Thetis – Carol Ann Duffy

1. Thetis – Carol Ann Duffy Yan Qing Mo http://www.crystalinks.com/shapeshifter.jpg

2. Hook http://www.impawards.com/1991/hook_ver1_xlg.html http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs23/f/2007/329/6/e/Thetis_by_noir.jpg

3. I sank through the floor of the earth to swim in the sea. Mermaid, me, big fish, eel, dolphin, whale, the ocean’s opera singer. Over the waves the fisherman came with his hook and his line and his sinker I changed my tune to raccoon, skunk, stoat, to weasel, ferret, bat, mink, rat. The taxidermist sharpened his knives. I smelled the stink of formaldehyde. Stuff that. I was wind, I was gas, I was all hot air, trailed clouds for hair. I scrawled my name with a hurricane, when out of the blue roared a fighter plane. Then my tongue was flame and my kisses burned, but the groom wore asbestos. So I changed, I learned, turned inside out - or that’s how it felt when the child burst out. . I shrank myself to the size of a bird in the hand of a man. Sweet, sweet, was the small song that I sang, till I felt the squeeze of his fist. Then I did this: shouldered the cross of an albatross up the hill of the sky. Why? To follow a ship. But I felt my wings clipped by the squint of a crossbow’s eye. So I shopped for a suitable shape. Size 8. Snake. Big Mistake. Coiled in my charmer’s lap, I felt the grasp of his strangler’s clasp at my nape. Next I was roar, claw, 50 lb paw, jungle-floored, meateater, raw, a zebra’s gore in my lower jaw. But my gold eye saw the guy in the grass with the gun. Twelve-bore. Mark up: Enjambment Imagery Enumeration Diction Irony Allusion Personification Metaphor Alliteration

4. I sank through the floor of the earth to swim in the sea. Mermaid, me, big fish, eel, dolphin, whale, the ocean’s opera singer. Over the waves the fisherman came with his hook and his line and his sinker I changed my tune to raccoon, skunk, stoat, to weasel, ferret, bat, mink, rat. The taxidermist sharpened his knives. I smelled the stink of formaldehyde. Stuff that. I was wind, I was gas, I was all hot air, trailed clouds for hair. I scrawled my name with a hurricane, when out of the blue roared a fighter plane. Then my tongue was flame and my kisses burned, but the groom wore asbestos. So I changed, I learned, turned inside out - or that’s how it felt when the child burst out. . I shrank myself to the size of a bird in the hand of a man. Sweet, sweet, was the small song that I sang, till I felt the squeeze of his fist. Then I did this: shouldered the cross of an albatross up the hill of the sky. Why? To follow a ship. But I felt my wings clipped by the squint of a crossbow’s eye. So I shopped for a suitable shape. Size 8. Snake. Big Mistake. Coiled in my charmer’s lap, I felt the grasp of his strangler’s clasp at my nape. Next I was roar, claw, 50 lb paw, jungle-floored, meateater, raw, a zebra’s gore in my lower jaw. But my gold eye saw the guy in the grass with the gun. Twelve-bore.

5. Structure: • 8 Stanzas • Each with 6 verses • Each stanza has a different • contribution to the poem • Free Verse • Rhyme: • There’s end rhyme, but no unnoticeable patterns • Fewer internal rhymes than end rhymes • 15 cases of Enjambment • Length of verses: • Short and long http://www.synchrosecrets.com/synchrosecrets/?p=941

6. Literal Meaning http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Detail_Pioneer_Group_Louvre_G65.jpg • Thetis from Greek Mythology: • Known as Goddess of water, or as a sea nymph • Zeus prophesized that her son was going to be a man who will surpass • his father. • Zeus and Poseidon arranged a marriage for her and a mortal • Thetis shape shifted, trying to prevent the arranged marriage • However, Peleus always found a way to capture her. • She ends up giving birth to Achilles • Failure to escape from the grasp of an “arranged marriage” • From a mortal • Someone she doesn’t want to marry • No matter how hard she tries to escape, the “groom” finds a way to prevent • her escape

