The collection takes characters, stories, histories and myths which focus on men, and, in duffy s renowned feminist way, presents them anew for the public to look at the women that were previously obscured behind the men. An interview with uk poet laureate carol ann duffy and some activities to get you discussing her work and writing your own poetry. The lines are approximately 12 syllables long, although the exact length. Anne hathaway by carol ann duffy from the worlds wife the bed we loved in was a spinning world of forests, castles, torchlight, clifftops, seas where we would dive for pearls. Ive read this book a few times because its poetry thats fun while at the same time having a rich vein of truth running through it. After 10 years, the poet laureate is preparing to step down. For its inspiration, this collection of dramatic monologues relies upon a single stroke of genius. Behind every famous man is a great woman and from the quickt. On may 1st 2009, carol ann duffy became the uks twentieth poet laureate. Her work is read and enjoyed equally by critics, academics and lay readers, and it features regularly on both university syllabuses and school syllabuses.
Carol ann duffy, appointed britains poet laureate in 2009, writes love poems to poetry, and the world that feeds them. Taken from her collection of poems the worlds wife, carol ann duffys poem demeter is a quietly beautiful hymn to the relationship between mother and daughter. What carol ann duffy has done with the world s wife is give voice to the unsung wives of famous husbands of history and literature. Duffy s poems in the world s wife focus on either well known female figures or fictional counterparts to well known male figures. An interview with carol ann duffy learning edinburgh. The reader is vicariously, voyeuristically part of the grand celebration. Carol ann duffy will be at a guardian live event on.
The entirety is so well presented, from its beautiful silverfoiled cover, to the fact that it comes complete with a contents page. Duffys anthology playfully reimagines history and culture from. Interview lorna bradbury meets poet laureate carol ann duffy, discussing climate change, poetry, and a new poem published exclusively in the telegraph today. Background collection the worlds wife 1999 motif the poems in this collection of duffy look at the heroes and villains of history and myth, which focus on men, from the female perspective, usually in the voice of a real or imagined wife. Her project recalls the poems of the americans ai and pamela white hadas, but the elan of this volume sets it apart, the characters and poems triumphant. She is one of britains best known and most admired poets. However, beyond this is the significance of duffys work in giving women a voice. Written on the pretext, if his wife could speak, what would she say, duffys monologues gives a voice to women who are usually defined by their men. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at manchester metropolitan university, and was appointed britain s poet laureate in may 2009, resigning in 2019. The worlds wife is carol ann duffy s first themed collection of poems published in 1999. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at manchester metropolitan university, and was appointed britains poet laureate in may 2009, resigning in 2019. The world s wife is a collection of poetry by carol ann duffy, originally published in the uk in 1999 by both picador and anvil press poetry and later published in the united states by faber and faber in 2000.
The worlds wife by carol ann duffy is a humorous and vicious set of poems taking famous mythical and real characters and portraying their female counterparts point of view. Dame carol ann duffy dbe frsl honfba honfrse born 23 december 1955 is a british poet and playwright. The collection of poems by carol ann duffy entitled the worlds wife, was first published in 1999 and presents stories, myths, fairy tales and characters in western culture from the point. Her poems appeal to those who wouldnt usually read poetry and they appear on the national curriculum. Midas is at ease at her kitchen enjoying domesticity. Carol ann duffy, one of the most significant names in contemporary british poetry, has achieved that rare feat of both critical and commercial success. Like it took ten years in the woods to tell that a mushroom stoppers the mouth of a buried corpse, that birds are the uttered thought of trees, that a greying wolf howls the same old song at the moon, year in, year out. Carol ann duffys the worlds wife 1999 takes a very common relationship that of man and wife and presents a collection of poetic monologues from the perspective of the wife. Much like carol ann duffys poetry, this collection of feminist revisionist mythology focuses on themes of inherited or collective memory and the ways in which our past is intrinsically tied to our future. The worlds wife an interview with carol ann duffy about. Carol ann duffy by deryn reesjones is also pretty good study of the poet, as is the poetry of carol ann duffy. B ehind every great man there is said to be a great woman, although with carol ann duffy it is not so straightforward.
With comprehensive teaching notes, a wide range of engaging resources, activities and ks2 sat style test papers, this pack contains all you need to teach the most challenging grammar topics. The worlds wife is a collection of poetry by carol ann duffy, originally published in the uk in 1999 by both picador and anvil press poetry and later published in the united states by faber and faber in 2000. Ks5 poetry duffy, carol ann the worlds wife teachit. Jeanette winterson on the poetry of carol ann duffy of. A revered artist whose work focuses on the rich fantasy life and feats of imagination that underlie the everyday and the banal. If not for mean time, then it will be for the worlds wife 1999 that posterity will recall carol ann duffys work. Thinking about carol ann duffys work, and the place of poetry and a poet laureate in society. Duffy, carol ann the worlds wife unseen poetry teaching pack. In which i read poems from carol ann duffys the world wife collection which are obviously all 100% cad and i own none of and am just spreading the joy and stressing a. The worlds wife the poems little red cap uk 1 the poem is divided into regular stanzas. Men, women, and representation in duffys the worlds wife.
