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Kiara Delos Santos (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-02-28 @ 18:49:24
In Anne Hathaway, Duffy shows her views of love with the metaphor:
"echo, assonance; his touch a verb dancing in the centre of a noun."
The use of the word 'dancing' shows the ecstasy Duffy's persona feels at her lover's touch: the use of of the words 'verb' and 'noun', suggests she feels as though she were in a book: that their love was perfect and unreal. Furthermore, 'echo' and 'assonance' emphasise the dreamlike, ethereal state of her lover's sensuality. Conversely, Shakespeare uses a very different, unconventional description in Sonnet 130:
"My mistress, when she walks treads on the ground."
The word treads insinuates that she is clumsy and flat-footed: hardly a pleasing statement. However, the last couplet of the sonnet, "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied by false compare" make this a love poem. Shakespeare shows that his love is unconditional, which is different to Duffy's, because his lover is hardly dreamlike: his love is firmly rooted in reality. Even though the two poems present a different view of love, they both show a very deep and real one.
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bmccarey99
2010-02-28 @ 19:01:36
Some good ideas and well written. You do miss a trick towards the end though in your analysis of the word "tread" as this could be neatly contrasted with Duffy's use of the word "dancing" and this would support you comparison of earthly and ethereal love.
Helen Oldham (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-01 @ 16:37:52
William Shakespeare shows his view of love with the use of alliteration: ‘I love to hear her speak yet...’ His use of the words ‘hear her’ shows the poet is deeply in love. The ‘h’ at the beginning of the words make the sentence longer, suggesting Shakespeare didn’t mind wasting his breath on her. However the word ‘yet’ implies he can think of something far better than her voice suggesting his love is unconditional as he loves her even if there is something more superior. Whilst Shakespeare’s love is not so obvious Duffy’s metaphor is traditionally romanticised: ‘lovers words were shooting stars’. The words ‘shooting stars’ portrays a sense of fantasy. It suggests their love is not an ordinary one but something which transcends the boundaries of space. Not only this but ‘stars’ are often associated as individual and unique implying she always hung onto every word he said as they were special and meaningful, proving her love. Interestingly, both Shakespeare and Duffy use daily human functions to show their love. However, whilst Duffy’s love is open to see, Shakespeare decides to hide his feelings showing a more unconditional love.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-03 @ 07:57:13
Great analysis here Helen. Only two small comments:
1) Use slightly more of your quotations- "I love to hear her speak... yet music hath a far more pleasing sound" would have been more effective in making your point.
2) In your comparison at the end, when you point out that both poets use daily human functions, requote what these are and emphasise their similarity to nail your point home, i.e.:
"Both Shakespeare and Duffy use daily human functions to show their love ("Shakespeare's "speak" and Duffy's "words" both represent the ways in which the lovers ommunicate with one another."
Antonia Kissias (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-01 @ 17:41:41
In Anne Hathaway, Duffy portrays her view of love with the metaphor, "My lover's words were shooting stars that fell to earth as kisses". Her use of the words, 'shooting' implies he has bestowed his affection towards her by expressing her with such passion, excitement and infatuation mirroring the quick-paced movement in space. Furthermore, 'shooting stars' are objects you wish upon thus conveying her wish and pray upon love. Although this appears to be desperate, it however shows her strong emotions to their relationship. Not only this, but 'stars' also reflect their fate of love as they appear to be beautiful lights in space portraying their romantic times together. Whilst Duff's image is traditionally romanticised; William Shakespeare's inverted simile is additionally very similar; "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun". This negativity in the simile reveals how he does not take a lot of interest in her appearance as he does not correspond her to something beautiful, he tells us what she is not. Although this does look to be uncaring and not loving, it however, suggests that he cherishes her for the way she is inside and does not judge her attitude on the way she emerges on the outside, showing a completely different emotional side to him. Duffy and Shakespeare both use sources of light to indicate how their love is shown to the other person. Where Duffy uses the word 'stars' to reveal how important she is too him, Shakespeare uses the word 'sun' to show that he loves her for how she behaves inside.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-03 @ 08:03:35
This is excellent, original analysis and your evidence is well chosen. The only thing I'd change is that you need to use slightly fewer aonnectives as it gets a bit confusing from time to time with "although" and "however" in the same sentence!
