Premium Essay

Mean Time by Carol Ann Duffy Analysis

In: English and Literature

Submitted By holliew
Words 568
Pages 3
MEAN TIME by CAROL ANN DUFFY
PEAK sentences
Key terms: the end of a relationship
Form and Structure:
Mean Times is four quatrains consisting of short lines mainly between 4 and 6 syllables which creates a staccato effect, perhaps reflecting the footsteps of the speakers as they walk which suggests acceptance of the end of the relationship as it shows that the speaker is moving on and progressing forward.
It is an interior monologue which makes a direct address to a loved one shown through the use of pronouns “I”, “you” and “our” and also the very personal details such as the speaker feeling her “heart gnaw” which reflects the heartbreak felt at the end of a relationship.
Short sentences and monosyllables such as the line “the clocks slid back an hour”, convey flatness and the finality of the end of the relationship. Duffy accentuates this by using varied line lengths with a longer third line in each stanza which then highlights the shorter fourth line that follows such as “nor have heard you say.”
Language and Imagery:
Duffy uses a deliberately ambiguous title as it personifies time as being miserly as the time for this relationship has run out which reflects the sadness felt at the end of a relationship and the typical feeling that if it had more time, it could be saved and the title also suggests an interim period before an important event which is essentially what this poem is as it presents the thoughts of the speaker before finalising the end of a relationship which shows the significance of this event.
Duffy explores the self-recrimination felt at the end of a relationship through the metaphor “heart gnaw” which personifies the heart and suggests it is unable the forget about the relationship, reflecting the lingering pain and guilt the speaker feels as she relives her mistakes.
Duffy also uses the juxtaposition of light and dark images such as

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Carol Ann Duffy Mrs Beast

...The collection,as a whole,brings into light women who have been kept in the background while there male contemporaries monopolise the limelight. Throughout the poems of Carol Ann Duffy there is an intense focus on the female stereotype: Duffy provides various voices for different characters, reflects on time, change and loss and embraces all emotions as she contrasts and contradicts the stereotypical concept of the female position. Carol Ann Duffy's dramatic monologue, 'Mrs Beast' is a complete contrast to the original fairy tale. The authors concentration on Belle’s virtue within her tale produces a clear moral. This is laid bare by Beauty when she says to the Beast “I am well pleased with your kind heart; when I think of that you no longer seem so ugly to me." Beauty sees past the Beast’s outward Appearance and hence portrays a stereotypical female character who does not objectify based on appearance.. However,the authors portrayal of Belle as a submissive, obedient daughter to her father and servant to the Beast is anything but feminist. an in-depth analysis of Belle’s character reveals that she is in fact a stereotypical representation of Disney heroines. First, her name0 itself literally translates to “Beauty.” In addition, Belle’s appearance conforms to Disney’s ideals of beauty. Also, it seems she has an inherent need to look after the men that are important to her. She is described as “strange”, “funny” and “peculiar” by the townspeople because she loves...

Words: 984 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Comparison Plays/Poems

...Literature Essay - Draft Throughout the four poems; "To his Coy Mistress" "My Last Duchess" "Porphyria's Lover" and "Havisham." there is a constant attitude towards women and themes such as violence, possession and patriarchal society are present. However these all differ in nature and theme despite the resounding attitude towards women. THCM is written in 17th Century and the poem depicts a man's urges to will a woman into bed with him. The poem has a light tone and humorous aspects throughout. In contrast MLD which is written in 19th Century has a much darker and menacing tone; it is about a controlling Duke and his previous duchess and unravels the dark story behind them. PL is a Victorian poem, the poem is gothic, crude and perverted in parrts with a man's strange insane intentions. However all these poems are linked by the idea of the male possessing and controlling a woman. H on the other hand is a woman's interpretation of a 19th century fictional character and how this character is left with feelings of violent hatred after being let down in marriage by her fiancé who has wed her to gain some of her riches. The theme of the poem is violent and confrontation but does compare and contrast with PL with the gothic nature. These four dramatic monologues do vary in storyline and tone however he same themes are made apparent in all of them and is what gives these poems a link and comparisons. Desire, death, domination and obsession as well as the balance of control between...

