Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

quite almost villainous in the explicit detail in the descriptions of preparations of “the sizzling

pig”. This can be related to Siren Song with the continuous theme of women having power

over men. Both poems are virtually a ‘daydream’ of a society where women are not

oppressed by men, paradoxically to a society where men a stereotypically portrayed as the

‘dominant’ gender. In this instance, both poets use allusions from ancient Greek Mythology

to suggest feminist ideas to modern audiences/readers.

In Circe, Duffy presents frighteningly cannibalistic themes to readers in the same way that

Atwood explicitly writes about “men… leap[ing] overboard in squadrons” to essentially

become “beached skulls”. This effective use of clear language can evoke emotions of shock

in a reader. It also shows that the themes relevant in ancient civilisations can be related to

today’s society.

Duffy uses literary techniques such as a few instances of rhyme, imagery, and irony and

contradiction. As Circe explicitly describes the methodology for cooking the “pig” she shows

the reader that she is both tough though with slight cannibalistic connotations as well as being

stereotypically feminine with the cooking aspect. The narrator describes the “pigs” as “hogs

and runts” which is a contradiction and instance of irony. The “hogs” are wild pigs and could

be used in describing a greedy person and “runts” are smaller and weaker. The narrator is

describing the different personalities of the “pigs”, the

“tusker…snout…boar...swine…hog…runt” are all reference to the different “men” that Circe

has quite possibly cooked. Throughout the poem there are many lists that give vivid imagery

to the reader such as the description of “the tongue – to lick, to lap, to loosen, lubricate, to

lie” this imagery is referring to both the animalistic nature of “men” and words create a

sensuality like the narrator enjoys the “blanch[ing], sing[ing], toss[ing] in a pot” of the pigs.

This is both similar and contrasting to Atwood’s Siren Song , wherein the sirens make “men

leap overboard in squadrons”, Circe is similar in the many deaths of “men” however the

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Goldsmith