Carol Ann Duffy's Poetry
Support for studying English GCSE and A Level
Carol Ann Duffy - BiographyDame Carol Ann Duffy was born (Glasgow, Scotland) on 22 January 1572. She is a poet, playwright, children’s author and freelance writer. She was Britain's Poet Laureate from May 2009 – May 2019.
Duffy was born in a poor part of Glasgow, to a Roman Catholic family. She was the eldest of five siblings. Her parents were Mary (Black) and Frank Duffy. She and her family moved to Stafford, England when she was six. Duffy was producing poems from the age of eleven. Duffy’s poetry deals with themes of gender, oppression and violence. She has been described as writing in an accessible way, which has made her poetry popular with schools. Duffy’s work has received numerous accolades. Some of her popular poetry collections are: Standing Female Nude (1985), Selling Manhattan (1987), Mean Time (1993), and Rapture (2005). Some of Duffy’s plays include: Take My Husband (1982), Cavern of Dreams (1984), Little Women, Big Boys (1986) and Loss (1986). Duffy’s poetry regularly appears in English GCSE anthologies and on A Level syllabuses. Many students have studied her work for GCSE and A Level English Literature. |
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Carol Ann Duffy - 'Hour' - Annotation
Annotation prompts for Carol Ann Duffy's 'Hour'. 'Hour' was published in the collection Rapture (2005) that focuses on the highs and lows of a romantic relationship. In 'Hour' the conflict seems to be between love and time. An hour is a unit of time, but can also be interpreted as a special moment or period. Carol Ann Duffy (born 23.12.55 in Glasgow) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She was the first female Poet Laureate (UK, 2009). The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation. |
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Carol Ann Duffy - 'Quickdraw' - Annotation
Annotation prompts for Carol Ann Duffy's 'Quickdraw'. 'Quickdraw' was published in the collection Rapture (2005) that focuses on the highs and lows of a romantic relationship. In 'Quickdraw' the persona is waiting for his or her partner to get in contact. Duffy employs several images from the Western genre. "Quick draw" literally means a game or competition in which the winner is the quickest person to draw a handgun from a holster and sometimes to fire it and hit a target. Carol Ann Duffy (born 23.12.55 in Glasgow) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She was the first female Poet Laureate (UK, 2009). The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation. |
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Carol Ann Duffy - 'War Photographer' - Annotation
Annotation prompts for Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘War Photographer’. ‘War Photographer’ is about someone who takes pictures of war for a living. Carol Ann Duffy (born 23.12.55 in Glasgow) is a Scottish poet / playwright. 1st female Poet Laureate (UK, 2009). Duffy was friends with Don McCullin / Philip Jones Griffiths: two well-respected stills photographers (who specialise in war photography) when the poem was composed. What difficult decisions might a photographer have to make while taking pictures in a war zone? In an interview, Duffy said she is “more interested in the photographer...in the dilemma of someone who has that as a job.” The dilemma for the photographer: does he / she take the photograph or do something to help? The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further analysis and interpretation. |
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