The Full Text of “Demeter”
The Full Text of “Demeter”
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“Demeter” Introduction
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“Demeter” Summary
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“Demeter” Themes
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The Power of Maternal Love
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-14
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Demeter”
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Line 1
Where I lived ... and hard earth.
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Lines 2-4
I sat in ...
... break the ice. -
Lines 4-6
My broken heart ...
... the frozen lake. -
Lines 7-9
She came from ...
... across the fields, -
Lines 10-12
in bare feet, ...
... as she moved, -
Lines 13-14
the blue sky ...
... a new moon.
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“Demeter” Symbols
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The New Moon
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 13-14: “the blue sky smiling, none too soon, / with the small shy mouth of a new moon.”
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“Demeter” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
Where alliteration appears in the poem:- Line 4: “break,” “broken”
- Line 6: “flat,” “frozen”
- Line 7: “long, long”
- Line 8: “last”
- Line 10: “bare,” “bringing”
- Line 11: “swear”
- Line 12: “softened”
- Line 13: “sky smilin,” “soon”
- Line 14: “small,” “mouth,” “moon”
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Assonance
Where assonance appears in the poem:- Line 2: “cold stone”
- Lines 2-3: “room / choosing”
- Line 5: “I tried,” “it skimmed”
- Line 6: “over,” “frozen”
- Line 8: “saw,” “walking”
- Line 9: “daughter”
- Line 10: “bringing,” “spring’s”
- Line 11: “swear”
- Line 12: “air”
- Line 13: “sky smiling,” “too soon”
- Line 14: “new moon”
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Caesura
Where caesura appears in the poem:- Line 1: “lived – winter”
- Line 3: “tough words, granite, flint,”
- Line 4: “ice. My”
- Line 5: “that, but”
- Line 6: “flat, over”
- Line 7: “long, long”
- Line 8: “last, walking,”
- Line 9: “daughter, my girl, across”
- Line 10: “feet, bringing”
- Line 11: “house. I”
- Line 13: “smiling, none”
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Consonance
Where consonance appears in the poem:- Line 3: “tough,” “granite, flint”
- Line 4: “break,” “broken”
- Line 5: “skimmed”
- Line 6: “flat,” “frozen,” “lake”
- Line 7: “long, long”
- Line 8: “last”
- Line 9: “fields”
- Line 10: “bare,” “feet,” “bringing,” “spring’s,” “flowers”
- Line 11: “mother’s,” “house,” “swear”
- Line 12: “air,” “softened”
- Line 13: “blue,” “sky smiling,” “none,” “soon”
- Line 14: “small,” “mouth,” “new moon”
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Imagery
Where imagery appears in the poem:- Lines 1-4
- Lines 5-6
- Lines 9-11
- Lines 12-14
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Juxtaposition
Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:- Lines 1-14
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Parataxis
Where parataxis appears in the poem:- Lines 8-11: “I saw her at last, walking, / my daughter, my girl, across the fields, / in bare feet, bringing all spring’s flowers / to her mother’s house.”
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Metaphor
Where metaphor appears in the poem:- Lines 2-4: “I sat in my cold stone room / choosing tough words, granite, flint, / to break the ice.”
- Line 4: “My broken heart –”
- Lines 13-14: “the blue sky smiling, none too soon, / with the small shy mouth of a new moon.”
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Repetition
Where repetition appears in the poem:- Line 4: “break,” “broken”
- Line 7: “long, long”
- Line 9: “my daughter, my girl,”
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“Demeter” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Granite
- Flint
- Skimmed
- New Moon
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(Location in poem: Line 3: “choosing tough words, granite, flint,”)
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Demeter”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Demeter” Speaker
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“Demeter” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Demeter”
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More “Demeter” Resources
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External Resources
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Biography of Carol Ann Duffy — Learn more about Duffy's life and work via the Poetry Foundation.
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Demeter's Mythology — An article tracing the different versions of the Demeter/Persephone myth.
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Duffy on the Power of Poetry — Read an article about Duffy's recent Pandemic Poetry project, in which she discusses how poetry can help people through troubling times.
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The Poem Out Loud — "Demeter" read by the poet herself.
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Persephone on Broadway — Persephone appears as a major character in the Tony-winning Broadway musical "Hadestown." Watch a rendition of her number "Our Lady of the Underground," a song showing a very different side of the goddess.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Carol Ann Duffy
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