Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

where Orpheus could easily be seen as a male oppressor and not have treated Eurydice

“equally… last time”. In Thetis these double meanings are very prominent throughout the

entire poem as the reader can see both literal and metaphorical meanings. There is a half-

rhyme connecting stanza one and two with “fist” and “this” so despite the end-stopped

stanzas they are still vaguely connected as one idea.

In the second stanza, the narrator has now transformed into an "albatross" as if to fly away

from her capital. Unfortunately, the narrator's male oppressor shoots the "albatross" with "the

squint of a crossbow's eye". It should be noted that the obstruction and destruction of "Thetis"

is done by all manmade objects such as the "crossbow" and later a "gun... hook... line and

sinker". Duffy is trying to tell the reader that women may be affiliated with nature and men

affiliated with machinery and the destruction of nature and no matter what, the man-made

objects constantly overthrow the natural animals. This could also relate to the destruction of

nature by humans. Duffy is stating that no matter what form nature comes in it will be

destroyed by mankind. It should be noted that to kill an albatross is bad luck following old

sailor’s superstitions, which is another allusion in this poem (Couch, 1998) .

In the third stanza the narrator talks of "shopping for a suitable shape... size 8" which could

be a reference to how women (stereotypically) are supposed to look a certain way, and

likewise, men's influence on the social standards of women. In Eurydice ¸ Eurydice is

“different” and has changed from “the last time” and Orpheus no longer “loves [her]… as

[she] [is] now”. This could be implying a feminist theme that “you” should not be loved less

by being different to what society wants “you” to be.

In the third stanza of Thetis, there are examples of rhyme and half crime in this third stanza

such as "snake" "mistake" "shape" and "nape". Rhyme is also prominent in the fourth stanza

where the narrator is changed into a "meat-eater" (lion) with "claw", "raw", "paw", "jungle-

floored", "gore", "jaw", "saw", and "twelve-bore". The rhyme gives a race-like atmosphere

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Goldsmith