Betrothal: Key Quotes

“Betrothal” Key Quotes

“She opened her dress like a silent answer…”

Duffy makes use of a simile here, figuratively comparing the action of opening a dress to a silent answer. This represents the subtle power dynamics in the relationship and showcases Duffy’s exploration of female expression and sexuality.

“…touched her breasts and I saw my future written there…”

Here, her breasts are metaphorically projecting the future, giving them a divinatory role. The imagery further provides commentary on how women are treated as signifiers of the future— giving birth, caring for the next generation, etc.

“…my own sweet self, fading in the mirror…”

This quote portrays the act of self-erasure—the fading of one’s individuality or identity in the context of love and relationships. It encapsulates the theme of loss of self that runs deeply within the poem.

“…leaping out of the walls of the heart onto the white page…”

With the use of metaphor, Duffy visualises the uncontrollable emotions, the intense passion escaping from the ‘walls of the heart’, symbolizing the act of professing love and expressing one’s deepest feelings on a metaphorical ‘white page’.

“‘I give you,’ she said, ‘A lifetime’s service…”

This quote entails the commitment being made in a relationship, underlining the role of duty or service within love. It also brings about the theme of gender roles and expectations in traditional courtship.

Review these extracts critically while studying “Betrothal”, and evaluate Duffy’s use of language, themes and methods to express the complexities and dimensions of love, devotion, and womanhood in this poem.