Answer: Poet & Context

Contextual Factors in “Answer”

Time & Place: “Answer” was published in 2005 as part of Duffy’s collection titled ‘Rapture’. The poems in this collection traverse the course of a relationship from its euphoric beginnings to its painful end. This context allows for a richer understanding of “Answer”.
Duffy’s Personal Context: As the first woman, the first Scot, and the first openly gay person to hold the position of UK Poet Laureate, Duffy’s work often explores themes of identity, gender, and sexuality. The intimate and passionate voice in “Answer” reflects this context.
Larger Cultural Context: Duffy’s work is also marked by her social and political consciousness. “Answer”, with its nuanced expression of love, can be viewed as a subversion of traditional narratives of heterosexual love, thus reflecting the changing socio-cultural attitudes towards LGBTQ+ relationships.

Themes in “Answer”

Euphoria & Obsession: “Answer” exquisitely portrays the elation and obsession of a romantic love. The speaker’s longing is encapsulated with phrases like “let your hands speak my name.”
Return & Reiteration: The recurring phrase, “only let me hear your voice” suggests an urgent need for reciprocation of love. The idea of returning to a lover’s voice conveys themes of reiteration and repetition, inherent in language and love.
Intimacy & Vulnerability: The invitation to explore one’s world and name evokes deep intimacy while also exposing vulnerability. Such emotional nakedness is characteristic of Duffy’s love poems.

Linking Poems

“Hour” shares the theme of time’s impact on love. In “Answer”, the speaker is voracious for her lover’s voice while in “Hour”, time spent with the lover is coveted, revealing love’s tendency to warp perceptions of time.
“You” also explores the theme of intimacy and vulnerability. Like “Answer”, it exhibits a candid and personal tone, inviting readers into a private world of love.
“Quickdraw” resonates with “Answer” in terms of the euphoria and obsession depicted. Both poems explore the intensity of feeling in romantic relationships, albeit from different perspectives.

To engage deeply with “Answer” and other Duffy’s poems, it’s crucial to integrate the contextual, thematic understanding while drawing thoughtful connections between poems.