Luke Dickety (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-03 @ 10:10:57
Duffy clearly has a romantic view of loce, this romanticism is clear by her use of a metaphor; "My lover's words were shooting stars which fell to earth on these lips". This undying affection for each other is accentuated by the imagery of the stars which are historically viewd as of having great meaning so in this context they emphasize the power of her "lover's words" and therefore teh use of stars in the background have made it seem that this is a dream and as it is true, then it is a dream come true which for many people is a dearest wish abd tgerefore componuds the fact that this is a happy loving moment. This love and on of the ways it is shown, via the use of the mouth, makes it intentionnalt clear that love is greatly related at least in the west with romanticism. Shakespeare on fhs ofhsd h\x has described the mouth as a horrible affair; "and in some perfume there is more delight , than in the breath from which my mistress reeks"; this quote which
and that's when you told us to stop.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-03 @ 20:01:41
This is good so far Luke however I believe I did ask you to finish it off...
Only other thing I'd say is watch the length of your sentences as this can undermine the clarity of your writing a little (although this doesn't get marked so don't worry too much).
Jenny Howse (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-03 @ 16:46:59
In Sonnet 130, William Shakespeare uses a very different, unconditional description of the woman he loves, by refusing to make exaggerated comparisons. Instead he is just describing reality. At the end of the poem, Shakespeare includes a rhyming couplet at the end to mark the his reasoning behind writing this Sonnet:
“And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare”
Shakespeare says that his mistress is a real woman, not a false creation formed from exaggerated comparisons. He loves her for what she is and doesn’t have to hyperbolize her attributes through extravagant similes and metaphors to prove it.
In Anne Hathaway, Carol Ann Duffy celebrates the exploration of passion through her poem, which relies a lot on double meanings, very like Shakespeare's own work. Carol Ann Duffy also uses a rhyming couplet to emphasize the main message of her poem:
“I hold him in the casket if my widow’s head
as he held me upon that next best bed”
This metaphor suggests Anne Hathaway cradles the casket, (holding her lover), just like Shakespeare would hold her so lovingly in their ‘next best bed’. This quotation suggests that the strong passionate love that the two lovers used to share, will never end or be forgotten. Alternatively, this rhyming couplet could be suggesting how she treasures the memories she had with him, and the word ‘hold’ implies she doesn’t want to let go of him, ending the poem with a sense of unity between them. Both Duffy’s and Shakespeare’s use of the rhyming couplet at the end expresses a very deep and meaningful love between the two lovers, and also demonstrates the ways of unconditional love.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-03 @ 20:07:20
This fantastic and beautifully crafter writing. My only criticism would be in your interpretation of of Duffy's use of the word "casket". This reads as though she is cradling a physical casket containing the remains of her lover however Duffy uses the words:
"I hold you in the casket of my widow's head,
As you heald me upon that next best bed"
And in this context, the "casket" is clearly metaphorical, representing the place in which the persona stores the memories of her lover. Great analysis, comparison and vocabulary though.
Georgina White (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-04 @ 17:47:55
Duffy uses a metaphor to show love in the poem Anne Hathaway:
"My lover's words were shooting stars..."
By Duffy describing his words as "shooting stars" it shows the persona's true appreciation and adoration for her lover's words. Not only this but due to the fact that "shooting stars" are often linked to fate and wishes, this implies that she sees her love her dream-like and meant to be. Duffy creates a very traditional and perfect image of love. This is very contrasting to the love poem Sonnet 130. Shakespeare writes:
"I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
that music hath a far more pleasing sound"
This persona shows a more honest and genuine approach to describing the subject of his love. Although Shakespeare's truthful approach could be seen to be insulting or offensive compared to Duffy's love poem, Shakespeare tries to convey that his love is stronger than any other unrealistic love because he does not pretend that his love is perfect.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-05 @ 08:13:51
Good ideas Georgina but this would benefit from some direct comparison of language on the end e.g. compare Duffy's "shooting stars" to Shakespeare's "music" (or lack thereof). The other thing that occured to me, through your use of the word "traditional" is that you could comment on the irony of the fact that it is the 17th Century poem, and not the 20th century one, which professes the more "traditional" view of love (although this could be explained by its 17th century persona).
