Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Warming Her Pearls, written by Carol Ann Duffy in 1995, is a captivating poem that tells the story of a pearl diver in Northern India. Duffy’s poetic elements, structure, and poetic devices are used to convey the diver’s daily routine of taking a plunge into the frozen river and gathering as many pearls as possible in order to make a living. He expresses his appreciation for the water that warms and sustains him, and the poem captures the tenderness of his relationship to his profession.

Explanation

Warming Her Pearls is constructed using a number of poetic elements and devices. The poem is written using a rhyme scheme of ABAB, combining the use of end rhymes, internal rhymes, and assonance to create a smooth flow. Duffy also uses vivid imagery to illustrate the treacherous nature of the journey that the pearl diver must undertake into the icy river in order to gather pearls. She writes of how he must “sink like an anchor” and keep “his fingers cold and wired” on the riverbed.

The poem paints a tender picture of the diver’s relationship with the river and how he uses it to make a living. He names the “daily litany of knots” he dives for and expresses his appreciation for the water that “warms and sustains” him. These lines capture the diver’s deep courage and commitment to his profession, despite the risks and hardship he faces each day.

Poetic Elements

• Rhyme Scheme: ABAB
• Structure: The poem is composed of four stanzas with a consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB.
• Language: Duffy uses vivid and descriptive language to communicate the diver’s experiences.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is one of admiration and appreciation.

Conclusion:

In Warming Her Pearls, Carol Ann Duffy offers a tender glimpse into the daily life of a pearl diver in Northern India. Through her use of poetic elements and devices, she illustrates the diver’s deep courage and commitment to his profession, and conveys the beauty and power of the river that sustains him. Through the poem, readers gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the importance of hard work and the power of nature.

Poem Snippet:

All day I think of her, resting in the Yellow Room,

contemplating silk or taffeta, which gown

caresses her withholds my breath;

All night I watch her sleep, kissed by coral moon."

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