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What does onion symbolize in Valentine?
The most obvious symbol in the poem, of course, is the onion that the speaker gives to their lover in place of more expected valentines, such as roses or a “kissogram.” The onion in the poem symbolizes the true nature of love—that is, it is meant to represent love as it really is, rather than some overly romanticized …
What does the onion symbolize in Carol Ann Duffy’s poem Valentine?
The poet spurns traditional expressions of love in favor of a nontraditional Valentine’s Day gift, claiming that it symbolized love in a much more realistic way than roses or heart-shaped candies. ‘Valentine’ uses an everyday ordinary object, the onion, to represent her deepest feelings and most abstract thoughts.
How is an onion a symbol of love?
An onion is more like love than any of these superficial symbols, she argues. “Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, / possessive and faithful.” Like the bite of an onion (a food that bites you back), love’s taste and sting stays with you. She continues to offer her lover the onion, urging him to take it.
Why does Duffy use an onion?
Duffy shows her wit and poetic cleverness by managing to keep the extended metaphor of the onion being like her love going throughout the poem. By doing this Duffy turns an ordinary object, an ‘onion’ into an unusual symbol of love, and makes it seem a more appropriate symbol than traditional Valentine gifts.
What does an onion Symbolise?
Symbolism: An onion represents tears, memories, layers, disguises, evil spirits and jealousy. If you see someone cutting an onion and making you cry, it means that the person is extremely jealous of you in the waking life.
Which extended metaphor is used within valentine?
the onion
The multi-layered complexity of the onion represents a real relationship and is used as an extended metaphor throughout. The strangeness of this unusual gift, which can make a lover cry, highlights the negative as well as the positive effects of a deep and loving relationship.
What does fierce kiss mean?
The full stop signifies a pause as the speaker awaits their gift to be received. As the poem continues in the line Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, the lover is attempting to articulate not only the romantic, positive aspects of love but its more negative, darker associations.
What does I give you an onion mean?
I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.
Why do you give an onion as a Valentine gift?
The speaker of the poem offers her lover an onion as a Valentine gift. This is clearly not a conventional gift like satin hearts or roses; nevertheless she gives an onion because it represents her love in many different ways. She continues through the poem comparing different aspects of the onion to different aspects of her love.
Why is the Onion a symbol of Love?
Duffy uses single isolated lines to show that she rejects the conventional Valentines. Duffy in effect lists reasons why the onion is an appropriate symbol of love. First, the conventional romantic symbol of the moon is concealed in it. The moon is supposed to govern women’s passions.
What does the onion represent in the poem Valentine?
‘Valentine’ uses an everyday ordinary object, the onion, to represent her deepest feelings and most abstract thoughts. The juxtaposition of ordinary objects with her intense feelings serves to create the mood and tone of this particular work.
How does an onion represent love in Duffy?
The idea of using an onion to represent your love for someone may be laughed at. However, the onion could metaphorically speaking represent the many layers of love or how love is bitter sweet. Duffy shows how an onion could mean a lot more than invaluable gifts such as ‘a rose or a satin heart’.