Hour by Carol Ann DuffyNovember 13, 2013

Poet’s backgroundFirst female Poet Laureate (a poet officially chosen by the government to compose poetry for specific events; very prestigious)

Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry encourages her readers to put themselves in the shoes of the people excluded from society

What is “Hour” about?Love; more specifically, how precious just an hour with a loved one can be.

Also, time is an obstacle for lovers.

StructureFollows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet of 14 lines. BUT – no iambic pentameter

Predictable rhyme scheme of a-b-a-b-c-d-c-d-e-f-e-f-g-g -- label each line your anthology!

Sonnets usually have a rhyming couplet at the end to show a transition in meaning – Duffy only gives a half-turn, showing that love will always win in the end.

Answer in your book: Since the poem does not use iambic pentameter, this makes it seem more _________________ because…

LanguageDuffy compares the idea of having time for love as money, a currency – material wealth vs. the invaluable time spent with a lover.

Traditional terms of lovers such as flowers are replaced by unusual terms

Duffy contrasts between traditionally romantic images and ordinariness (gold vs straw; sunlight vs chandelier)

ThemeTime is the enemy of love -- although the poem presents the lovers as fulfilled and in the moment, they fear the passage of time as a threat to the relationship.

Overall, the poem revels in the celebration of being in love

Love’s time’s beggar, but even a single hour,love begs from time; takes away from itbright as a dropped coin, makes love rich.Simile even an hour spent together is invaluable

time is a passerby; love is the beggar – time drops a single hour into love’s “beggar’s cup”We find an hour together, spend it not on flowersmakes it personal difficulty in getting together pun;

monetary valueor wine, but the whole of the summer sky and a grass ditch. Not a traditionally romantic settingWe will not waste time on the usual romantic things, but to just spend time together is rich enough in a simple setting.

For thousands of seconds we kiss; your hairSibilance – a softness in sound

Juxtaposition: thousands = excess vs. seconds = limited time

like treasure on the ground; the Midas lightSimile Everything King Midas touched turned to gold

turning your limbs to gold. Time slows, for here Aching to capture the moment the lovers are together

we are millionaires, Rich in love/time; not in moneybackhanding the nightso nothing dark will end our shining hour relates back to “gold”

Fight/bribe the night away to stop it from comingTHIS STANZA IS THE ONLY ONE WHICH EXACTLY FOLLOWS THE PERFECT IAMBIC PENTAMETER. DUFFY WRITES OF ONE PERFECT HOUR – SO THE

STANZA MATCHES THAT ONE PERFECT HOUR!

no jewel hold a candle to the cuckoo spit

image of richness can’t compare to

hung from the blade of grass at your ear,Imagery of spring; renewal; young loversno chandelier or spotlight see you better litImage of richness

than here. The centre of her attention

Candle – natural light. Chandelier & spotlight = artificial lightNature always wins

 Now. Now - a single-line stanza which emphasises the urgency of the one perfect hour together. How quickly is it overTime hates love, wants love poor, a poverty of time not £ Personification poor – bankrupt of time, out of time

Time is the wealthy person; the one in controlLove is the victim; the one ‘begging’but love spins gold, gold, gold from straw.

Repetition = love never gives up; unstoppable; undeniable, despite the enemy of time