreams about her, she
replaces the pearls and closes the case, implying that their relationship is no more than that of a
usual mistress and servant.
Then, once the party has ended, we leap to nighttime. The speaker continues to visualize
her. "Undressing, /taking off her jewels, her slim hand reaching/for the case, slipping naked into
bed, the way/she always does..." the speaker says, implying that, while she may not be with her
mistress right now, she has seen these bedtime rituals before, indicating that the maid may be
closer to her mistress than the readers believe. Even though she is a maid who is used to watching
her mistress do intimate things in front of her, the speaker demonstrated that it is beyond her role
as a maid. Because of the speaker's yearning for her mistress, the occurrences are overwhelming
to her when compared to what the maid performs. This simply explains how people become
fascinated with thinking about their loved ones, especially if they are far away, and how they yearn
for them. The speaker also says that her mistress gets into bed naked "the way/she always does..."
This moment is also a good example of the way enjambment in this poem sometimes feels forced
into its shape, with sentences cut awkwardly by line breaks.

she always does.... And I lie here awake,

knowing the pearls are cooling even now
in the room where my mistress sleeps. All night
I feel their absence and I burn.

The ellipsis in line two and line one of the last stanzas show how she savors every image
in her head as her mistress undresses, before: "slipping naked into bed, the way/ She always does..."
The use of enjambment here shows the girl relishing these images before the ellipsis brings in a
more wistful tone as she keenly feels her solitude. She is alone, with only the luxury of the pearls
'cooling' downstairs to keep her company. She is caught in the agony of unrequited love, as
summed up in the concluding sentence: "All night/ I feel their absence and I burn." The verb 'burn',
as well as the word 'all,' used here and in verse one: "All day I think of her," illustrate the power
of her feelings and the acuteness of her sorrow. This is the love that dares not speak its name since
it crosses both social and sexual limits.
The final stanza returns to the necklace, emphasizing how her warmth is disappearing
towards her mistress's room. "All night I feel their absence and I burn," she continues, implying
that the necklace serves to keep her cool while still keeping her mistress warm. This suggests that
the speaker recognizes the balance in her and her mistress' relationship, and that she recognizes
and verifies how her love for the mistress is "blazing," and growing stronger and more powerful
in the absence of the pearls that symbolize their connection. People's feelings become stronger,
especially when they yearn for someone who isn't there. The famous phrase "absence makes the
heart grow fonder" refers to how your feelings for someone you love get stronger when you are
separated from them or have a strong desire to be with them. Their relationship is symbiotic, or at
least that's how the speaker sees it.
"I feel their absence and I burn," says the persona, eloquently expressing the frustration of
unrequited love. For the last verse, an online critic stated that “we (readers) see the love that one
woman has for another, but that it is unrequited” (Johnson). The word "burn" is employed as an
oxymoron; it does not literally indicate combustion, but rather a figurative word for the maid's
feelings: the pain of unrequited love and her passionate yearning for her mistress at the same time.
"All day I think of her," says the last line of the first stanza, and "All night I sense their absence,"
says the last two words of the last verse. Based on the persona's behavior, these sentences describe
or indicate that one-sided love exists. These actions—want to touch the other person, hold hands,
kiss or hug, longing for connection typically involves the need for physical contact—are one-sided
love experiences (Clarke).
Duffy is known to write about contemporary issues by connecting them to the past, and
“Warming Her Pearls” is no exception to this. This is one of the aspects that makes the poem
likeable; the poet’s ability to write about modern problems using past settings encourages the
readers to step outside the present and travel back in time. Moreover, the readers don’t necessarily
need to be in the same position as the maid, or need to have experienced all aspects of her situation,
in order to be able to feel sorry for her. As mentioned, the poem covers multiple issues: disparity
between social classes, the struggles of pursuing same-sex relationships, as well as the pains of
unrequited love. It is perhaps impossible not to feel sympathy (or empathy) towards the persona’s
experiences. Additionally, the poem, despite its absence of grandiloquent words, was able to
creatively get its message across through the literary devices scattered throughout. The language
used was simple, yet the symbolisms render the readers to interpret the story to their liking. These
symbolisms and metaphors were used in such a way that everyday objects (in this case, a pearl
necklace) are used in an unfamiliar and different manner. Duffy uses symbols and the archetypes
in what Viktor Shklovsky calls “defamiliarization”, an artistic and a linguistic device which
includes metaphors and similes that impart to her audience an unfamiliar sensation while reading
her poetry. Defamiliarization is the artistic technique of presenting to audiences common things in
an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance perception of the familiar” (Abdelmegid, 115).
Speaking of symbolisms, the one which struck as most interesting was the pearl necklace.
Aside from being the object that served as the main connection between the maid and the mistress,
it was also evident that it was used to express the persona’s sexual tension (or possibly even both).
“A pearl necklace is used to evoke unvoiced queer desire; it is an object that dramatizes the tension
between two worlds and two bodies whose contact is closely policed and regulated” (Flores Jurado,
35). The pearl can be seen as a subversive device, destructuring and stretching the parameters of
lesbian desire (Hallett).
There were a few frustrating parts of the poem, the main one pertaining to how the ending
was written: the maid was left to deal with her passion alone. This is perhaps, due to the fact that
the critics have also experienced unrequited love, and the ending made them look back to the
frustrations and pains at that specific point of their lives. Another perspective to consider is that of
the mistress’s: readers who would put themselves at her shoes instead of the maids would find this
poem quite disturbing. If one would assume the mistress to be purely “straight”, it would be
normal as a reader to be creeped out by the maid’s ruminations, especially since the mistress
remains possibly unaware of her maid’s obsession towards her.
Overall, the poem has achieved its intended goal of expressing the pains and frustrations
of unrequited love. It also served as an accurate depiction of how society remains as one of the
biggest hindrances when it comes to love, as repeatedly being reflected by the women’s difference
of social class. The poet, being an official lesbian and a member of the LGBT community, was
also able to effectively write about the struggle of pursuing a romantic interest of the same sex.
Modern society is definitely more accepting of queer relationships compared to the societies of the
distant past, but this discussion is perhaps best analyzed for another time with the use of another
literary theory.

Conclusion
Carol Ann Duffy’s “Warming Her Pearls” elicits empathy from readers who, regardless of
gender or social status, have experienced unrequited love. Readers establish inferences and guide
their emotions to learn more about the feeling and one's journey of the notion, link experiences,
and react to the characters' representation in order to lash out significant interpretations and
opinions about the poetry. The reader's response theory and formalistic approach improve the
reader's understanding of the structure of poetry, the purpose of literature, and its meanings.
"Warming Her Pearls," with its profound feelings engraved in the poem, reveals
enlightenment and elaboration about one of the sorts of love—unrequited love—exists in a human
belief and explains how it is so natural for a human to feel, how it is so normal for an individual
to experience this. It teaches that people should feel what they feel and that nothing should be
invalidated, even if it is a one-sided. It will cause everyone to reconsider whether love is always a
wonderful sensation when in fact, it comes with a lot of misunderstanding and emotional upheaval.
The poem expresses how the concept of love is so powerful that it may cause a cascade of events
and feelings to occur, affecting and influencing one's emotions, beliefs, and actions.
Unrequited love may leave one feeling befuddled and doubtful with unexplainable misery,
sadness, pain, and shame, but it will also allow one to practice and exercise his/her ability to
recognize things that are worth fighting for. Unrequited love is not always deemed unfortunate
since the hurt can be healed with enough time, although it is not only about having feelings returned
when it comes to overcoming unrequited love. It is also about learning to regulate one’s emotions
and practicing respect for the other. Unrequited love could be a nemesis at times, but with wide
realizations and acceptance, one is able to realize how much worth it love is when it is finally felt
in its fullest: without restrictions, prohibitions and reservations.
Works Cited
Aakanksha. “Carol Ann Duffy’s Feminist Retellings in ‘The World’s Wife.’” The Book
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