Carol Ann Duffy - why are her poems so against men?

OP

My teacher actually got asked this and said that it is because of her sexuality, but I am gay and don't hate women nor would I write something criticising them, so that makes no sense.

Reply 2

username3546138

18

I’m studying the Mean Time collection, so only a few contain men doing bad things but it does come across a little. Maybe she just has a bad experience with them? Know one but her can really be sure.

Reply 3

OP

Original post by Noodlestudent

I’m studying the Mean Time collection, so only a few contain men doing bad things but it does come across a little. Maybe she just has a bad experience with them? Know one but her can really be sure.

It sure does come across, particularly with Mrs. Midas & Havisham. There are glimpses of it in some of her other poems as well. Also, bar "Originally", not much of her poems seem to be about her, so not so sure about the bad experience one. I still don't understand why it is on the curriculum given it's nature. We wouldn't allow a gay man to write poems like that about women (and gay men at least get on with women unlike men and lesbians), so no reason for a lesbian to do the same with men.

Reply 4

username3842822

13

She's a feminist whore with nothing of any worth to say.

Reply 5

username3546138

18

I think the biographer is the best example of it, as the man in that cheats on his wife. Havisham is based of a Shakespeare character who was actually wronged in the original story, so might not be the best example.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 6

OP

Of course there is the story of Havisham, but I just feel that it is a commonality among her poems, and I think that it steps over the line.

Reply 7

the bear

she thinks she is being clever

Reply 8

Chelseaglover0

8

I thought she was a lesbian

Reply 9

aronofskygal

12

Not necessarily - it must be remembered that she is often portraying characters that have been wronged by men.

Reply 10

OP

Original post by Chelseaglover0

I thought she was a lesbian

I'm a gay guy and don't write hateful things about women.

Reply 11

Chelseaglover0

8

She must've been angry

Reply 12

OP

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Original post by Chelseaglover0

She must've been angry

Yet such things are being put on the curriculum? Everyone in the class noticed it after 3 poems.

Reply 13

Chelseaglover0

8

I find that rather odd

Reply 14

Andrew97

She wasn’t getting enough of the D.

Why do you think she wrote so many poems?

Reply 15

k.n.h.

14

Original post by Joe2001

I did 8 Duffy poems for part of my Higher English exam this year and a commonality running through a number of these poems is that she portrayed the men as a villain.
I get the impression that she has something against men and that her work crosses the line of reasonable feminism.

Anyone else agree with me?

I think it's because men benefited and woman were disadvantaged in British society at the time, and it was frustrating for her, so I guess that went into her poems.

Reply 16

OP

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Original post by Andrew97

She wasn’t getting enough of the D.

Why do you think she wrote so many poems?

Some people are homosexual (me included) so I don't agree with your first point, but I do agree that it seems like something was up with her attitude at the time of publication. Nothing that I have heard about her recently seems to have changed though. The tone of the poetry also gives a lot away.

Reply 17

Andrew97

Original post by Joe2001

Some people are homosexual (me included) so I don't agree with your first point, but I do agree that it seems like something was up with her attitude at the time of publication. Nothing that I have heard about her recently seems to have changed though. The tone of the poetry also gives a lot away.

In all seriousness bad jokes aside. She did grow up with a load of men, she was the only girl. I imagine it stemmed from that.

Reply 18

OP

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Original post by Andrew97

In all seriousness bad jokes aside. She did grow up with a load of men, she was the only girl. I imagine it stemmed from that.

That's a shame that she feels that way. I don't have much male figures in my life, most of my family are female and I don't have a hatred of certain genders. It's all about perspective. I suppose that I don't know what her true experience was, but I don't think that the SQA should be putting such bitter poetry on the curriculum.

Reply 19

Andrew97