Ellen Giles (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-05 @ 21:14:53
Duffy shows her view of love in "Anne Hathaway" by using the metaphor:
"My lover's words were shooting stars."
The words "shooting stars" portrays an ethereal and beautiful type of love. This implies that the persona's affection for her lover is unique and penetrates into the very darkest corners of the universe. Thus, this affection is far stronger than any other earthly relationship. "Shooting" too, presents a sense of powerful passion as the pair's love travels from one world to the next exploring boundaries and providing an image of exhilirating emotions.
On the other hand, this interesting portayal contrasts to Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130":
"My mistress when she walks treads on the ground." The single word "treads" instantly displays a clumsy and heavy way of movement which symbolises his love for his mistress in that it is an oridnarily boring earthly feeling unlike Duffy's outer-worldly description. The description of his mistress' stride insinuates the woman is not any more special to him than any other and there is a feeling of slowness showing a lack of excitement. However, this simple description could show a deeper yet simpler love in not extravagantly describing it such as Duffy does.
Therefore, Shakespeare's view of a dull, unwanted yet possibly even more powerful love starkly contrasts with Duffy's elegant and unique type of passion.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-08 @ 11:35:04
This is very elegant writing Ellen, well done. The only thing I would say is that you'd do well to incorporate another quotation into your final explanation/comparison- possibly the final line of Sonnet 130 as this would support your point quite nicely.
Katherine Worsfold (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-06 @ 15:15:41
Duffy shows her view of love with the metaphor:
"My lover's words were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses on these lips"
The alliteration "shooting stars" suggests that their love is rare and goes beyond the border of space and time, although for her it results in a more down to earth outcome: "kisses on these lips". Not only this, but the 'shooting stars' also relates with fate and destiny, implying that they were meant to be together.
Whilst Duffy's image is more romantic and passionate, Shakespeare's is completely opposite. Shakespeare uses a negative similie to portray love. "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun" The use of this negative similie to show that this persona doesn't think much about his lover's appearance and therefore doesn't compare her to something beautiful. However, the poet almost implies the alternate version of what he means in the first line of the poem, which would suggest that she has more beauty than the sun. Because his mistress comes across as grotesque, there is a strong suggestion that she has inner beauty, making his love more genuine and pure.
Where Duffy's persona uses her lover's functions to acknowledge how important he is to her, which is portrayed as very noticeable, Shakespeare uses the mistress' characteristics to show an even more absolute and unconditional love because of his mistress' lack of beauty.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-08 @ 11:37:19
Realy good analysis and comparison. Only change (as I've said to a few others) is to requote in your final comparison (the words "lips" and "eyes" would do nicely).
Roberta Worsfold (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-07 @ 13:02:12
Duffy shows her interpretation of love in ‘Anne Hathaway’ using the metaphor: ‘the bed we loved in was a spinning world.’ The word ‘spinning’ suggests the delusion and impossibility of being with him, thus making her love for him seem more desperate and irrevocable. The use of the word ‘world’ makes it seem like their love was destiny and fate brought them together. Whilst Duffy’s love is romantic and beautiful, Shakespeare shows a negative but unconditional love.
Shakespeare’s use of the inversed metaphor: ‘my mistress’ eyes were nothing like the sun’ suggests that he isn’t attrected to her beauty. Traditionally, eyes are seen as the insight to inner beauty, but by saying that he can’t see this shows the passionate love he feels for her. By the sun being the most powerful thing in the universe, comparing her eyes as the opposite thing to powerful makes us question whether his love for her is as compelling as he tells us. Likewise to Duffy, Shakespeare also uses an otherworldy metaphor to describe her. The word ‘world’ compared with Shakespeare’s ‘sun’ portrays the fantasy, emphasizing how visionary and ethereal their love is.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-08 @ 11:39:59
This is good and I like your comparison of "world" and "sun". Maybe this could lead you to a final comment on how, despite the contrasting ways in which they express their love, both poets see love as a domineering and overpowering force- one which becomes the whole "world" (or indeed "sun").
