Carol Ann Duffy and Liz Lochhead Explore Memories
Compare and contrast how Duffy and Lochhead explore memories
Both Carol Ann Duffy and Liz Lochhead provide an exploration of their childhood memories, and how these memories have changed and developed with age into analysis of social expectations of men and women in the 1960's. In Duffys poem Litany and Lochheads poem 1953, both poets reflect on their childish perceptions of their parents conformity to social convention. Duffy and Lochhead excellently implement a dramatic monologue form to convey their feelings towards their parents conventional roles within the home. In Duffys Litany, the poem is narrated by Duffys younger self who naively recounts women obsessed with social class and identity. The irregularity of the last two stanzas cleverly suggest that even at a young age Duffy felt as though the nature of these women who, dictated by the expectations of society at this time, and in particular Duffys strictly catholic community, seemed strange and distorted to her. Lochhead also uses a dramatic monologue form to great effect for her reflective poem '1953'. Lochhead expertly uses this form to convey the admiration she felt at a young age, and still feels as an adult towards her parents, and the pains they went to turning their house into a home. Her admiration for her father in particular is apparent as the first stanza, consisting of Lochheads memories of her father labouring outside around the house, is the longest. This suggests that Lochheads pride and admiration of her father is great as he partakes in outdoor work, stereotypically associated with the male at this time. Stanza two, although not as substantial in length as the first stanza still powerfully convey a spence of admiration and marvel at her mothers ability to turn an empty house into a colourful, war, home. Through her expert use of future continuous tense in the last stanza "I will watch" "coming up the path", Lochhead creates the deeply emotional and personal
Both Carol Ann Duffy and Liz Lochhead provide an exploration of their childhood memories, and how these memories have changed and developed with age into analysis of social expectations of men and women in the 1960's. In Duffys poem Litany and Lochheads poem 1953, both poets reflect on their childish perceptions of their parents conformity to social convention. Duffy and Lochhead excellently implement a dramatic monologue form to convey their feelings towards their parents conventional roles within the home. In Duffys Litany, the poem is narrated by Duffys younger self who naively recounts women obsessed with social class and identity. The irregularity of the last two stanzas cleverly suggest that even at a young age Duffy felt as though the nature of these women who, dictated by the expectations of society at this time, and in particular Duffys strictly catholic community, seemed strange and distorted to her. Lochhead also uses a dramatic monologue form to great effect for her reflective poem '1953'. Lochhead expertly uses this form to convey the admiration she felt at a young age, and still feels as an adult towards her parents, and the pains they went to turning their house into a home. Her admiration for her father in particular is apparent as the first stanza, consisting of Lochheads memories of her father labouring outside around the house, is the longest. This suggests that Lochheads pride and admiration of her father is great as he partakes in outdoor work, stereotypically associated with the male at this time. Stanza two, although not as substantial in length as the first stanza still powerfully convey a spence of admiration and marvel at her mothers ability to turn an empty house into a colourful, war, home. Through her expert use of future continuous tense in the last stanza "I will watch" "coming up the path", Lochhead creates the deeply emotional and personal