Mrs Midas: Stanzas Ten to Eleven

Overview of “Mrs Midas: Stanza Ten to Eleven”

Stanza ten sees Mrs Midas alone and in denial about her husband’s unfortunate affliction. She attempts to evoke a sense of normality, by continuing with her usual cooking, but the horror of the situation is underlined when she mistakenly bends over to kiss her husband and finds “the lips that [she] kissed”, turned to gold.
In Stanza eleven, Mrs Midas acknowledges the reality of her husband’s fate but takes refuge in denial to cope with her distress. She employs humour to disguise her fear and sorrow, even jesting about the financial windfall they could make by turning everyday objects into gold. Duffy utilises this dark humour to dramatise the tragic transformation of Mr. Midas’ touch.

Analysis of Language and Imagery in “Mrs Midas: Stanza Ten to Eleven”

The use of sensory language like “crisp” and “cold” alongside items of normality, such as potatoes and garlic, contrast sharply against the supernatural transformation, creating a sense of surrealism.
Duffy makes use of the dramatic monologue to involve readers directly, eliciting empathy through Mrs Midas’ personal perspective. The lines: “I wish he could put it all back as it was… But who believes in fairy tales?” reflect her profound sorrow and feelings of dismay in an intimate, conversational tone.
Irony is effectively deployed as a device for comic relief when Mrs Midas imagines turning their toilet into gold; this contrasts starkly against the tragic consequence of her husband’s touch.
Symbolism runs through these stanzas as her husband’s golden touch, initially a symbol of wealth and prosperity, becomes a symbol of destruction and curse. This dramatic shift represents their shattered lives and hopes.
Mrs Midas’s feeling of ‘No Longer human’, makes use of hyperbole to emphasise the increasingly alien and inhuman nature of her husband’s transformation.

Through these stanzas Duffy skilfully captures the psychological turmoil and distressing reality that Mrs Midas faces, creating a potent blend of tragicomic elements and emotional depth. Studying this part of the poem with awareness of the underlying themes and language devices will allow for a more layered interpretation.