Gambler

Question 1

What does gambling become an extended metaphor for?

Answer 1

• Duffy’s creative writing process.

Question 2

Semantic field of horse-riding.
Sig?

Answer 2

• “going is heavy or firm” ~ ref to ground in which horse-racing happens on.
• “the counter”: double meaning, counter at home or counter where horse bet is made.
• “gallop.”
• Betting on horses = extended metaphor for betting on her writing.

Question 3

Duffy purpose.

Answer 3

• Raising awareness around difficulty of creating poetry.
• Liken to gambling, financial instability that comes with writing poetry.
• Taking reader on her creative journey.

Question 4

Use of italics throughout poem.

Answer 4

• Names of horses.
• Given sophisticated names, parallels need to use sophisticated language when writing!

Question 5

Hyperion’s tips.

Answer 5

• Greek mythology tips on how to gamble effectively.
• Duffy rejects male advice and writes in her own, feminine way.

Question 6

Musicality of poem.

Answer 6

• Lyrical.
• Cross rhyme: “lips”/ “kiss.”
• Each stanza = 3 lines.
• Pressure to write poetry in a way that SOUNDS nice as well as reads nice.

Question 7

Semantic field of sound of poetry.

Answer 7

• “shape of breath of word.”
• “like a whistle”
• “singing it over and over.”
• Pressures of making poetry SOUND appealing.

Question 8

Sig:
“singing it over and over.”

Answer 8

• Repetition: mundane creative process.

Question 9

Significance of “she.”

Answer 9

• Duffy exploiting behaviour of men in past who didn’t identify female writers with their names –> just used third person!

Question 10

Semantic field of psychological difficulty that comes with poetry.

Answer 10

• “trance.”
• “head”
• “guessed.”
• “decided.”
• Creative process consumes body and soul.

Question 11

Sig of enjambement.

Answer 11

• Ongoing creative process of writing.

Question 12

Sig of “like a whistle.”

Answer 12

• Simile.
• Multiple meanings for words like multiple meanings that come from “whistle.”