Words: 3218 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Documebt English Thing

...registered in England and Wales (company number 3644723) and a registered charity (registered charity number 1073334). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX. Report on the Examination – General Certificate of Education (A-level) English Literature A – Unit 1: Texts in Context: The Struggle for Identity in Modern Literature – January 2013 PRINCIPAL EXAMINER’S REPORT: January 2013 LTA1C The Struggle for Identity in Modern Literature The entry was around 2000 candidates, compared to nearer 7000 last summer and about 1400 the previous January, with the large majority of students choosing to answer on Duffy’s The World’s Wife as it was the last time this text would be offered. With the majority of entrants being re-sitters, this was only to be expected. A significant number of students answered on the new Duffy text, Feminine Gospels. Numerous responses to Angelou’s And Still I Rise were seen where quality, on the whole, had improved. Sheers' Skirrid Hill appeared less popular than in previous years...

Words: 9361 - Pages: 38

Free Essay

Mnasd

...Papers 1 2 ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY (AS) General Certificate of Education 2009 English Literature Assessment Unit AS 2 assessing The Study of Poetry Written after 1800 and the Study of Prose 1800-1945 SPECIMEN PAPER TIME 2 hours INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Write your Centre number and Candidate Number on the Answer Booklet provided. Answer two questions. Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B. Section A is open book. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES The total mark for this paper is 120. All questions carry equal marks, ie 60 marks for each question. Quality of written communication will be assessed in all questions. 3 Section A: The Study of Poetry Written after 1800 Answer one question on your chosen pairing of poets. Heaney: Opened Ground Montague: New Selected Poems 1 John Montague and Seamus Heaney both write about the Irish past. Compare and contrast the two poets’ treatment of the Irish past in two poems you have studied. Hopkins: Selected Poems Dickinson: A Choice of Emily Dickinson’s Verse 2 Gerard Manley Hopkins and Emily Dickinson both express intense anguish in their poetry. Compare and contrast how both poets express intense anguish in two poems you have studied. Duffy: Selected Poems Lochhead: The Colour of Black and White 3...

Words: 25332 - Pages: 102

Premium Essay

Kuharenko

...Кухаренко В.А. Практикум з стилістики англійської мови: Підручник. – Вінниця. «Нова книга», 2000 - 160 с. CONTENTS FOREWORD...............................................................................…………………………………………... 2 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.....................................................………………………………………….. 3 CHAPTER I. PHONO-GRAPHICAL LEVEL. MORPHOLOGICAL LEVEL…............................... 13 Sound Instrumenting. Craphon. Graphical Means…………………………………………………………...6 Morphemic Repetition. Extension of Morphemic Valency………………………………………………….11 CHAPTER II. LEXICAL LEVEL..............................................……………………………………….…14 Word and its Semantic Structure…………………………………………………………………………….14 Connotational Meanings of a Word………………………………………………………………………….14 The Role of the Context in the Actualization of Meaning…………………………………………………….14 Stylistic Differentiation of the Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………..16 Literary Stratum of Words. Colloquial Words…..…………………………………………………………..16 Lexical Stylistic Devices…………………………………………………………………………………….23 Metaphor. Metonymy. Synecdoche. Play on Words. Irony. Epithet…………………………………………23 Hyperbole. Understatement. Oxymoron. ……………………………………………………………………23 CHAPTER III. SYNTACTICAL LEVEL..................................…………………………………………38 Main Characteristics of the Sentence. Syntactical SDs. Sentence Length…………………………………..38 One-Word Sentences. Sentence Structure. Punctuation. Arrangement...

