Attitude Towards Love in Valentine and The Flea Essay -- Poetry Poems

Through Close Analysis of Language, Structure and Theme, Compare and Contrast the Poet's Attitude Towards Love in Valentine and The Flea. The two poems "Valentine" and "The Flea" are about the two different ways in which the poets portray their views about love, however the poems are still linked in a few ways. "The Flea was published in the seventeenth century and was written by 'John Donne'. "Valentine" was published in 1983 and was written by 'Carol Ann Duffy'. Both poems are addressed to an unknown lover. The poem "Valentine" is written in free-verse form. Carol Ann Duffy could have used this irregular pattern because of the irregular present that she is giving to her lover. "Not a red rose or satin heart. I give you an onion." When you first read the poem you think that an onion is an absurd present to give to a lover but after analysis, you realise that she is trying to portray a message to us: It is not what is on the outside that counts. Duffy uses quite a lot of imagery in her poem to explain her message to the reader. "It is a moon wrapped in brown paper." This could be referring to the moon as a pure object that you first have to unwrap and explore before you can find the real meaning of it. It is also linking back to her point that it may look a bit unromantic from the outside but it is really what is inside that counts. She could be saying this because of her lover's attitude towards women. Maybe the lover only thinks about what the people look like, not what they really are is like inside. Duffy then comments on the emotional feelings that love could bring into a relationship. "It will blind you with tears like a lover." When you cut an onion it makes you cry, and usually... ...lood from his lover and that is what all fleas do. Donne then again emphasises the idea that now because of the flea's death some life has been taken from his lover. "Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee." This puts forward the idea of some life being taken from his lover because part of her was contained inside the flea. At first the two poems appear very different but after close inspection links can be established between the two poems. I think Carol Ann Duffy's poem is the more serious of the two as she is using an unusual item to portray her feelings for her lover. John Donne is just worried about getting his lover into to bed using the idea of the flea instead of wanting to portray his feelings towards his lover. He is too overconfident with himself that he will get the girl into bed with him when in the end he doesn't succeed.