A poem that deals with the theme of love through strong human emotions is "Valentine" written by Carol-Ann Duffy. The poet's attitude towards love is unusual as it provides a different perspective on how we can look at it by describing the unconventional and pessimistic side of life. In-depth metaphorical techniques. Duffy's use of imagery, structure, choice of words and how he deals with love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Immediately the reader thinks that the poem is about conventional and original love with the title "Valentine's Day" as it has connotations of flowers, chocolate and love. It refers to conventional notions of love and traditional love. But… the poem begins with a direct, negative statement that immediately sets the tone and reveals the fact that this is not a stereotypical Valentine’s Day poem, “Not a red rose or a heart of satin.” The poet is adamant in telling the reader what the poem is not about, and this leaves the reader curious as to what the poet thinks love is since Duffy clearly does not think conventional gifts, such as roses or hearts, signify love between two people. in any significant way. And to further his point of strong emotion, Duffy gives this line a separate verse to completely emphasize his point. Instead, Duffy begins the next stanza by informing the reader of the real gift - an onion -. “I'll give you an onion”, this metaphor shows their relationship and description of love. He also suggests peeling back an onion by deepening it like you do in a relationship, peeling back the layers, deepening your partner. Duffy then explains how the onion is a symbol of love, he says, "It's a moon wrapped in brown paper." This use of imagery is effective as it can be used in different contexts. It may imply that the onion indicates love in the sense that the outside is irrelevant, it is only the inside that matters and has value, and the idea of ​​the "wrapped" onion could imply protection and security, or perhaps there is something hidden inside like a gift. Even the reader giving the gift might think that it doesn't need elaborate packaging, the gift of love is enough and highlights the theme, truth and honesty. In the previous verse the attitude was informative and light-hearted. But as the next verse begins, Duffy becomes more direct and gradually more forceful as she offers the gift and says, "Here." This gives the impression that his emotions are becoming unstable in the way he used an imperative, when giving a gift should be a graceful process. However, I don't find this method very convincing. The gift should not be forced on her lover, but it shows how passionate she is about the gift. It could also suggest a reluctance on the part of her lover to take the onion, as she forces him to take it. Duffy then goes on to talk about how the onion will affect her lover "It will blind you with tears, like a lover", the onion is like a lover because it makes you cry. The verb "blind" may also suggest the traditional idea that love (or Cupid) is blind. Then he says, “It will turn your reflection into a shaky photo of pain.” The onion reflects a distorted image of anyone who looks at it, as if this reflection were a "shaky photo" - an image that does not stay still, as the onion takes time to settle on a surface. In the last stanza the poet begins by describing the qualities of the onion, he says, "Lethal", it has connotations of poison, pain and suffering and this suggests how tainted and dangerous love is. It could also imply that love will last until your death because it clings to you. Score