Words: 57354 - Pages: 230

Premium Essay

A Book of Practice in Stylistics

...Кухаренко В. А. Практикум з стилістики англійської мови: Підручник. — Вінниця: Нова книга, 2000. — 160 с. Кухаренко Валерия Андреевна, д.ф.н., проф., кафедра лексикологии и стилистики английского языка факультетеа РГФ ОНУ им. И. И. Мечникова CONTENTS FOREWORD...............................................................................…………………………………………... 2 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.....................................................………………………………………….. 3 CHAPTER I. PHONO-GRAPHICAL LEVEL. MORPHOLOGICAL LEVEL…............................... 13 Sound Instrumenting. Graphon. Graphical Means…………………………………………………………...6 Morphemic Repetition. Extension of Morphemic Valency………………………………………………….11 CHAPTER II. LEXICAL LEVEL..............................................……………………………………….…14 Word and its Semantic Structure…………………………………………………………………………….14 Connotational Meanings of a Word………………………………………………………………………….14 The Role of the Context in the Actualization of Meaning…………………………………………………….14 Stylistic Differentiation of the Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………..16 Literary Stratum of Words. Colloquial Words…..…………………………………………………………..16 Lexical Stylistic Devices…………………………………………………………………………………….23 Metaphor. Metonymy. Synecdoche. Play on Words. Irony. Epithet…………………………………………23 Hyperbole. Understatement. Oxymoron. ……………………………………………………………………23 CHAPTER III. SYNTACTICAL LEVEL..................................…………………………………………38 Main Characteristics...

Words: 56594 - Pages: 227

Free Essay

Code

...C O D E C ODE v e r s i o n 2 . 0 L A W R E N C E L E S S I G A Member of the Perseus Books Group New York Copyright © 2006 by Lawrence Lessig CC Attribution-ShareAlike Published by Basic Books A Member of the Perseus Books Group Printed in the United States of America. For information, address Basic Books, 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016–8810. Books published by Basic Books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142, or call (617) 252-5298, (800) 255-1514 or e-mail special.markets@perseusbooks.com. CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN-10: 0–465–03914–6 ISBN-13: 978–0–465–03914–2 06 07 08 09 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Code version 1.0 FOR CHARLIE NESSON, WHOSE EVERY IDEA SEEMS CRAZY FOR ABOUT A YEAR. Code version 2.0 TO WIKIPEDIA, THE ONE SURPRISE THAT TEACHES MORE THAN EVERYTHING HERE. C O N T E N T S Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Chapter 1. Code Is Law Chapter 2. Four Puzzles from Cyberspace PART I: “REGULABILITY” ix xiii 1 9 Chapter 3. Is-Ism: Is the Way It Is the Way It Must Be? Chapter 4. Architectures of Control Chapter 5. Regulating Code PART II: REGULATION BY CODE 31 38 61 Chapter 6. Cyberspaces Chapter 7. What Things Regulate...

Words: 190498 - Pages: 762

Premium Essay

Police Corrupton

...Department of Political Science 1 The Chicago Police Department has a legacy of both heroism and corruption. On the one hand, the department’s officers risk their lives on a daily basis to enforce the law, protect the public and preserve the peace. On the other hand, Chicago has a checkered history of police scandals and an embarrassingly long list of police officers who have crossed the line to engage in brutality, corruption and criminal activity. An analysis of five decades of news reports reveals that since 1960, a total of 295 Chicago Police officers have been convicted of serious crimes, such as drug dealing, beatings of civilians, destroying evidence, protecting mobsters, theft and murder. Moreover, the listing of police convicted of crimes undoubtedly underestimates the problem of corruption in the Chicago Police Department (CPD). The list does not include undetected and unreported illegal activity, serious misconduct resulting in internal disciplinary action, and officers who retire rather than face charges. Our analysis of police corruption in Chicago yields four major findings. First, corruption has long persisted within the CPD and continues to be a serious problem. There have been 102 convictions of Chicago police since the beginning of 2000. Second, police officers often resist reporting crimes and misconduct committed by fellow officers. The “blue code of silence,” while difficult to prove, is an integral part of the department’s culture and it exacerbates the corruption...

