Essay
Loss in Duffy's poems
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It is an essay where it shows the theme of loss and the monologue Duffy uses to transmit different types of losses in her personal life.
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Discuss the theme of loss in Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry with reference to three poemsCarol Ann Duffy is a poet who often explores the theme of loss in her work. In her poems, she delves
into various types of loss, including loss of innocence, loss of identity, and loss of life. In this essay, I
will discuss the theme of loss in three of Duffy's poems: "War Photographer," "Homesick," and "In
Mrs Tilscher's Class."
The first poem, "War Photographer," is about a photographer who takes pictures of war-torn
countries and their inhabitants. The speaker describes how the photographer must detach himself
emotionally in order to do his job, but he still feels the loss of life and innocence in the people he
photographs. In the first stanza, the speaker describes the "spools of suffering" the photographer
brings back from his trips, emphasizing the weight of what he sees. The second stanza introduces the
image of a "half-formed ghost" in one of his photos, a symbol of the lives cut short by war. The final
stanza laments the fact that the readers of the photographer's photos do not understand the loss
they represent.
Similarly, "Homesick" explores loss in the context of a displaced individual. The speaker of the poem
is a person who has left their homeland and feels a sense of dislocation and longing for what they
have lost. The poem uses imagery such as "the foreign tongue" and "the dialect of longing" to convey
the speaker's sense of displacement. The final lines of the poem, "Nothing is ever the same as they
said it was," suggest that the loss the speaker has experienced has also altered their perception of
their homeland.
Finally, "In Mrs Tilscher's Class" explores loss in the context of growing up. The poem is a nostalgic
reflection on a childhood classroom and the sense of security and wonder it provided. The poem
uses sensory details such as "the skittle of milk" and "the scent of a pencil slowly, carefully, shaved"
to evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time and a place that can never be regained. The final lines of the
poem, "You could travel up the Blue Nile with your finger, tracing the route / while Mrs Tilscher
chanted the scenery," suggest that the sense of possibility and wonder the speaker experienced in
childhood is now lost.
In conclusion, Carol Ann Duffy's poetry frequently explores the theme of loss, from the loss of life in
"War Photographer" to the loss of home in "Homesick" and the loss of childhood wonder in "In Mrs
Tilscher's Class." Through her use of language and imagery, Duffy creates powerful and poignant
explorations of this universal human experience.
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