Valentine: Stanza Seven

“Valentine: Stanza Seven Analysis”

Imagery and Metaphor

• The seventh stanza of Valentine begins with “Its scent will cling to your fingers,” a continuation of the extended metaphor of the onion.
• The onion’s scent evokes an almost unpleasant persistence, indicating the enduring nature of profound love that stays with you even after the experience has passed.
• “Cling to your knife”, the metaphor at the end of this stanza, suggests love’s potential to hurt or wound, with the strong image serving as a reminder of love’s risks and challenges.

Symbolism

• The knife in “cling to your knife” represents the ‘cutting’ edge of love, symbolizing the potential harm and pain it can cause. It could also represent the things we do in love that we might later regret.
• The onion’s scent, repeatedly mentioned throughout the poem, symbolizes the enduring impressions of love. Just like the smell of an onion that lingers, love leaves a lasting imprint.

Language Use

• Use of the imperative voice (“cling”) creates a sense of urgency and insistence, reflecting the speaker’s view that acknowledging love’s challenges is unavoidable and necessary.
• The second person pronoun ‘your’, used throughout the poem, creates a direct and intimate tone, suggesting the universality of the emotions Duffy is exploring.

Tone

• In stanza seven the tone becomes quite serious and contemplative, marking a shift from the earlier, somewhat playful tone.
• The speaker recognizes love’s potential to leave a lasting mark or cause harm, creating a tone of caution - this isn’t a naive or romanticized view of love but an honest one.