Carol, why have I never thought of you before?
Recently, I dove into Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry. Of course I have read the odd poem here and there, but never have I delved into her work as perhaps I should have years ago. A women of profound writing, Carol writes about issues that not only affect and impact us as individuals but as a society today.
Finally a poet who isn’t dead right? (sorry Carol…)
I started off my search by reading her poem Mrs. Rip van Winkle. Having read rip van winkle by Washington Irving, Rip makes his wife out to be a horrible, nasty creature who shouldn’t be a part of this year. But having read Duffy’s perspective of his wife, one has to feel sorry for his wife, having put up with such a fat, lazy old man all those years.
I sank like a stone Into the still, deep waters of late middle age, Aching from head to foot. I took up food And gave up exercise. It did me good. And while he slept, I found some hobbies for myself. Painting. Seeing the sights I’d always dreamed about: The Leaning Tower. The Pyramids. The Taj Mahal. I made a little watercolour of them all. But what was best, What hands-down beat the rest, Was saying a none-too-fond farewell to sex. Until the day I came home with this drawing of Niagara And he was sitting up in bed rattling Viagra.
Not only does Duffy put a spin on Washington Irving’s short fable, but she throws in a little feminist twist. Having justified why Mrs. Winkle was so cranky in the first place, Mrs. Van Winkle explains how her husband obviously ceases to please her both in and outside of their bed.
I have always loved poetry and since the day William Blake entered into my household at the age of 12, I was hooked.
But how could I not have grown up with the writings of Carol Duffy? Maybe my tiny little island hadn’t allowed for such a dominate voice to enter into such a strict curriculum (it consisted of every old white dead poet that existed..) This makes me wonder, were my teachers scared of what her message might portray to us ‘young’ females?
Not only has Duffy expressed her opinions about feminism, but she has recently written about our environment too.
While with her poem, ‘forest’ reminds us of the importance the forest plays on our future and how we must take care of and embrace its beauty and sustainability.
‘In person, Duffy's mild, sympathetic manner belies the ferocious, fire-eating tone of many of her poems.’ Peter Forbes The Guardian.
It is this tone and ferocious manner of her written prose that has my mind whirling. From her feminist views, her poems about WW1 soldiers, to her take on brexit.
Having not grown up with her writing I feel like I have been denied a piece of her legacy. But as mentioned previously, Carol is still with us today, and I look forward to her journey as I delve further into her works for there is certainly more to be found out about this interesting creature known as the poet laureate.
laureate.