Words: 18083 - Pages: 73

Premium Essay

Will Do Next Time

...Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank to accompany A First Look at Communication Theory Sixth Edition Em Griffin Wheaton College prepared by Glen McClish San Diego State University and Emily J. Langan Wheaton College Published by McGraw­Hill, an imprint of The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Copyright Ó 2006,  2003, 2000, 1997, 1994, 1991 by The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may be reproduced in print form  solely for classroom use with A First Look At Communication Theory provided such reproductions bear copyright notice, but may not be reproduced in  any other form or for any other purpose without the prior written consent of The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any  network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. PREFACE Rationale We agreed to produce the instructor’s manual for the sixth edition of A First Look at Communication Theory because it’s a first-rate book and because we enjoy talking and writing about pedagogy. Yet when we recall the discussions we’ve had with colleagues about instructor’s manuals over the years, two unnerving comments stick with us: “I don’t find them much help”; and (even worse) “I never look at them.” And, if the truth be told, we were often the people making such points! With these statements in mind, we have done some serious soul-searching about the texts that so many teachers—ourselves...

Words: 159106 - Pages: 637

Premium Essay

Composition

... or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163. ISBN: 978-1-4221-6059-6 By his example, Arthur Rosin, my uncle, taught me the pleasures of understanding and explaining. This book is dedicated to him, to Betty Rosin, and to my parents, Cyrille and Eugene Gorin. Contents Copyright Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: What Is Competition? 1. Competition: The Right Mind-Set 2. The Five Forces: Competing for Profits 3. Competitive Advantage: The Value Chain and Your P&L Part Two: What Is Strategy? 4. Creating Value: The Core 5. Trade-offs: The Linchpin 6. Fit: The Amplifier 7. Continuity: The Enabler Epilogue: A Short List of Implications FAQs: An Interview with Michael Porter A Porter Glossary: Key Concepts Chapter Notes and Sources About the Author Acknowledgments The Michael Porter I know is first and foremost a gifted teacher. If this book succeeds in helping readers understand Porter’s ideas in their full richness, it is thanks in large measure to his encouragement, his guidance, and his patience in explaining those ideas to me. As this book progressed, he carefully reviewed every chapter, giving generously both his time and his laser-sharp attention. The company...

Words: 59071 - Pages: 237

Free Essay

Sports, Youth, and Character

...Sports, Youth and Character: A Critical Survey Robert K. Fullinwider* Institute for Philosophy & Public Policy University of Maryland * rkf@umd.edu CIRCLE WORKING PAPER 44 FEBRUARY 2006 CIRCLE Working Paper 44: February 2006 Sports, Youth and Character: A Critical Survey TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION....................................... 3 a. methodological limitations..................... 4 b. conceptual and theoretical infelicities...... 5 II. THE LESSONS OF SPORT......................... 5 III. BASICS................................................ 6 a. too much too early?.............................. 8 b. competition’s role understood ............... 11 c. competition, participation, and fun......... 12 d. not enough?........................................ 14 IV. WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE?.................... 15 V. THE MICROWORLD OF PARTICIPATION...... 17 VI. APPENDIX A......................................... 19 a. Shields and Bredemeier...................... 19 a.1. moral maturity: what are psychologists looking for?............ 22 a.2. game thinking............................. 24 a.3. moral confusion........................... 25 b. Stoll, Lumpkin, Beller, and Hahm.............. 27 It has been recognized for centuries that sport can contribute to education values that make for the development of character and right social relations . . . . [Within this contribution] there are many intertwined and interwoven threads of influences...