7. Figurative Meaning • Unable to escape from the grasp of men • No matter what, the presence of man will always be present • Man’s strength and power’s superior to female • Heavily supported by literary devices • Demonstrates how no one desires an arranged marriage but • are obligated to • Somehow relates to homosexuality http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Thetis_Peleus_Cdm_Paris_539.jpg/600px-Thetis_Peleus_Cdm_Paris_539.jpg

8. Imagery • “Next I was roar, … • in my lower jaw” (19 – 22) • “I Shrank myself • to the size of a bird in the hand • of a man. • Sweet, sweet, was the small song • that I sang,” (1 – 5) • “Raccoon, … rat.” (32 – 33) • “I was wind, I was gas, • I was all hot air, trailed • clouds for hair.” (37 – 39) • “Shouldered the cross of an albatross • up the hill of the sky. • Why? To follow a ship” (8 – 10) • “My tongue was flame • and my kisses burned,” (43 -44) • “Size 8. Snake.” (14) • “Mermaid, … • whale, the ocean’s opera singer.” (27 – 28)

9. “The taxidermist sharpened his knives. • I smelled the stink of formaldehyde. • Stuff that.” (34 – 36) Imagery (Cont.) • “till I felt the squeeze of his fist.” (6) • “So I changed, I learned, • Turned inside out – or that’s • How it felt when the child burst out.” • (46 – 48) • “But I felt my wings • clipped by the squint of a crossbow’s eye.” • (11 – 12) • “I scrawled my name with a hurricane, • when out of the blue • roared a fighter plane.” (40 – 42) • “Coiled in my charmer’s lap, • I felt the grasp of his strangler’s clasp • at my nape.” (16 – 18) • “the guy in the grass with the gun. Twelve-bore.” (24) • “Over the waves the fisherman came • with his hook and his line and his sinker.” • (29 – 30) • “but the groom wore asbestos.” • (45)

10. Diction • “shouldered” (8) • “shopped” (13) • “roar” (19) • “sank” (25) • “tune” (31) • “scrawled” (40) • “burst” (48) http://www.theoi.com/image/P12.4AThetis.jpg

11. Enumeration • “Next I was roar, claw, 50 lb paw, • jungle-floored, meateater, raw, • a zebra’s gore • in my lower jaw.” (19 – 22) • “Mermaid, me, big fish, eel, dolphin, • whale, the ocean’s opera singer.”(27 – 28) • “to raccoon, skunk, stoat, • to weasel, ferret, bat, mink, rat.” (32 – 33) • “I was wind, I was gas, • I was all hot air,” (37 – 38) http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/g-thetis.jpg

12. I sank through the floor of the earth to swim in the sea. Mermaid, me, big fish, eel, dolphin, whale, the ocean’s opera singer. Over the waves the fisherman came with his hook and his line and his sinker I changed my tune to raccoon, skunk, stoat, to weasel, ferret, bat, mink, rat. The taxidermist sharpened his knives. I smelled the stink of formaldehyde. Stuff that. I was wind, I was gas, I was all hot air, trailed clouds for hair. I scrawled my name with a hurricane, when out of the blue roared a fighter plane. Then my tongue was flame and my kisses burned, but the groom wore asbestos. So I changed, I learned, turned inside out - or that’s how it felt when the child burst out. . I shrank myself to the size of a bird in the hand of a man. Sweet, sweet, was the small song that I sang, till I felt the squeeze of his fist. Then I did this: shouldered the cross of an albatross up the hill of the sky. Why? To follow a ship. But I felt my wings clipped by the squint of a crossbow’s eye. So I shopped for a suitable shape. Size 8. Snake. Big Mistake. Coiled in my charmer’s lap, I felt the grasp of his strangler’s clasp at my nape. Next I was roar, claw, 50 lb paw, jungle-floored, meateater, raw, a zebra’s gore in my lower jaw. But my gold eye saw the guy in the grass with the gun. Twelve-bore. Mark up: Enjambment Imagery Enumeration Diction Irony Allusion Personification Metaphor Alliteration

13. Discussion Questions By the tone in which the poem is written, can we distinguish Carol Ann Duffy’s view towards feminism and masculinity? How is it expressed differently from other poems? What connections, if any, does Thetis have with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Does this poem have anything to do with Carol Ann Duffy’s autobiography? Although Carol Ann Duffy is feminist, why did she write this poem which doesn’t support feminism?