Summary
Summary gambler poem analysis
- Module
- Feminine Gospels
- Institution
- AQA
gambler poem analysis with annotations, context and historicism alongside literary techniques
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The lady in question seems to be
Gambler The character is referred to as “she” throughout the whole poem/song. This very passionate about literature
could portray that the woman is mysterious and doesn’t want to be know, and language. This suggests that
which would link in with the title ‘gambler’. “she” is someone who defies the
social conventions of a woman by
being interested and infatuated
by writing; “the beauty they
hold”. The enjambment used also
signifies that the feminist
movement is a natural thing that
She goes for the sound of the words, the beauty they hold is bound to happen, like nature,
In the movement they make on the air, the shale and no one, especially men, can
stop it
Of the breath of a word leaving her lips like a whistle
Duffy begins Gambler by focusing on personal pronouns. The use of ‘she’ is polysemous. On one hand, it
instantly focuses the poem on the female experience. Yet, the anonymity of ‘she’ also suggests that this poem
could be applicable to any woman. In line with previous poems, such as History, this could mean that the
woman is seen as less important and has been forgotten. Yet, the lack of specificity could also suggest Duffy is
empowering all women with her use of ‘she’.
Within the first line, Duffy’s use of caesura after ‘words’, places emphasis on this word. In doing so, Duffy
stresses the importance of language, the metrical break following the caesura pausing after this word.
Language is presented as a form of freedom. Duffy suggests that words ‘make on the air’, the connotation
of ‘air’ creating a sense of free flowing. Language is able to morph and transform on a whim, ‘leaving her
lips list a whist//or kiss.’ The use of enjambment across these lines furthers the freedom of language, the
poem flowing quickly from line to line.
Hyperion is a greek god and
“Hyperion’s tips”
represents advice in terms
of gambling. The character
ignores the males' advice
and goes with her instinct Or kiss. So Hyperion’s tips mean nothing to her, the form,
in terms of poetry and
The favourites, whether the going is heavy or firm,
sound.
The horse and stinker or first time blinkered. It’s words
How ‘she’ decides which horse she will bet upon is simply down to the ‘names’. The word could be ‘heavy
or firm’, Duffy referring to stressed syllables. Words are placed at the core of the poem, language being
emphasized by Duffy as incredibly important.
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She picks the horse for
its name and the way it Suggesting that she bets on the
sounds. This again horses on many different days as
emphasising her love this is all she can do to feel
for literature and her liberated, it may also be her only
love for the language. way to power through until she is
set free. Additionally, it could be a
She picks, names and ticks. That day it was level headed
hint to the fact that one of the
At 10-1, two syllables each to balance the musical chime biggest affecting moments of the
Of Lev and head, the echoing el. She backed it to win suffragette movement was when
a woman jumped in front of a
horse on the race tracks.
She is being very confident that her love for language and literature, and her core
The “10-1” odds being against her instincts will help her pick the horse that will win, even though all the odds are
may be suggesting that the odds against her. This may also suggest that some of the ideas the women had when
where also against the feminist trying to escape oppression had all the odds stacked against them, but they
movement, yet the women had to “backed it to win” as it was the only option they had.
be gamblers and take that chance
to escape their oppression to
achieve freedom and
empowerment.
Duffy uses internal rhyme across ‘picks’ and ‘ticks’ in order to propel Gambler onwards. The poet
expresses that ‘two syllable’ names are important, going against the ’10-1’ bet. The woman disregards
the gambling strategy in order to bet on the horses with pleasing names.
The double repetition of ‘Indiannectar’ reflects Duffy’s ‘she’ weighting the words out loud. The syllable
balance of ‘Indian nectar’ is more pleasing than the 7-2 odds on the horse. Duffy presents her ‘she’
character disregarding the bet and instead of going with her own intuition.
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