Stuffed (Duffy) and Sunny Prestatyn (Larkin)

What main theme connects both poems? How does each poem tackle it differently?

Sexual violence (particularly against women by men)

Stuffed: this focuses on sexual violence within a relationship. It is premeditated and executed with surgical accuracy so as to keep it hidden from the outside world

Sunny Prestatyn: this focuses on hit and run style violence committed by a variety of careless, mostly nameless men- reflecting how rape and rapists are treated in the real world.

How are both poems similar structurally? What effect does this have in both?

Both are split into stanzas of equal size (stuffed has four tercets, SP has three octaves)

Both have erratic and inconsistent rhyme schemes

This echoes how the system of patriarchy (represented by the strictly ordered stanzas) enforces cruel and chaotic violence against women (represented by the erratic rhyming)

How are the two poems different structurally and what impact does this have in each poem (how does it link the two)?

Stuffed: exact same structure for each tercet (word, caesura, rest of the line x3) to show the totalitarian level of control that the narrator has over the woman he is abusing

Sunny Prestatyn: lots of enjambment to show how systemic patriarchal violence is a constant, never-ending threat in the lives of women merely existing.

Overall, both poets are illustrating how the system of patriarchy leads to violence, premeditated or casual , via their strict order with elements of chaos sprinkled throughout.

Both poems have very impactful closing lines: what are they, what effect do they have and how does it link the two poems?

Stuffed: “Mute. And afterwards I like her not to tell.” This plants the idea that there is some form of blackmail going on into the readers head. It also leaves the poem on a pessimistic note as it makes readers feel voyeuristic as all we can do is watch this abuse happen, knowing that we cannot stop it.

Sunny Prestatyn: “Now fight cancer is there” this is a metaphor for how rape accusations are often covered up by more positive messaging to distract the public (albeit, this applies more to a pre-me too world but it still happens) by uniting them under a non-controversial cause.

Overall, both poets use their closing lines to convey how society dismissed and ignores victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence.