The Full Text of “Valentine”
The Full Text of “Valentine”
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“Valentine” Introduction
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“Valentine” Summary
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“Valentine” Themes
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The Nature of Love
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-23
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Valentine”
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Lines 1-2
Not a red ...
... you an onion. -
Lines 3-5
It is a ...
... undressing of love. -
Lines 6-10
Here. ...
... photo of grief. -
Lines 11-13
I am trying ...
... you an onion. -
Lines 14-17
Its fierce kiss ...
... as we are. -
Lines 18-20
Take it. ...
... if you like. -
Lines 21-23
Lethal. ...
... to your knife.
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“Valentine” Symbols
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Classic Valentine's Day Gifts
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Line 1: “a red rose or a satin heart”
- Line 12: “a cute card or a kissogram”
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“Valentine” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Apostrophe
Where apostrophe appears in the poem:- Line 2
- Lines 6-10
- Lines 13-20
- Lines 22-23
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Consonance
Where consonance appears in the poem:- Line 1: “Not,” “red,” “rose,” “or,” “satin,” “heart”
- Line 2: “an onion”
- Line 3: “moon,” “wrapped,” “brown,” “paper”
- Line 4: “promises light”
- Line 5: “like,” “careful,” “undressing,” “love”
- Line 6: “Here”
- Line 7: “will blind,” “tears”
- Line 8: “like,” “lover”
- Line 11: “trying to,” “truthful”
- Line 12: “Not,” “cute card,” “or,” “kissogram”
- Line 13: “an onion”
- Line 14: “Its fierce kiss,” “will,” “stay,” “lips”
- Line 15: “possessive,” “faithful”
- Line 19: “platinum loops”
- Line 20: “like”
- Line 21: “Lethal”
- Line 22: “will cling,” “fingers”
- Line 23: “cling,” “knife”
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End-Stopped Line
Where end-stopped line appears in the poem:- Line 1: “heart.”
- Line 2: “onion.”
- Line 3: “paper.”
- Line 5: “love.”
- Line 6: “Here.”
- Line 8: “lover.”
- Line 10: “grief.”
- Line 11: “truthful.”
- Line 12: “kissogram.”
- Line 13: “onion.”
- Line 14: “ lips,”
- Line 16: “are,”
- Line 17: “are.”
- Line 18: “it.”
- Line 19: “ring,”
- Line 20: “like.”
- Line 21: “Lethal.”
- Line 22: “fingers,”
- Line 23: “knife.”
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Juxtaposition
Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:- Lines 1-2: “Not a red rose or a satin heart. / I give you an onion.”
- Line 3: “It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.”
- Lines 12-13: “Not a cute card or a kissogram. / I give you an onion.”
- Lines 19-21: “Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring, / if you like. / Lethal.”
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Metaphor
Where metaphor appears in the poem:- Lines 3-4: “It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. / It promises light”
- Lines 9-10: “It will make your reflection / a wobbling photo of grief.”
- Lines 14-15: “Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, / possessive and faithful”
- Line 19: “Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring,”
- Lines 21-23: “Lethal. / Its scent will cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife.”
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Personification
Where personification appears in the poem:- Lines 4-5: “It promises light / like the careful undressing of love.”
- Lines 14-16: “Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, / possessive and faithful / as we are,”
- Lines 21-23: “Lethal. / Its scent will cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife.”
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Repetition
Where repetition appears in the poem:- Line 1: “Not a red rose or a satin heart.”
- Line 2: “I give you an onion.”
- Line 3: “It”
- Line 4: “It”
- Line 7: “It will”
- Line 9: “It will”
- Line 12: “Not a cute card or a kissogram.”
- Line 13: “I give you an onion.”
- Line 14: “Its”
- Lines 16-17: “as we are, / for as long as we are.”
- Line 19: “Its”
- Lines 22-23: “cling to your fingers, / cling to your knife.”
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Simile
Where simile appears in the poem:- Lines 4-5: “It promises light / like the careful undressing of love.”
- Lines 7-8: “It will blind you with tears / like a lover.”
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“Valentine” 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.
- Satin
- Kissogram
- Possessive
- Lethal
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(Location in poem: Line 1: “satin”)
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Valentine”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Valentine” Speaker
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“Valentine” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Valentine”
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More “Valentine” Resources
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External Resources
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Carol Ann Duffy Reads "Valentine" and More — Listen to the author read and briefly discuss the poem at the Poetry on the Lake poetry festival [1:22-3:19].
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Profile of Carol Ann Duffy — An in-depth profile of Duffy from 2002, including interview questions and details of her biographical and literary history.
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Guardian Books Podcast: Carol Ann Duffy's Love Poems for Valentine's Day — A 38-minute podcast episode in which the author reads and discusses many of her own love poems, including "Valentine," with a live audience [3:35-6:02].
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Biography of Carol Ann Duffy — An overview of the author's life and work from the Poetry Foundation.
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What is Thatcherism? — A brief, straightforward overview of Thatcherism from the BBC.
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Remembering the '80s — A lighthearted but insightful piece in which about a dozen individuals (mostly from media industries) discuss their experience of Thatcher's Britain.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Carol Ann Duffy
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