Feminine Gospels Test Questions
with Answers
Context in Tall - Answer-- final stanza in the poem makes reference to 'the burning
towers'
- Duffy is discussing the events of 9/11 in America. The attacks of September 11th 2001
saw passenger airliners crashed into the World Trade Center
- attack resulted in 2,977 fatalities and over 25,000 injuries
Tall Analysis - Answer-Stanzas 1+2+3+4:
- poem begins with 'Then,' suggesting that everything that happened before in this
woman's life has been forgotten. For her, this was the day her life changed. By only
focusing on during and after the growth, Duffy reveals how the woman is now only
identified by her size
- second stanza sees the first day of her new life, 'Day one' of growing. At first, she is
only slightly taller than the rest, '8 foot taller than any man'. The fact that Duffy defines
this with 'men' shows that a conversation around gender will perpetuate this poem
- Duffy uses caesuras surrounding the event of catcalling. Indeed, 'Downtown.
Somebody whooped. She', the meter of the poem disrupted by this event. Duffy states
that women's lives are interrupted by male outbursts like these, shaming those who
participate in catcalling
- the woman of the poem 'started at his scared face'. She emasculates him, Duffy
infantilising him as 'a boy', showing the weakness of those who catcall
Stanzas 5+6+7+8:
- symbolism of the stoplight 'on red', destroyed by the woman could reflect her
dismantling stereotypes of women. As she grows, she gains power, destroying 'red', a
symbol of stopping, in order to gain further agency in society. Perhaps this destruction
of a stoplight could reflect the woman gaining social mobility, moving through society
unobstructed
- with height, she is seen as powerful in society. Due to this, Duffy presents her entering
traditionally masculine atmospheres. The reference to 'stiff drink' and 'passed out or
fainted' are typically dead-beat masculine traits
- Duffy suggests that women are only allowed in these masculine atmospheres when
they themselves are intimidating. Considering that size is the only thing that is changed
about the woman, this shows the ridiculous nature of how gender inequality has
stemmed from biologi
Summary of Loud - Answer-- begins with an epigraph from a news report. Responding
to this news, the central character of the poem 'shout[s]'. Her voice gets louder and
louder, leaving her body
,- voice is personified and intensified, escaping and being heard across the world. Duffy
suggests the importance of female voices, while also featuring the devastating horror of
world news
Structure of Loud - Answer-- 8 stanzas, 5 lines with no rhyme scheme but internal
rhyme
- moments serve to propel the poem forward, increasing the speed of reading. This
acceleration goes hand in hand with the explosive voice of the poem
- fifth line of each stanza is shorter than the rest. In doing this, the final line becomes
jarring to read. This disruption is emblematic of the woman's voice finally breaking free.
This could represent the ability of women to transcend the imposition placed on their
voices, speaking out about the horrors of the world
Poetic Techniques of Loud - Answer-- Duffy uses asyndeton throughout the poem to
add to the chaos of Loud. By connecting many examples or ideas with asyndeton, it
seems that the horrific events are endless
- in the final stanza, this technique is an important aspect of how Duffy presents the
sequential development of women's voices: 'loud, loud, louder'
- caesura provides a slight moment of pause within the meter. This reflects the
perception of women's silence, the pauses representing this lack of speech. Yet, as the
poem continues and the woman becomes more vocal, these caesurae become less
common. This could represent the gaining of volume, 'louder' as the poem progresses
Themes of Loud + FG with similar themes - Answer-- horrors of modern world
- female voice: Duffy subverts the notion that women must be quiet and orderly. The
central character becomes 'loud', going against this sexist construct. Duffy's poem
emphasizes the power of the female voice and shows compassion for an unstable world
- Tall, Anon and The Virgin's Memo
Context of Loud - Answer-- idea that a woman is 'bossy' if she speaks out has been a
sexist idea for much of the modern era
- Duffy presents a woman who rejects the stereotype of silence, using her voice to
advocate for change
Loud Analysis - Answer-Stanzas 1+2:
- Duffy uses the opening line to emphasize the key verb of the poem, 'shout'. Indeed,
the syntax places this word in the key place of the first line. Duffy then places an
endstop after the word, furthering the emphasis placed on 'shout'. This moment of
breaking silence is incredibly important, being the catalyst for the following events of
Loud
- use of syntax is repeated on the final line of the first stanza. Duffy places emphasis on
'loud', furthering the vocal impact of the first stanza
- harsh consonance plosive of 'p' in 'ripped' mirrors the brutality of the explosive voice.
