Duffys poetry Essay Example for Free

Duffys poetry Essay A critic has writ7ten that Duffys poetry is primarily concerned with human failings. To what extent do you feel this is true of The Worlds Wife? Refer to two or three poems in detail or range more widely through the whole collection. Carol Ann Duffys collection of The Worlds Wife revolves a lot around the subject of human failings. Duffys use of everyday language allows her poems to be interpreted by everyone. In the collection of The Worlds Wife she tackles serious issues such as gender, contemporary culture, alienation and social inequality. These themes allow her to writing to appeal to a contemporary audience and delivers key messages. The theme of arrogance is seen in several poems, in Mrs Icarus we see that she finds his arrogance unappealing and that she feels as if men feel they can defy the acts of God hes a total, utter absolute, Grade A pillock. This is similar to Faust, who sold his sole to the devil in return for twenty-four years of unlimited pleasure, knowledge and power; he boasts I spent the night being pleasured by a virtual Helen of Troy. Dr Faustus lack of self control, ignorance and plain arrogance could be assumed to be a failing, although he lived a happy life his inhibitions to be successful he needed the aid of the devil therefore he was doomed from the beginning. Here we can see the obvious links between the two poems and how the two characters egotistical ways led to their failure. One interesting failure Duffy uses is seen in the poem The Devils Wife, Duffy interestingly splits this poem into six sections which all relate back to different themes, we see the value of a relationships, motherhood and repentance. The poem is written based on the background history of the Moors Murders, with the protagonist Myra Hindley and how she became besotted with sociopath Ian Brady. In the first part of the poem we as the readers see how Duffy, displays Hindley as being the ordinary office worker with a crush I scowled and poured and sneered. I gave as good as good as I got till he asked me out we can see that she was the one who initiated the whole relationship. The story changes He entered me. From this moment she was now his, this could be another failing that men have more control than women and she was just his puppet he made me bury a doll. Duffy uses an interesting metaphor here, she say doll instead of a child as a doll is thought to be a childs toy and just a possession which they eventually no longer require. It ends with I felt like this: Tongue of stone. Two black slates for eyes. Thumped wound of a mouth. Nobodys Mam. We can see that she has become so obsessed with him, her life has changed forever. Also we are able to identify another theme of motherhood, people were unable to understand how Hindley was able to commit the most abhorrent, sadistic and unforgivable crimes against children as women are associated with protective mother love. We then see that in the third part of the poem, Duffy uses a sonnet in an untraditional form; instead of it being the ordinary love poem, the lack of punctuation shows Hindleys state of mind and shes finally repenting and blaming Brady for all of the murders. The final part of the poem gives different forms of execution and she finally admits she was in fact the Devil wife. Although this poem is lengthy, the key themes all relate to the main subject of human failings, love is a key importance in this poem He held my heart in his fist and squeezed it dry. Here we can see that men are dominant in relationships and Brady was in control of Hindley, which could be deemed a failing. Also motherhood is a joyous gift in life and could be one of the most important things in life but Hindley displays apathy towards children and lets Brady control her life I flew in my chainswhere wed buried the doll. Finally we see another theme of repentance Get me a Bible honestly promise you swear but by the time she finally realised her mistakes it was too late. Another them used is Power, this could also be assumed as a failing. In Mrs Midas, in which she finds that everything her husband touches turns to gold; soon after she realises the marriage will not work because of her husbands selfishness. I thought of the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready. Here we can see that her husband valued wealth above everything else, but it wasnt until he accidently touched his daughter he realised the mistake of his greed that was his failing. In The Kray Sisters, Duffy subverts the original story by using female portrayals instead of men; the poem uses cockney slang which allows us as readers to interact more with the poem and makes it more believable. The Kray Twins ran a protective racket, and were well known West End gangsters. The poem actually displays the success of the twins and how they were feared among the streets. However interestingly this so-called respect may have given the Krays the authority they wanted We wanted respect for the way we entered a bar, or handled a car, or shrivelled a hard-on with simply a menacing look However ultimately this respect led to the demise of the twins and they may have ruled the west end during their time but landed themselves a life-sentence in prison. Was it really worth it? Respect and honour are meant to be earned with dignity not by threatening and violating people; therefore I think that although this poem contains positive connotations it ultimately displays a failing. Duffys collection of the Worlds Wife is an interesting selection of poems and it is clear that one of the major themes associated with the collection is Human Failings, although these are not seen clearly and not every persona fails the actions they carry out could be assumed as a failing. The ironical and satirical way Duffy writes displays the dark humour of The Worlds Wife we can see that Duffy tries to impersonate the wives of famous characters both factious and fictions.

Essay on Dreams and Escape in The Glass Menagerie -- Glass Menagerie e

Dreams and Escape in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚   The dream of escape is the focal point in the play, The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams. Although each character wants to escape from a different reality, they all feel the need to get away. The father is the most successful in his escape - he leaves the family and doesn't look back. Laura, Amanda, Tom, and Jim, are not as fortunate, they seem to be stuck throughout the play. Jim seems to be the only one with a real chance at breaking away from his reality. Tom seems to breaks free, but we discover that his escape attempt fails because he can't forget Laura.    Throughout the play, each person escapes their reality in some way and is somewhat successful at it. Whether through dreams or actually walking away, everyone manages to break free. Tom is, by far, the biggest dreamer. Tom dreams of leaving the "...over crowded urban centers of lower middle-class population" (Williams 1267). Tom envies his father who actually had the guts to walk out. Tom expresses this when he tells Amanda, "...Mother, I'd be where [the father] is!" (Williams 1277). Tom wants to leave so desperately that he "...paid [his Merchant Marine] dues this month, instead of the light bill" (Williams 1295). Tom would rather think of himself and let his mother and sister sit in the dark, alone, than take responsibility for his family. Tom says he is "...tired of the movies" (Williams 1294) meaning that he is ready for his own adventures. He "...[retires] to a cabinet of the washroom to work on poems when business [is] slack in the warehouse" (Williams 1289) By doing this, Tom is looking for yet another escape from the reality of working at a job he hates.    Tom also loathes his mother in some... ...en have a chance are the people least connected with the Wingfield family. Just like the glass unicorn, this family is transparent, pitiful and broken. They never succeed in anything except dreaming for a better reality that will never come.    Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. King, Thomas L. "Irony and Distance in The Glass Menagerie." In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94. Levy, Eric P. "'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.

High School and School Teachers Essay

Abstract The report underscores the importance of the â€Å"skills that are most essential and associated with career and college readiness,† [Paul Weeks] says. Since many secondary school teachers aren’t familiar with the skills that have been identified as the most essential to succeed in college, high school educators cover a breadth of skills. â€Å"Postsecondary instructors would rather see more depth, not a broad range that are only an inch deep,† asserts Weeks. For example, two students can pass algebra but have vastly different experiences and their knowledge can vary greatly. Colleges review class titles but rarely evaluate the essential skills mastered in the class. â€Å"Now we know what skills lead to college and career readiness,† suggests Weeks. â€Å"And the more high school teachers are aware of those skills and can teach them, the better their graduates will perform in postsecondary education. † Boone County schools also are collaborating with Northern Kentucky University to develop basic math programs. â€Å"We want to make sure that every student is at that level of mastery. It drives everything we do,† [Karen Cheser] says. To prepare students to be college ready, it requires â€Å"conversations, transparency, and a willingness to put out data. It takes community-will and providing resources,† she remarks. Publication Title The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publisher The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Date 08/2013 Study Explores Why many High School Graduates Are not Ready for College by Gary M Stern Content Type Journal Article Abstract The report underscores the importance of the â€Å"skills that are most essential and associated with career and college readiness,† [Paul Weeks] says. Since many secondary school teachers aren’t familiar with the skills that have been identified as the most essential to succeed in college, high school educators cover a breadth of skills. â€Å"Postsecondary instructors would rather see more depth, not a broad range that are only an inch deep,† asserts Weeks. For example, two students can pass algebra but have vastly different experiences and their knowledge can vary greatly. Colleges review class titles but rarely evaluate the essential skills mastered in the class. â€Å"Now we know what skills lead to college and career readiness,† suggests Weeks. â€Å"And the more high school teachers are aware of those skills and can teach them, the better their graduates will perform in postsecondary education. † Boone County schools also are collaborating with Northern Kentucky University to develop basic math programs. â€Å"We want to make sure that every student is at that level of mastery. It drives everything we do,† [Karen Cheser] says. To prepare students to be college ready, it requires â€Å"conversations, transparency, and a willingness to put out data. It takes community-will and providing resources,† she remarks. Publication Title. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publisher The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Date 08/2013 Study Explores Why many High School Graduates Are not Ready for College by Gary M Stern Content Type Journal Article Abstract The report underscores the importance of the â€Å"skills that are most essential and associated with career and college readiness,† [Paul Weeks] says. Since many secondary school teachers aren’t familiar with the skills that have been identified as the most essential to succeed in college, high school educators cover a breadth of skills. â€Å"Postsecondary instructors would rather see more depth, not a broad range that are only an inch deep,† asserts Weeks. For example, two students can pass algebra but have vastly different experiences and their knowledge can vary greatly. Colleges review class titles but rarely evaluate the essential skills mastered in the class. â€Å"Now we know what skills lead to college and career readiness,† suggests Weeks. â€Å"And the more high school teachers are aware of those skills and can teach them, the better their graduates will perform in postsecondary education. † Boone County schools also are collaborating with Northern Kentucky University to develop basic math programs. â€Å"We want to make sure that every student is at that level of mastery. It drives everything we do,† [Karen Cheser] says. To prepare students to be college ready, it requires â€Å"conversations, transparency, and a willingness to put out data. It takes community-will and providing resources,† she remarks. Publication Title The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publisher The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Date 08/2013.

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