Words: 26076 - Pages: 105

Free Essay

Art and Story Proceedings 2004

...Proceeding for the School of Visual Arts Eighteenth Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of Artists: Art and Story CONTENTS SECTION ONE: Marcel’s Studio Visit with Elstir……………………………………………………….. David Carrier SECTION TWO: Film and Video Narrative Brief Narrative on Film-The Case of John Updike……………………………………. Thomas P. Adler With a Pen of Light …………………………………………………………………… Michael Fink Media and the Message: Does Media Shape or Serve the Story: Visual Storytelling and New Media ……………………………………………………. June Bisantz Evans Visual Literacy: The Language of Cultural Signifiers…………………………………. Tammy Knipp SECTION THREE: Narrative and Fine Art Beyond Illustration: Visual Narrative Strategies in Picasso’s Celestina Prints………… Susan J. Baker and William Novak Narrative, Allegory, and Commentary in Emil Nolde’s Legend: St. Mary of Egypt…… William B. Sieger A Narrative of Belonging: The Art of Beauford Delaney and Glenn Ligon…………… Catherine St. John Art and Narrative Under the Third Reich ……………………………………………… Ashley Labrie 28 15 1 22 25 27 36 43 51 Hopper Stories in an Imaginary Museum……………………………………………. Joseph Stanton SECTION FOUR: Photography and Narrative Black & White: Two Worlds/Two Distinct Stories……………………………………….. Elaine A. King Relinquishing His Own Story: Abandonment and Appropriation in the Edward Weston Narrative………………………………………………………………………….. David Peeler Narrative Stretegies in the Worlds of Jean Le Gac and Sophe Calle…………………….. Stefanie Rentsch...

Words: 117240 - Pages: 469

Premium Essay

Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple

...Preface A well-developed knowledge of clinical microbiology is critical for the practicing physician in any medical field. Bacteria, viruses, and protozoans have no respect for the distinction between ophthalmology, pediatrics, trauma surgery, or geriatric medicine. As a physician you will be faced daily with the concepts of microbial disease and antimicrobial therapy. Microbiology is one of the few courses where much of the "minutia" is regularly used by the practicing physician. This book attempts to facilitate the learning of microbiology by presenting the information in a clear and entertaining manner brimming with memory aids. Our approach has been to: 4) Create a conceptual, organized approach to the organisms studied so the student relies less on memory and more on logical pathophysiology. The text has been updated to include current information on rapidly developing topics, such as HIV and AIDS (vaccine efforts and all the new anti-HIV medications), Ebola virus, Hantavirus, E. coli outbreaks, Mad Cow Disease, and brand-new antimicrobial antibiotics. The mnemonics and cartoons in this book do not intend disrespect for any particular patient population or racial or ethnic group but are solely presented as memory devices to assist in the learning of a complex and important medical subject. We welcome suggestions for future editions. 1) Write in a conversational style for rapid assimilation. 2) Include numerous figures serving as "visual memory tools" and summary charts...

Words: 117402 - Pages: 470

Premium Essay

Freakonomics-Expanded

...American children . . . Cheating schoolteachers in Chicago . . . Why cheating to lose is worse than cheating to win . . . Could sumo wrestling, the national sport of Japan, be corrupt? . . . What the Bagel Man saw: mankind may be more honest than we think. 2. How Is the Ku Klux Klan Like a Group of Real-Estate Agents? 49 In which it is argued that nothing is more powerful than information, especially when its power is abused. Spilling the Ku Klux Klan’s secrets . . . Why experts of every kind are in the perfect position to exploit you . . . The antidote to information abuse: the Internet . . . Why a new car is suddenly worth so much less the moment it leaves the lot . . . Breaking the real-estate agent code: what “well maintained” really means . . . Is Trent Lott more racist...

Words: 105214 - Pages: 421

Premium Essay

Daimler-Chrysler Merger Portrayal

...Knowledge Management Tools and Techniques Practitioners and Experts Evaluate KM Solutions This page intentionally left blank Knowledge Management Tools and Techniques Practitioners and Experts Evaluate KM Solutions Edited by Madanmohan Rao AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier Elsevier Butterworth–Heinemann 200 Wheeler Road, Burlington, MA 01803, USA Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK Copyright © 2005, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: (+44) 1865 843830, fax: (+44) 1865 853333, e-mail: permissions@elsevier.com.uk. You may also complete your request on-line via the Elsevier homepage (http://elsevier.com), by selecting “Customer Support” and then “Obtaining Permissions.” Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been written, Elsevier prints its books on acid-free paper whenever possible. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rao, Madanmohan. KM tools and techniques : practitioners and experts evaluate KM solutions / Madanmohan Rao. p. cm. Includes...

Words: 182966 - Pages: 732