Her voice springs from her body, 'ripped out of her throat', Duffy compounding the
extremity of the moment
,- voice is represented by light, 'a flash of light in the dark', signaling the positive impact
that women's voices are bringing
- Duffy uses many caesuras. Considering she is discussing how 'Before, she'd been
easily led', this can represent the stereotype of a silent or quiet woman. Duffy uses the
metrical pauses that caesura initiates to reflect this stereotype
- fourth line slows into the fifth undisrupted, the use of enjambment reflecting her
breaking out of the disrupted meter. This engenders the idea of gaining her voice, words
beginning to flow easier
Stanzas 3+4+5:
- Duffy uses exaggeration to reveal the length that the woman's voice has grown. The
hyperbole of 'she could call abroad without using the phone' demonstrates the power of
the female voice
- Duffy symbolizes the freedom that ganging a voice can give through the 'huge bird'. A
'bird' is often a symbol of flight and freedom, this therefore symbolizing women breaking
from the constraints of society
- Duffy furthers the combination of women and nature imagery, 'uttering lightning'.
Nature is often a symbol of power within the literature, Duffy attaching this po
Summary of History - Answer-- uses personification to compound all of the events in
history into one woman. This woman, representing all women, has seen every major
event in the past, Duffy reminding the reader that women have always been present,
even if history does not remember them
- from the moment Jesus was removed from the cross, up until the wartime evacuations
within the world wars, women were there, watching and partaking in history. Duffy aims
to remind the reader of the female experience, often lost within a history that focuses on
the lives of me
- personified 'everywoman' is left alone in a rotting house, representing the mistreatment
of women throughout history
Summary of The Long Queen - Answer-- thought to be a poem about Queen Elizabeth
I, the Queen who brought an end to the Tudor rule and is often remembered for never
marrying
- Duffy begins by focusing on the principle of marrying 'Time' instead of an actual
husband, Elizabeth focusing on ruling successfully instead of marriage and romance
- moves through the type of people that Queen Elizabeth rules over, focusing on the
blinding quality of being a woman, everyone encompassed within her reign
- Duffy explores how the Queen's 'laws': supporting all women, dispelling the fear and
shame around periods, ensuring that emotions are shown, and safe childbirth
- final stanza suggests that Queen Elizabeth would have given up everything to extend
the voice of women
Form and Structure of the Long Queen - Answer-- split into 7 stanzas, each measuring
6 lines
- consistency of structure throughout the poem could reflect the stability of Queen
Elizabeth's reign
, - placed as the first poem within Duffy's 'Feminine Gospels' collection, this poem comes
to represent a gold standard of remembering women's experience, both on an individual
and collective level
- it is prioritized due to being first, the impactful first line, 'The Long Queen couldn't die'
symbolizing the extend of women's influence and power, extending onwards throughout
time
Poetic Techniques in the Long Queen - Answer-- asyndeton: used to create an
extended image, almost like an endless list, seen mainly within the first and second
stanzas
- first stanza: asyndeton creates the idea that Queen Elizabeth had a huge list of
suitors, all of which she rejected
- second stanza: asyndeton used to encompass all types of women
- uses contrasting long and short sentences in order to add further emphasis e.g first
stanza: following the asyndetic list of the first stanza, 'Long Live the Queen' contrasting
in length and being grammatically isolated by a caesura and endstop - emphasises the
long reign of Elizabeth I
Context of the Long Queen - Answer-- Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII
and Anne Boleyn, she was the monarch that headed the Elizabethan age, in which
England become a major European power in both political and artistic spheres
- she was a popular queen, having a cordial relationship with Parliament and her
subjects looking up to her rules
- first epic English poem: 'The Faerie Queene' by Edmund Spenser revolves around
Elizabeth I immortalized in the figure of 'Gloriana'
- references in The Long Queen about refusing to marry, something Queen Elizabeth,
also known as The Virgin Queen, avoided in her lifetime
Themes in The Long Queen + FG poems with similar themes - Answer-- positions of
women in society
- feminine power
- female voices
- feminine history
- Beautiful, Sub and History
The Long Queen Analysis - Answer-Stanza 1:
- 'The Long Queen couldn't die': refers to the lasting legacy the Long Queen has had
and how she is still vividly remembered now,
- 'Time for a husband', the capitalization of 'Time' revealing personification, Duffy stating
that Elizabeth decides to focus on extending her reign and power instead of marrying
- monosyllabic final sentence of this stanza, 'Long live the Queen' further emphasizes
the importance of her role in this story. The syntax of this final line places 'Queen' as the
last word of the stanza - suggests reign extending over 'Time' as she expands her royal
powers
Stanza 2:
