Words Wide Night Analysis

‘Valentine’ and ‘Words, Wide Night’ by Carol Ann Duffy talk about the difficulties of a boisterous relationship between the poet and her significant other. Neither of the poems follow a definitive rhyme scheme or a rhythmic pattern, and are lyrics written in first person. However, ‘Valentine’ falls into the ‘conceit poetry’ category and WWN represents a ‘tezra rima’, composed of three stanzas with three lines each in iambic pentameter. ‘Valentine’ on the other hand follows a symmetrical structure intermingled with one line stanzas. The tone of ‘Valentine’ is candid on the verge of being confrontational while containing a bit of estrangement. And WWN shifts between gloominess and helpless misery. Duffy brings out the theme of love through emotive language. She relies on the descriptions of her personal experience to convey her love, “This is pleasurable.” And then asks, “Or shall I cross that out and say it is sad?” This shows that she is unable to state her correct emotion while reminiscing old memories. The caesura after ‘pleasurable’ which defines her assertion is negated by the subsequent ‘or shall I” and the question mark, which suggests that she is questioning changing her feelings she attaches to memories. This swaying of emotions magnifies …show more content…
Both poems are written in first person and lack a definite rhyme scheme, ‘Variations on the Word Love’ has some iambic elements while ‘Another Elegy’ is written in free verse. It is a five stanza elegy as she laments the death of a loved one. ‘Variation on the Word Love’ has a somewhat metrical structure throughout the two stanzas of the poem. The tone of ‘Another Elegy’ is mournful and pensive, mixed with philosophical elements. ‘Variations on the Word Love’ has a tone of critique of the superficiality with which the word ‘love’ is thrown