This blogger has made some interesting points about our first poem, Little Red Cap. Take a look:
Now, you understand that I am not encouraging you to copy what they say, as no one reading of a poem is 'right' or wrong. However, it would be useful for you to read her words and decide if you agree.
Just remember: Miss Watson and I can spot the difference between an interesting insight and a copied point a mile off, so be sure to acknowledge your sources if you bring them to lessons!
Add your comments here! Remember as long as you can justify your view then you can interpret the poetry as you like...within reason of course.
ReplyDeleteMiss Watson
little Red- Cap is a very interesting poem by Carol Ann Duffy for many reasons. On a basic level it describes a young girl's adventure into the woods with a wolf and how she experienced violence, then left the woods "all alone" carrying her flowers and singing. On a deeper level, it can be seen that Duffy is commenting on the keenness of children to become mature and shed their childish ways- she appears to be pitying young children, girls in particular, who are pressured into growing up and rushing to shed any signs of innocence and naivety.
ReplyDeleteThe very first words "At childhood's end" implies that the poem will detail the journey from childhood's end to... the beginning of adulthood? A very interesting and alternatively- styled poem which gives an excitingly new perspective on fairytales and their hidden meanings, if any.
Ruby
I think Little Red Cap is quite a good poem. Having not studied any of Duffy's poems, as I did Heaney and Clarke in yr 11, it was good to read.I think it is a poem about how she lost her virginity with a much older man, and she relates it back to her being naive and young, by using a fairy-tale to explain her experience. As a child, you dream of a prince charming, and happily ever afters in fairytales, and this shows it was not what she expected it to be, and you cant always have a prince charming.
ReplyDeleteThe last words 'all alone' show she hasnt gained anything, just lost something (her virginity and innocence)and the dove in the 3rd or 4th stanza symbolises this too.
Lisa :) x
I think the poem is quite interesting, because upon first reading you can understand it as a literal account of Little Red Riding Hood, however when you look into it further you can see that 'Red Cap' is mourning the loss of her virginity rather than the metaphorical loss of someone close to her (Grandmother). I think this is powerful message as Duffy potrays her as being manipulated by someone who possibly has more wisdom, and 'red cap' seems aggitated by her younger self 'but then i was young'. I therefore think the poem is about all regrets not just the loss of her innocence.
ReplyDeleteGina
I think the poem is a metaphor of a young girl who lost her virignity to an older man. Now she is older she regrets her choices and how it was unlike what she thought it would be. I think she doesn't like the idea of her experience not being like a fairytale and so when she tells it back it is in the style of one. I think it is a way for her to express her regret of a situation by a way she wanter it to happen.
ReplyDeleteAnnnabeel
The poem was interesting and firstly I thought it was just going to be a remake of 'Little Red Riding Hood.' I think Carol Ann Duffy wants you to understand that the poem is based on this children's fairytale story however it has been given a modern twist to show the lives of girls and teenagers. In the poem 'Red Cap' is showing the loss of her virginity to another man and showing that she is older now and she has regrets.
ReplyDeleteKirsteen
I think the poem is a good poem to start off with because its starts with her at the age of 16 showing a bit of her childish nature as well as her growing up side. I like how Duffy has uses a fairy tale to tell the story. She portrays herself as the innocent 'little red' and the man as the big bad wolf.
ReplyDeleteI think that the poem is based on Carol Ann Duffy's own personal experiences; of how she gave up her virginity to an older man. This is symbolised by the "white dove" being eaten by the wolf: "One bite, dead" which connotes to a loss of purity and freedom. It is implied that she was in love with the man's "Poetry" which shows how he seduced her with sweet, beautiful words.I really like the poem as it is an interesting, darker version of the fairytale 'Little Red Riding Hood'. Duffy implies that she regrets what she did, and only came to realisation when she was older ("it took ten years"). It appears that she is angry, not with herself but with the 'wolf', for taking advantage of her. This is shown by the violent and disturbing imagery towards the end of the poem (which contrasts againgst the innocent beginning). This is not unlike the violence and anger which she expresses in another one of her poems 'Havisham' which my class studied in year 11.
ReplyDeleteEllen :)
I found this more enjoyable than any other poems by Duffy. It could be because most people can relate to the story of "little red riding hood" yet it gives another perspective on the classic tale. Duffy manages to tell her very intimate story in a dignified way and the readers can tell that it wasn't a pleasant time in her life, as it took ten years to leave him.
