Answer: Key Quotes

“Answer: Key Quotes” Overview

Reality and Imagination

• “If you were made of ink, you’d stain my thumb” - Metaphorical language used to suggest how the subject overwhelms the speaker’s senses. It also alludes to the intimacy and the close connection they share.
• “If you were made of stars, your light would scorch my eyes” - This hyperbolic comparison conveys the speaker’s fascination and infatuation with the subject.

Passion and Desire

• “I want the one I can’t have” - Short, simple sentence, yet powerfully conveys the speaker’s unfulfilled longing and desire.

Identity and Expression

• “This is language” - Short, emphatic sentence underlines the importance of language as a means of expressing love, emphasizing the interplay between identity and language.
• “I let fall between your skin and my tongue” - Suggests intimacy, an intense connection between the speaker and subject.

Emotions and Suffering

• “Talking the tip from the Iceberg of my heart” - This metaphor effectively communicates the speaker’s internal emotional struggle, hidden beneath the surface.
• “If you were a drug, you’d damage my brain” - This simile depicts the deleterious effect the subject has on the speaker, showcasing the perilous yet irresistible pull of desire.

Affirmation of Love

• “You are the one I want” - The final declaration in the poem affirms the speaker’s intense desire and love for the subject, demonstrating a confirmation of their feelings despite the pain and struggle encountered.

In ‘Answer,’ Duffy perfectly encapsulates the complexity of human emotions, particularly the dichotomy between desire and suffering. Using a variety of literary techniques, she portrays the speaker’s paradoxical state where love is both tormenting and alluring.