The role of speakers in Duffy's poetry

Mentally disturbed speakers:

Liar, Stealing, Mrs Lazarus, The Good Teachers, Who Loves You;

What kinds of “madness”, “anxiety”, mental stress is expressed in these poems?

Love-struck speakers:

Answer, Who Do You Love, Wintering

These are powerful love poems; what kinds of love are being expressed by these speakers?

Autobiographical speakers:

Brothers, Before You Were Mine, Mrs Tilscher’s class, The Good Teachers

These poems feel autobiographical; they feel like the author is revealing something of her life; what makes you think this? What feelings/thoughts does this “autobiographical” express?

 

Grieving speakers:

Mrs Lazarus, Nostalgia, Dream of a Lost Friend

Look at the images that suggest grief in the poems; think about the TYPES of grief that is being expressed; the sense of loss;

 

Professional speakers/people:

War Photographer, The Good Teachers, Mrs Tilscher’s class,

Think about the ways in which professional people are presented in the poems; are teachers presented negatively

 

Dreaming speakers

Dream of a  Lost Friend; Answer; Who Do You Love;  In Your Mind; Nostalgia

All these poems have a dream-like quality. What makes you think this?

 

Speakers with a conflicted sense of self; suffering an identity crisis

Nostalgia; Stealing; Liar; Mrs Tilscher’s class; The Good Teachers; Brothers

 

In what other ways could you group the different speakers in the poems?

Eg by other themes; happiness; sadness; school; loss; regret; dreaming??