1. An in-depth analysis of the poems Work and History, with references to Marxist and Feminist Theory and language analysis.
2. Selected critical quotes that can be added to essays to broaden language analysis and add complexity.
3. A list of exam-style questions, perfect for mocks and exam...
● Feminine Gospels presents suffering as a key element of female experience. Discuss
○ LQ- uses italics to highlight intrinsic parts of the female experience 'childhood'
'blood' 'tears' 'childbirth' - mirroring of 'childhood' and 'childbirth' represents
cyclicity of female experience
■ women who are powerful are destined to be miserable - 'cold weight of
the crown' Beautiful also reflects this: Duffy also employs mirroring
between 'beauty is fame' to 'beauty is fate' to imply a vicious cycle of
abuse and pressures suffered by women in the public eye. Sense of
cyclicity combined with use of present tense= if audience don't take
action, society's best loved women will continue to suffer.
■ Contrast to Beautiful- placed right after it, indicating a shift from public
to private suffering as it follows one unnamed woman rather 4 famous
figures- protagonist of The Diet remains unnamed throughout the
poem, reflecting how common eating disorders are in women- could
be everyone. Duffy implying that all women are suffering in their
struggle to conform to patriarchal beauty standards? Echoes LQ ,
present suffering from eating disorders as a universal female
experience, even though Diet is isolated- uses fairy tale language to
portray alienation from reality 'doll-sized' 'height of a thimble' its more
relatable for 2002 audience using maxim 'inside every fat woman is a
skinny woman trying to get out' reference to 'dream' diets typically
preached in women's lifestyle magazines promising rapid weight loss
in short spaces of time. Less isolated in LQ- 'no girl who was growing
wasn't the apple of the Long Queen's eye' 'all who were there' during
childbirth.
■ Thesis statement: Duffy suggests that suffering is an inevitable part of
the 21st century female experience, due to the patriarchal structures
of society that continue to oppress women/ keep them in cycles of
self-deprecation. Especially emphasized through The Long Queen
(LQ), which tracks the relationship between suffering and femininity,
Beautiful , which tracks the suffering of 4 famous women at the hands
of the patriarchy, and The Diet **which similarly follows the journey of
a woman with anorexia.
● Auden said poetry makes nothing happen. But I wonder if the opposite could be true?
It could make something happen. What do Duffy's poem want to"make happen"?
● Each of our age has its own idea of beauty, its own symbolic woman. Is Feminine
Gospels trying to present women who respect all women?
● 'In each poem, I'm trying to reveal the truth, so it can't have a fictional beginning.'
Discuss the view that Duffy, in Feminine Gospels, presents real women and real lives
● 'It's the sadness of the real world that gives her words weight.' Discuss the view that
Duffy's main purpose in Feminine Gospels is to expose suffering in the world.
● Duffy's poetry in Feminine Gospels presents women as partly responsible for their
own problems. Discuss.
● Duffy views poetry as taking risks with words
● Feminine Gospels presents numerous women who have no voice in the world. Do
you agree with this view?
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