With Close Reference to the Devil’s Wife, Explore How Duffy Presents Power and Compare This with Her Presentation of Power in Other Poems

With close reference to The Devil’s Wife, explore how Duffy presents power and compare this with her presentation of power in other poems

In “Dirt”, Duffy tells the tale of Myra Hindley who, in conjunction with Ian Brady murdered six young children. Written as a dramatic monologue, Duffy is able to evoke a sense of empathy in her reader, thus enabling them to form a better understanding of the speaker’s situation, making the poem all the more effective. The majority of the poems in this collection are dramatic monologues, which allows Duffy to foreground the speaker.

Duffy chose to mix structural techniques in The Devil’s Wife, using both end-stopped lines and enjambment. These forces the reader to stop or to carry on as Duffy pleases. It shows that she holds control and can make the reader do what she wants them to, which could be indicative of the power that Brady had over Hindley. It also symbolises the loss of control that Hindley had once Brady became a part of her life.

Throughout her poems Duffy effectively uses rhyme. In Salome, rhymes are used to encourage speed. When words rhyme they are easier and faster to say. The abundance of rhymes reflects on the character’s views on sex. It shows how unimportant and superficial it may be to her. In this extract however, rhyme is used to show a gradual loss of power. Ironically, to be able to rhyme takes control and awareness. In stanza 1, Duffy uses internal rhyme on two occasions: “dirt…flirt” and “gum….dumb” showing that Hindley, as the voice, still has some self-control. “Dirt” and “Flirt” also pose a contrast to each other as the way Brady looks “at the girls in the office” means that he does not value them. Incongruously, he proceeded to establish a relationship with Hindley. However Duffy shows her control when she describes how she “gave as good as [I] got” thereby attracting him. The word “dirt” starts with a hard letter emphasising the meaning of the word and its harshness; the strength of the “d” also gives a sense of finality. “Flirt” however has a much softer sound which represents a fun relationship between two people.
In stanza 2, the rhymes reduce to half-rhymes, “soul…doll” suggesting that Hindley is losing the ability to control herself, indicating that Brady is dominant, culminating in a complete lack of rhyme in stanza 3. The absence of power is shown in Little Red Cap through the devouring of the “dove”, which is metaphoric for the innocence of the main voice. Despite her going “in search of [a] living bird” it is eaten by the wolf, “One bite, Dead.”.
Duffy’s choice of doll suggests Hindley is detaching herself from this being a child as it may reveal some immaturity.

"Dirt" is presented in three stanzas, each one of them having a different focus. The poem is written in first person and this increases the sense of empathy between the reader and the speaker but the pronouns change through each stanza. In stanza one both "the devil" and the narrator are referred to as separate people through the use of "I", "he" or "him". This identifies the character as individuals thus marking the power struggle in their relationship. In this first stage the "fire" of their relationship starts to burn and emphasises the power and intensity of Hindley’s feelings for him and the control Brady has over her. Brady is referred to as the "devil” in the same way the male character in Little Red Cap is referred to as a “wolf”, thereby associating Brady with fire. The alliteration used between "fire" and "for" emphasises the soft sensual “f” sound, to carry the reader into the more sexual and intimate second stanza. At this stage their relationship becomes physical, and Duffy’s language becomes more colloquial and basic, which can also be seen in Salome: ”the booze and the fags and the sex” again referring to sexual activities. In The Devil’s Wife the phallic representation of “two fags” and strength in the alliterative “bit my breast” hint at his violence and physical dominance. They are participating in activities together and this identifies the new status of their relationship. It also shows how the power that Brady has over Hindley has grown. He is shown as violent and this is emphasised through Duffy’s selection of words. “Two black slates for eyes” encourages the reader to view him as an abusive man with very little consideration for Hindley, and this is shown through the description of their love-making. “His language was foul”, yet, Hindley is increasingly attracted to him despite his flaws which show the extent of the power that he exerts over her.

Brady and Hindley then become one, and the devil in Brady is transferred to Hindley: “He entered me". This is ambiguous and could mean that through sex, Brady's spirit possessed her. She is also able to portray his control over her in “he made me”; the ‘m’ sound induces force in the pronunciation and emphasises his dominance over her. Formerly identified as stubborn, we can see how the life is "squeezed" out of Hindley. Paradoxically, she becomes increasingly blatant in her lust for him; “I went mad for the sex”. She seems to lose care for things around her - "I heard the judge summing up. I didn't care", although this could be an attempt to pretend indifference. She begins to exhibit some demonic attributes, represented in her "medusa stare", finally identifying herself as "the devil's wife", meaning she belongs to him.

There are direct references to their crimes “We gave up going to work. It was either the woods ok looking at playgrounds, fairgrounds”. Duffy’s choice of “doll” suggests that Hindley is detaching herself from this being a child and it may also reveal some immaturity. A doll is a lifeless and inanimate object with no self-control, further emphasising Hindley lack of power. Ironically the section finishes with “Nobody’s Mam”. This gives the section a harsh finality and shows how all links with maternal affection are severed.

In Medusa repetition is effectively used with “I know” and “Nobody” making Hindley appear petulant and childish, linking back to the immaturity portrayed with the doll.
By incorporating “What big ears he had! What big eyes he had” in Little Red Cap, Duffy is able to maintain a similar theme of immaturity across. It is an effective method of linking the subverted poem back to the original fairy tale, in the same way that referencing the crimes that Hindley and Brady committed links ‘The World’s Wife’ back to the original story of the Moors murders.

Many of the poems in the collection use revisionism or subversion as one of Duffy’s main techniques. However, The Devil’s Wife is quite unique in many ways as it is based on a true historical event, albeit form Duffy’s perspective. By telling a story that shocked the society of its time, Duffy is able to effectively portray her main themes such as power and control in relationships and is able to shock her readers into realising the effect these can have on society.