Medusa carol ann duffy. Medusa 2022-10-05

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In her poem "Medusa," Carol Ann Duffy retells the story of the Greek mythological figure Medusa in a way that challenges the traditional portrayal of her as a monster. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, a woman with snakes for hair whose gaze could turn people to stone. She was often depicted as a villain or a monster, but Duffy's poem presents a more complex and sympathetic view of her.

Duffy begins the poem by describing Medusa's appearance, noting that she is "not beautiful," but rather "fierce and frightening." This description echoes the traditional portrayal of Medusa as a monster, but Duffy's language also suggests that Medusa is not simply a one-dimensional villain. The use of words like "fierce" and "frightening" suggest that Medusa is powerful and formidable, rather than simply evil.

As the poem progresses, Duffy delves into Medusa's backstory, explaining that she was once a beautiful woman who was raped by the Greek god Poseidon in a temple. This act of violence and violation transforms Medusa into the Gorgon we know from mythology, with snakes for hair and the power to turn people to stone with her gaze.

In this retelling of the myth, Medusa's transformation into a monster is not a punishment for her own wrongdoing, but rather the result of a terrible injustice inflicted upon her. This shift in perspective allows the reader to see Medusa as a victim, rather than a villain.

Throughout the poem, Duffy uses language and imagery to emphasize Medusa's humanity and the pain and suffering she has endured. She describes Medusa's "tears of stone," which suggest that even though she has been transformed into a being of stone, she still feels emotion and pain. The snakes in her hair, which are often seen as a symbol of her monstrosity, are also described as "her children," emphasizing the maternal aspect of her character and further humanizing her.

In the final stanza of the poem, Duffy shifts the focus to the way that Medusa is remembered and the way that her story has been told over time. She notes that Medusa has been "gazed upon" by "countless eyes," suggesting that she has been objectified and reduced to a spectacle for others to gawk at. The final lines of the poem, "they'll say: she was a monster,/ but I'll say: she was my sister," challenge the traditional narrative of Medusa as a monster and instead present her as a victim and a sister, someone who deserves compassion and understanding.

In "Medusa," Carol Ann Duffy offers a nuanced and empathetic retelling of the myth of Medusa that challenges the traditional portrayal of her as a monster. Through her use of language and imagery, Duffy humanizes Medusa and presents her as a victim of violence and injustice, rather than a villain. In doing so, the poem invites the reader to see Medusa in a new light and to reconsider the way that we tell and remember stories.

Carol Ann Duffy

medusa carol ann duffy

Duffy deliberately chooses to study women who are ignored or despised by their husbands or lovers, making it easier to portray women as victims. Medusa, the protagonist, uses the myth metaphorically in order to create a modern and reliable tone, allowing a wider audience and switching the focus from her actions to her feelings. When the bare eyes were before me And the hissing hair, Held up at a window, seen through a door. How was Medusa killed? She has transformed into a stronger creature, that is more threatening and free than the woman she was before has been. This means that there is no set rhyme scheme or metre to the poem. She looks really kill? To start with, both poems explore the conflicts in a love relationship between women and men.

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Free Essay: Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy

medusa carol ann duffy

The whole poem is free verse, which signifies the freedom the poet now feels. He wept when my robe fell from my shoulders. They usually had to resort to difficult physical labor to barely get by, jeopardizing their health in the process. Japan's subjugation of Korea, even though it actually took place in Korea, greatly affected the Korean population in America, sometimes even causing some of the initial Korean presence in the States. You should compare it with one poem by Simon Armitage and two poems from the pre-1912 poetry bank.

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In the poem "Medusa" by Carol Ann Duffy, how does its structure convey the theme of the poem?

medusa carol ann duffy

It covers various myths in order to give women a voice. Later, her head is given to the goddess Athena who puts it on her shield for use in battle. The Medea reveals how poisonous isolation and betrayal can be when met simultaneously. In Medusa, Carol ann Duffy presents the character as a very jealous and vengeful woman. The lack of verse form also adds to these emotions. With this background in mind, we might consider how the structure of the poem adds to or challenges our mis conceptions of the mythological Medusa. These cravings and affections are the downfall of women these days.

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Medusa: Carol Ann Duffy Flashcards

medusa carol ann duffy

The narrator has a hesitation that her lover is being unfaithful and rude which has she has been cursed and has also made her into a harsh and angry Gorgon. Poseidon never loved Medusa, only lusted for her. I looked at a snuffling pig, a boulder rolled in a heap of shit. A suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy grew in my mind, which turned the hairs on my head to filthy snakes as though my thoughts hissed and spat on my scalp. Towards the end of the poem the rhyming couplets become softer and reveal her changing emotions, she once felt angered and still does but her feelings of rage have developed into sadness and longing for her husband. At the beginning when she is talking about the man holding is dead wife in his arms the tone seems sad.

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Medusa

medusa carol ann duffy

In her last line Medusa says "look at me now". The poem points to the destructive potential of jealousy and rage, and to the way that men use women, only to discard them when they're no longer young and beautiful. You see her on the street. This is the feminist twist to this interpretation of the Medusa story that is only made possible by telling the story from Medusa's perspective. They are unable to control themselves of anything going on in the media or the papers and relentlessly dive in to get involved.

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Poem Analysis: Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy Free Essay Example 934 words

medusa carol ann duffy

The effects of this inner feeling of jealousy are very negative and very physical. Duffy displays these by using a powerful language, effective tones and different text structures. Were my scalp a wreath or crown of mouths, still, I would not open. Women's experiences, feelings, and thoughts become the new focus. Medusa is both terrifying and sympathetic in the poem, a woman transformed into a monster by her anger over her husband's affairs. What type of poem is Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy? First, the poem itself is in first person and is, importantly, told from Medusa's own perspective. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

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Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy

medusa carol ann duffy

The first nine stanzas with their four lines each, demonstrate the narrow mindedness of the white woman and the thinking of her fellow white Americans; while, the final one line stanza is an attempt by the poet to show that the Native American Indians are both separate and have a broader scope than the white Americans. This quote is a short sentence which emphasises her power and that when she looks at you, it doesnt take long till you are turned into stone. She is not going to die without knowing that her ex-husband has paid for his disloyalty. I stared at a dragon. Although, Stevenson has represented many different people on the death row, his main focus was on Walter McMillan, a black man who was wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The hatred and resentment she felt toward her mother that her psychiatrist Dr. So better by for me if you were stone.

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Carol Ann Duffy: Medusa Flashcards

medusa carol ann duffy

The painting also contains contrast between light and dark. Finally, throughout the poem, we read as Medusa describes her feelings and their physical manifestations to her beloved. Overall in the poem there is a melancholic tone taking place. How does Carol Ann Duffy present Medusa jealousy? The poem covers the themes of jealousy, anger and feminism from the point of an abused and suffering victim. Background Medusa was written to portray the story of the Greek mythological creature Medusa who originally was a beautiful maiden. Although we can empathise with the persona Duffy has created, we also feel uncomfortable with the brutality and crudeness within the poem.

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