Rebecca (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-07 @ 20:20:36
In Anne Hathaway by Carol Anne Duffy the persona speaks of love to be a ‘Romance and a drama played by touch, by scent, by taste.’ drama’ suggests the love is very routine and therefore seeming strong and ‘forcefully bonded’. Also a drama could suggest that their love was almost scripted and therefore destined to happen. Also the words ‘touch’ ‘scent’ and’ taste’ makes the relationship seem quite sexual and based on looks and body rather than personality. However in Sonnet 130 the persona also comments on physical features rather than personality but this time Shakespeare describes the mistress to lack in femininity and beauty ‘than in the breath that from my mistress reeks’ This would be very insulting to a mistress as not only is it implying that her breath is unpleasant it is implying that its unbearable. There is therefore a stark contrast between the two poems as Anne Hathaway implies a beautiful and elegant romance whereas sonnet 130 is based on a rather truthful and intolerable relationship as the love is based more on personality and how the poet feels towards the persona.
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bmccarey99
2010-03-08 @ 11:42:02
This is great comparison. My only slight criticism is in your analysis of the word "drama" which you describe as routine; I think it would be easier to argue that it implies completely the opposite and this could then lead you onto some interesting comparisons later on where Shakespeare's love is very clearly and deliberately "routine".
Samanda King (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-08 @ 16:04:57
Shakespeare shows his views on love by using:
"I love to hear her speak, yet well i know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound"
Her words 'pleasing sound' implies that he knows the music is better but even so he loves to hear his lover speak no matter how she sounds. He knows that music pleases many people because of its lovely sound and the way it flows but for him, even though his lovers voice is dull and unexciting he still wants to listen to her It doesn't sound very romantic in the way Duffy says it and it isn't the idea everyone has in their heads how love is but we can see that this is true love. Whereas Shakespeare's ideas do not work alongside the idea of love we all have, Duffy does:
"My lovers words were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses"
The words 'shooting stars' insinuates the idea of dreams and fantasy's many people look at stars as something romantic. Many people believe that if you make a wish upon 'shoooting stars' then they will come true. Another way of looking at 'shooting stars' are as an item of fate and this could interpret that it was fate that bought the two people together and it was fate that made them fall in love. This whole quote is the way most imagine love to be this is the most common way of dreaming about love. This implies that the women loves the man very much and unlike the other poem they have the traditional type of love.
Charlotte Elgar (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-08 @ 21:13:59
Duffy expresses her view of love through the use of the metaphor;
"My lovers words were shooting stars which fell to Earth as kisses on these lips."
Her inclusion of the words "shooting stars" implies how there love is never-ending and mysterious, as is space and universe which is referred to. It also suggests that it is an act of fate that brought the lovers together, as it is often linked to astronomy and its many secrets. Also, Duffy uses the phrase "fell to earth" to symbolize how their love was an 'out of this world' experiance, but one that still returned to its source.
Whilst Duffy shows a very traditionally romantic image, shakespeares approach fails to show anything other than honest, genuine love;
"Coral is far more red than her lips red."
This 'inverted similie' shows a view of loyal, truthfull love; the poet is a man who clearly loves even his lovers flaws. The word "coral" suggests very precious item of great beauty, and although he may be negatively comparing his lover to it, shakespeare is able to use this to emphasise just how genuine his lover for her is.
Interestingly, both these language devices feature the word "lips". This is significant as without lips love in human form could not exist, as the "lips" are the beholder of sensual words and "kisses". Whilst Duffy uses it to demonstrate the integrity of the lovers passion, and Shakespeare uses it as a term for much less than flattery, in both poems it adds to the sincerity of the topic, and shows how both poets deeply believe in passionate, true love.
Jack stone (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-09 @ 19:56:18
Duffy illustrates her view of love through the use of a metaphor:
" My lover's words were shooting
stars that fell to earth as kisses
on these lips."
The use of the words 'shooting stars' suggests that their love is one of beauty, magic and heavenly feelings that will continue to blossum even after the ineveitability of death has seperated their physical beings. Moreover, 'shooting stars' are traditionally linked with wishes, hinting that their partners' love is all they have, and will ever require to live in complete harmony. This metaphor presents Duffy's view of love as one of perfection, turst and immortality.
However, Shakespeare views love as something that is imperfect, but all the more wonderful and joyous for that:
" I love to hear her speak, yet music
hath a far more pleasing sound."