ReplyDeleteWill.I.AM
I think the poem is really good because it uses the fairy tale Little red riding hood and tells a modern story. Its the first poem and It shows Duffy at the age of 16 because it's the age where you start to go into adulthood. The poem starts with 'at childhood's end' to show that the innocence has been lost and things are a bit different just like Duffy's version is different to the original. Duffy's version isn't for innocent children because its about her losing her virginity.
ReplyDeletei think that this is a good start to the book because it is about her losing her virginity and the poems are in chronological order from the start of life to the end. Duffy uses the story of little red riding hood because there are many different versions of it already and so it is easy to rewrite. The entire poem is a metaphor for an important moment at the start of Duffy's life and has portrayed herself as innocent, but, she obviously didn't like the person she lost her virginity with because she shows him as a wolf.
ReplyDeleteTom
I think that Little red cap is a great way to start off the book as it represent the beginning in many ways. At the beginning of life you are a child and grow up with fairy tale storys such as 'little red riding hood'. But it could also be looked at as the beginning of adult life when you start to make independent decisions for yourself. in this case, the decision of losing her virginity. i feel it could also reflect the beginning and how you never forget it. just like as a child being read a story for the first time, you never forget it and from then on you know what is to come next time you read it. losing her virginity is the same. once its gone its gone and it will never seem new again. i think that Duff choice a really good choice to start of the book as can relate to people and really emphasizes a beginning.
ReplyDeleteLaura
I think that the poem is based on Carol Ann Duffy's experiences as a teenager and how she desperately felt that she didn't want to grow up to have the same average, trapped lifestyle of most other women, as shown by the opening stanza of the poem where she describes the mundane area where she lives.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the "white dove" can be seen as representative of her innocence but also her freedom; the dove has the power to fly away at any moment. The line "One bite, dead." signifies the power that the man/ wolf has because he so easily destroyed her purity and independence. The line “breakfast in bed” can be associated with the traditional gender role of women and how it was their duty to serve men.
I think that Carol Ann Duffy’s relationship with the man is based on her love of poetry as she is first drawn to him when she sees him “reading his verse out loud” and because at the first chance she got, she “crept” away to the books. Her intense description of their colours and how they are “warm”, “beating” and “winged” shows how alive the words make her feel and highlight her passion for literature.
In my opinion, throughout the poem, Carol Ann Duffy is trying to encourage the reader not to be naive; she chose to express this through a modern interpretation of a childhood story to emphasise how life is not a fairytale.
Jo
I didn't get the Little Red Cap at first but when analysed the poem was bit dark, secretive and sexual. I thought this because as you can see that it talks about her going out with older man and losing her virginity to him.(sexual) No one knows this except her and the man.(Secretive)
ReplyDeleteThis poem was very different then other poem I have read because Duffy has related her story in the present of Little red riding hood. This was very intriguing to me I could see the style of little red riding hood story in her little red cap.
This Poem is interesting because at first, you stare at it initially blank faced. Wondering why it is so dark, but once you look literally into the context you discover the true meaning in the nature that she has made it. It chronogilises her life in the book but this poem chrongolises her youth and how innocent and naive she was at the time and how a single influence could change all that. - Sorry for the late reply, Forgot the URL!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the poem. I dreaded reading Duffy's poems as throughout GCSE i almost killed myself over level of BOREDOM i went through. However i think they're completely different in The World's wife. I love the style of writing she has portrayed in this, Little Red Cap seems to me like any average woman (not necessarily a teenager or a virgin) but i think it metaphorically resembles women and how some times they go into relationships trusting and just purely wanting someone to love. But it progresses to show not every relationship turns out as you suspect however if you take the best from the situation you've been in, it can teach you a lesson "with my flowers, all alone". Good stuff Duffy!
ReplyDeleteKatie Rogers
I fee as though the poem adopts the form of a fairytale in order to provide a stark contrast to the archetypal patriarchal tales of old. By doing this, Duffy has, in essence, allowed the reader to envisage quite how badly women are represented within literature as a whole, playing a subordinate role to the superlative men.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that she "saves" herself is the most significant part of the poem, she doesn't need the help of man. She comes from the forest, and although she is alone, she is still singing and carrying flowers. This could also be a twist on the legend of Demeter (of which Duffy has a poem of the same name).