comparing COZY APOLOGIA with VALENTINE

who wrote cozy apologia

rita dove

what is cozy apologia about

the arrival of hurricane floyd which hit USA in 1999

what is doves writing style

-lyrical quality and vivid imagery

what theme does dove often explore in poems

complexities of love and relationships- intricacies of human relations

who is cozy apologia dedicated too

her husband fred Viebhan

analysis of coozy apologia title

a defense of coziness

-foreshadows warm feeling for husband despite hurricane

how does dove open the poem with an intimate tone

“ I could pick anything and think of you “

-pronouns shows poem is addressed to someone

how does dove show that her love for fred is quite ordinary

“this lamp, the wind-stilled rain, the glossy blue”

-ordinary objects but everything reminds her of him

how does dove suggesing writing reminds her of her husband

“my pen exudes, drying matte, upon the page”

-could suggest he is equally is not more important to her

how does dove establish a traditionally romantic mood in first stanza

“if I could choose any hero”

what cliche images does dove use to describe her husband

“astride a dappled mare”

“chain mail glinting to set me free”

-suggests their love is traditional

-the lising emphasizes the strength of doves love

how does dove end stanza one which suggests a softer side to fred

“one eye smiling, the other firmly upon the enemy”

-humanises fred and shows him as kind

-balanced between fantasy and reality

what tone does the topic change in stanza 2 create in cozy apologia

“this post-post modern age”

-conversational

how does dove mock the hurricane

“odly male”

-hurricanes are traditionally named after women

-suggests she does not take it seriously

“big bad floyd”

-seems like a playground bully

-dove is undermining floyd and downplaying the impact it can have

how does dove describe her former crushes

“worthless” “only talent” “sissy”

-talks about them in dismissive tone

-fred has been spoken of highly so compared to them fred is made superior

how has the stanzas rhythm and rhyme scheme been disrupted and why

-caesure and enjambment disrupt rhythm

-second half of stanza loses ryhm scheme

-structure reflects content: chaos and disruption grow as floyd gets closer

how does dove end second stanza to show floyds power

“Floyd’s

Cussing up a storm”

-stanza break makes it stand out-suggesting nature has power over man

how does dove personify storm in last stanza

“cussing up a storm”

-enjambment between second stanza

-makes storm seem rude rather than dangerous

-belittles storm

how does dove compare her and hubby to birds

“bunkered in your Aerie, I’m perched in mine”

-comparing the birds diminishes the threat of floyd

-dove feels at home in the storm rather than threatend by it

how is dove aware that their love is nothing special

“we’re content but fall short of the divine”

-divine contrast with the ordinariness of the poem

-dove acknowledges the ordinary love but despite that dove cherishes it all the same

how does dove suggest she dosent care what people think

when has the ordinary ever been new?

and yet,”

-negative phrase

-she dosent care its embarrassing or hardly news worthy her love for fred is important to her

how does dove end the poem

“I fill this stolen time with you”

-reflects the first stanza pronouns-sense of completeness

-the rhyme scheme has become regular but a different pattern-suggesting floyds impact

who wrote valentine

Carol Ann Duffy

why was valentine written

-a radio producer asked Duffy to write an original piece on valentines day

context about Duffy

-she is a feminist and her poetry often reflects that theme, challenging the status quo

what structure is valentine written in

free verse

-first person addressing lover directly

how does Duffy open her poem bluntly

“not a red rose or a satin heart”

-subversion of typical valentine gifts

-pause after holds suspense

how does Duffy subvert expectations with simple sentence

“I give you an onion”

-surprises reader

-symbolises what love means to her

-normally avoided in romantic situations due to effectss on breath

what similie does Duffy use to describe onion

“It is a moon wrapped in brown paper”

-cheaper paper for wrapping

-what it contains however is precious

-moon has romantic connotations -sterotype

-juxtaposition looks basic on outside but is special underneath

what simile does duffy use to compare love

It promises light

like the careful undressing of love”

-IDEA1=undressing before intimacy literal

-IDEA2=seeing layers of each other undressing of true selves

how does Duffy command her lover

“here”

-forceful and gruff

how does Duffy suggest their love is certain to cause pain

“It will blind you with tears

like a lover”

-onion releases irritant that makes you cry

How does the speaker in valentine try to be honest

“I am trying to be truthful”

-reaal love is about being honest

-importance conveyed through one line stanza

-dosent fit pattern of rest of poem further highlights importance

How does Duffy further dislike the giving of conevntional gifst

“not a cute card or a kissogram”

what does the repetition of the unconventional gift represent

“I give you an onion”

-speakers insistence

-heartfelt belief in what is represents

-is lover reluctant?

how does duffy suggest there is a fine line between passion and violence

fierce kiss will stay on your lips

possessive and faithful”

in the last stanza how does duffy suggest she is forecing th gift on her lover

“take it”

-menacing undertone

how does duffy suggest peeling layers off onion leads to marriage

“its platinum loops will shrink to a wedding ring if you like”

-that is direction of relationship and is what will happen as you get deeper into onion

-if you like suggests afterthought or uncomfotable (defense mechanism?)

how does duffy end the poem in a shocking way

“lethal

its scent will cling to your fingers

cling to your knife”

-love has capacity to destroy

-”cling” -love can take grip on us and control our actions

compare

-about lovers trying to love for them

contrast

-valentine goes against traditions

-cozy apologia has moments of traditionality and cliche