The Full Text of “Quickdraw”
The Full Text of “Quickdraw”
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“Quickdraw” Introduction
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“Quickdraw” Summary
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“Quickdraw” Themes
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The Pleasures and Dangers of Passion
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-16
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Quickdraw”
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Lines 1-4
I wear the ...
... hear me groan. -
Lines 5-9
You've wounded me. ...
... through the heart. -
Lines 10-13
And this is ...
... concealed. -
Lines 13-16
You text them ...
... this… and this…
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“Quickdraw” Symbols
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Guns and Bullets
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 1-2: “I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones, / like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips.”
- Lines 3-4: “quickdraw, your voice a pellet / in my ear”
- Line 7: “then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of the mark.”
- Line 15: “read the silver bullets of your kiss.”
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“Quickdraw” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Extended Metaphor
Where extended metaphor appears in the poem:- Lines 1-16
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Simile
Where simile appears in the poem:- Lines 1-2: “I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones, / like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips.”
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Epizeuxis
Where epizeuxis appears in the poem:- Line 16: “and this… and this… and this… and this…”
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Assonance
Where assonance appears in the poem:- Line 1: “phones”
- Line 2: “guns,” “slung”
- Line 3: “alone”
- Line 4: “ear,” “hear,” “groan”
- Line 6: “tone,” “phone”
- Line 7: “mark”
- Line 9: “heart”
- Line 10: “noon”
- Line 11: “saloon,” “show,” “mobile”
- Line 13: “concealed,” “reel”
- Line 15: “silver,” “kiss,” “this”
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“Quickdraw” 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.
- The mobile and the landline phones
- Slung
- Quickdraw
- Pellet
- Wide of the mark
- High noon
- Calamity
- Saloon
- Reel
- Fumble
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(Location in poem: Line 1: “the mobile and the landline phones”)
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Quickdraw”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Quickdraw” Speaker
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“Quickdraw” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Quickdraw”
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More “Quickdraw” Resources
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External Resources
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Not Your Typical Poet Laureate — A Daily Mail article regarding Duffy's appointment as first woman/LGBTQ+/Scottish Poet Laureate of the UK.
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The Poet's Life and Career — A Poetry Foundation biography of Duffy.
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The 50 Greatest Western Movies Ever Made — A New York Magazine rundown of the genre that inspired "Quickdraw."
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Duffy Reads the Poem Aloud — Listen to "Quickdraw" read by the poet herself.
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The End of the Affair — A Guardian review of Rapture, the collection in which "Quickdraw" was published.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Carol Ann Duffy
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