The fact that he is negatively outlining his lover shows that he is not afraid of facing reality. He is recognising her flaws and stating them with a fierce and loving determination. The word 'hear' also suggestes that they have a reciptical relationship: they are constantly tranferring knowledge, advice and wisdom between one another.
Shakespeare's lover is clearly both aestheically and vocally displeasing which links to 'fell to earth'. This quotation suggestes that his lover was not at the required standard of perfection to remain in heaven; unlike the 'shooting stars'.
The 'stars' are talking about Shakespeare, thus hinting that he was a perfect human being.
Consequently, the overall view of love is: it requiers a loving, trusting and devoted couple to create something that's as perfect, holy and magical as the 'shooting stars'.
Aidan Starr (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-10 @ 15:42:23
In "Anne Hathaway", Duffy uses the metaphor "my lover's words were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses on these lips", to express her view on love.
The use of the words "kisses" and "lips" create a very romantic and sensual feeling, suggesting their love is very passionate and is structured by a strong physical attraction. The fact her "lover's" words are described as "shooting stars" also contributes to a very romantic and fate-ridden view on this relationship, deprived from the connotations of "shooting stars" and destiny.
Whereas Duffy displays the character's love in a very beautiful and theorial manner, Shakespeare expresses love in "sonnet 130" as very blunt and 'down to earth', contrasting strongly with Duffy's use of the word "star". He does this by using the simile "and in some perfume is there more delight than the breath which from my mistress reeks."
Megan Gambrell (Visitor)
ReplyDelete2010-03-13 @ 13:16:29
Duffy shows her ideas and views of love using a metaphor.
"My lover's words were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses on these lips."
"shooting stars" suggests the love to be able to fill the Galaxy and beyond. "As kisses" expresses their love as physical and passionate, being contained only between the two of them.
Shakespeare's image of love, however, is much more subdued and negative.
"Coral is far more red than her lips' red."
The comparrison that shakespeare uses creates an atmosphere that implies that Shakespeare does not care about appearence, but of the love and joy that he experiences with his lover.
Both Duffy and Shakespeare show the unconditional love in their poems but Duffy uses a much more traditional method of creating a perfect atmosphere, whilst Shakespeare shares the absolute truth about his love and does not exaggerate her.
Samanda-
ReplyDeleteGood analysis here but I'd like some more detailed comparison on the end: maybe comment on the similarity between Duffy using the word "words" and Shakespeare's "speak"?
Charlotte-
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis and comaprison. I particularly like the point about love "falling to earth" in the Duffy. Why not compare this to the fact that the love in Shakespeare was earthly in the first place however is no less sincere or deep for this?
Jack- this is excellent, keep it up. Anyone else reading this, take a look at Jack's as he's ticking all of my boxes!
ReplyDeleteAidan-
ReplyDeleteTHis reads like a good start but you obviously need much more detail. Check out some of the other answers on here for ideas.
Megan-
ReplyDeleteGood ideas and well expressed however you do need to ensure that you compare the language at the end.
Lauren Franklin
ReplyDeleteDuffy shows her view of love with the metaphor "My lover's words were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses on these lips". Her use of the phrase "shooting stars" implies that their love is ongoing as it refers to space and time. In addition to this, the word "stars" is often used when talking about fate which suggests the lovers were meant to be together. Emphasising this romance, the word "kisses" tells the reader that their love is sensual, physical and passionate.
Whilst Duffy creates this very typical romantic image, Shakepeare's similie sharply contrasts with this idea: "And in some perfmes is there more delight than in the breath which from my mistress reeks". The word "reeks" implies the woman's breath is very unpleasant but, however, Shakespeare uses this to emphasise just how much he loves her. He shows the reader that he loves her for who she is on the inside, despite her physical qualities. This is interesting because both poets refer to their lovers' mouths to show their affection. Duffy uses very typical loving language, whereas Shakespeare takes a more negative approach to show how genuine his love is.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood comparison here Lauren. The other thing you could bring in is that, where Duffy's persona thinks of mouths dedicated to kissing, a clearly romanticisedimage, Shakespeare's is instead thinking of far more worldly necessities such as breathing. This clearly demonstrates the contrast between Duffy's ethereal love and Shakespeare's more worldy love.
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