This is a practise essay question about the themes of belonging and identity in Carol Ann Duffy's 'Feminine Gospels' and more specifically focuses on the poems 'Tall' , 'The Long Queen' and 'Beautiful'.
“The search for a sense of belonging and identity is a key
theme in this collection”
Examine this view.
Throughout her collection it is clear Duffy highlights that isolation and
oppression often take the place of ‘belonging’ and ‘identity’ for her
female personas in an attempt to expose patriarchal subjugation of
women. However it would be wrong to suggest that Duffy makes no
attempt to empower women and give them a sense of ‘belonging’ and
‘identity’, perhaps in the hopes that they are empowered to challenge
patriarchal conventions. It is clear that the poems ‘Tall’ and ‘Beautiful’
highlight female isolation and a stripping of female identity but in the
poem ‘The Long Queen’ Duffy emphasises a sense of unity between all
women and subsequently creates a sense of ‘belonging’ for her female
readers.
In the poem ‘Tall’ Duffy uses the literal and metaphorical growth of the
female persona to represent male hindrance of female success.
Although this poem does convey a sense of empowerment and
advocates for gender equality, the speaker is ultimately isolated and cut
off from society evidenced in the clever homophone ‘Taller was colder,
aloner’ where ‘aloner’ could suggest being more alone or perhaps
reference the woman being ‘ a loner’ as she is an isolated individual.
Through this homophone Duffy emphasises the isolation and loneliness
that have accompanied the woman’s success/growth. In this line Duffy
also explores the woman’s identity as ‘taller was colder’ implies that
‘taller’ has almost become her name, suggesting that the persona is
stripped of her identity as she is never identified by name and is only
defined by her size. This poem is a great example of where the female
persona is a microcosm of isolated women in the world, displaying the
detrimental effects of a patriarchal society asserting its control over
women - in this case the persona is isolated from that society.
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