Anne hathaway by carol ann duffy from the worlds wife. This month, were talking about carol ann duffys the worlds wife, a 1999 collection of poetry. Delilah carol ann duffy by claire tierney on prezi. I was so excited when i opened this most beautiful of books on christmas morning. We might view delilahs act as one that is sympathetic to her lovers desire to learn tenderness, stating and, yes, i was sure he wanted to change and that in following his wishes through. Carol ann duffy was born on december 23rd 1955 in glasgow and is a very strong feminist, in the worlds wife duffy explores what it is like to be a woman and uses dramatic monologue in many of her poems to convey her thoughts. What carol ann duffy has done with the worlds wife is give voice to the unsung wives of famous husbands of history and literature. Little red cap is the opening poem of carol ann duffys 1999 collection the worlds wife.
Aug 25, 2017 carol ann duffy was born on december 23rd 1955 in glasgow and is a very strong feminist, in the worlds wife duffy explores what it is like to be a woman and uses dramatic monologue in many of her poems to convey her thoughts. Interview with carol ann duffy the telegraph 2011 carol ann duffy returns to the discussion of whether poetry is difficult and talks about texting and tweeting as poetic forms. Thinking about carol ann duffy s work, and the place of poetry and a poet laureate in society. Carol ann duffy will be reading from the worlds wife at the picador classic day at foyles bookshop, london wc2, on 7 february. The collection takes characters, stories, histories and myths which focus on men, and, in duffys. Little red cap poem summary and analysis litcharts. Carol ann duffy interview teenagers rate her poetry as second only to shakespeares and, like the bard, love colours much of her work. In her brilliant, witty, subversive collection of poems, the world s wife.
In her brilliant, witty, subversive collection of poems, the worlds wife. In 200919 she served as the first woman poet laureate of great britain. Aug 04, 2014 this month, were talking about carol ann duffys the worlds wife, a 1999 collection of poetry. Choosing tough words by angelica michelis and antony rowland eds, a collection of essays. Prizewinning fiction and nonfiction books from around the world the worlds wife by carol ann. Take a step by step approach to building your students confidence in understanding and analysing unseen poems. This gap in our collective musical knowledge led to a breakthrough in his latest ambitious project. May 12, 2008 in which i read poems from carol ann duffy s the world wife collection which are obviously all 100% cad and i own none of and am just spreading the joy and stressing a little for my lit. Carol ann duffy, british poet whose wellknown and wellliked poetry engaged such topics as gender and oppression, expressing them in familiar, conversational language that made her work accessible to a variety of readers. Duffy is best known for writing love poems that often take the form of monologues. What better way to meet the poet than a full and frank interview concerning the worlds wife where she reveals all her inspirations, the meanings of certain poems as well as how and why she writes.
Carol ann duffy the worlds wife ive decided to use carol ann duffys collection of poems entitled the worlds wife for my text transformation and the poems which i want to focus on are mrs darwin, anne hathaway and mrs icarus. We also hope youll join us next time, on monday, october 6, when well be discussing melanie gideons wife 22. What better way to meet the poet than a full and frank interview concerning the world s wife where she reveals all her inspirations, the meanings of certain poems as well as how and why she writes. Praise for the worlds wife duffy offers us the past as it could have been. Duffys poems in the worlds wife focus on either well known female figures or fictional counterparts to well known male figures. Anne hathaway by carol ann duffy from the world s wife the bed we loved in was a spinning world of forests, castles, torchlight, clifftops, seas where we would dive for pearls. Carol ann duffy is a master at drawing on myth and history, then subverting them in a vivid and surprising way to create poems that have the pull of the past and the crack of. Pdf little red cap was written by the scottish poet carol ann duffy, who served as the first female poet laureate of the united kingdom between 2009 and 2019. Buy the worlds wife by carol ann duffy at mighty ape nz. Yet in matters of the heart, carol ann duffy admits she is no.
She was the first woman, the first scottishborn poet, and the first lgbt poet to hold the position. Each of the thirty poems in this book takes as its theme a character from history, mythology or popular culture and gives it a feminist treatment, usually by telling the untold story of the woman in the life of a male character. May 16, 2018 carol ann duffy wrote the worlds wife in order to scrutinize the representation of both men and women, inspired by her strong feminist views reconstructing, for example, many of the voiceless women from throughout history. Carol ann duffy is an awardwinning scottish poet who, according to danette dimarco in mosaic, is the poet of postpost war england. Interview with carol ann duffy edinburgh international book festival 2017 carol ann duffy talks about her laureateship and gives advice for aspiring young poets. Duffy calls up a parade of historical and mythological characters and. It is the first poem in her 1999 collection the worlds wife, which depicts figures from history or mythology through a feminist lens. Taylor 4 atwoods t r r w novella the penelopiad has similar intentions to he orlds ife. May 11, 2010 carol ann duffy interview teenagers rate her poetry as second only to shakespeare s and, like the bard, love colours much of her work. An interview with carol ann duffy about the worlds wife carol ann duffy. Carol ann duffys recent appointment as poet laureate is a significant milestone for women in poetry. Mar 24, 2014 carol ann is the current poet laureate of the uk.
Carol ann duffy has published four highly praised collections of poetry. I was asked to read her aloud in class after bringing up a poem, little red cap, which we hadnt been assigned. Mrs midas by carol ann duffy scottish poetry library. Carol ann duffy wrote the worlds wife in order to scrutinize the representation of both men and women, inspired by her strong feminist views reconstructing, for example, many of the voiceless women from throughout history. Carol ann duffy the worlds wife lyrics and tracklist. Ive read this book a few times because it s poetry that s fun while at the same time having a rich vein of truth running through it. Jan 23, 2010 b ehind every great man there is said to be a great woman, although with carol ann duffy it is not so straightforward.