Transcript Salome - Miss Irwin

Salome – Carol Ann Duffy
I'd done it before
(and doubtless I'll do it again,
sooner or later)
woke up with a head on the pillow beside me -whose? what did it matter?
Good- looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted;
the reddish beard several shades lighter;
with very deep lines around the eyes,
from pain, I'd guess, maybe laughter;
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew
how to flatter...
which I kissed...
Colder than pewter.
Strange. What was his name? Peter?
Simon? Andrew? John? I knew I'd feel better
for tea, dry toast, no butter,
so rang for the maid.
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
of cups and plates,
her clearing of clutter,
her regional patter,
were just what needed hungover and wrecked as I was from a night on the
batter.
Never again!
I needed to clean up my act,
get fitter,
cut out the booze and the fags and the sex.
Yes. And as for the latter,
it was time to turf out the blighter,
the beater or biter,
who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
to Salome's bed.
In tile mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.
I flung back the sticky red sheets,
and there, like I said -and ain't life a bitch was his head on a platter.
Who is Salome?
Salome is a woman in the New Testament.
According to the Bible, Salome danced for
Herod on his birthday. He was so
impressed by her performance that he
said she could have anything she wanted.
She was prompted by her mother to ask
for the head of John the Baptist after he
was executed. The head was presented to
her on a plate.
In this poem, Salome is presented as a
cold, murderous woman in modern society.
Duffy creates a modern persona for
Salome.
I'd done it before
(and doubtless I'll do it again,
sooner or later)
woke up with a head on the pillow beside me -whose? what did it matter?
She doesn’t know who the man is next to her and she doesn’t seem to care.
She can’t remember who he is.
Good- looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted;
the reddish beard several shades lighter;
with very deep lines around the eyes,
from pain, I'd guess, maybe laughter;
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew
how to flatter...
which I kissed...
Colder than pewter.
Pewter = a type of
metal.
This line makes the
reader suspect the
man is dead.
Strange. What was his name? Peter?
Simon? Andrew? John? I knew I'd feel better
for tea, dry toast, no butter,
so rang for the maid.
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
of cups and plates,
her clearing of clutter,
her regional patter,
The maid suggests that Salome
is wealthy. The maid is making a
lot of noise. This is emphasised
by the use of onomatopoeia.
were just what needed hungover and wrecked as I was from a night on the batter.
Never again!
I needed to clean up my act,
get fitter,
cut out the booze and the fags and the sex.
This word has a double
meaning – it could mean
she’s been drinking. Or, it
could have a more literal,
violent meaning.
She is hungover from the night before. She says
she will clean up her act and change her unhealthy
lifestyle. Do you believe her? Remember at the
start of the poem she said she’d “do it again”. She
uses informal language.
Yes. And as for the latter,
it was time to turf out the blighter,
the beater or biter,
who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
to Salome's bed.
“lamb to the slaughter” is
a Christian image of
innocence. This contrasts
the previous line – now
the man is the victim.
Alliteration – the ‘b’ sound is
quite harsh. These words
suggest that Salome assumes
the man is violent.
This could show her evil side. It
could also show that she is proud
of what she’s done – she enjoyed
what she did.
In tile mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.
I flung back the sticky red sheets,
and there, like I said -and ain't life a bitch was his head on a platter.
Carol-Ann Duffy’s ‘Salome' in a
nutshell!
• Salome has become a serial remover of
heads.
• Having woken up with a severed head on
the pillow, she cannot even remember
the owner’s name!
• She calls for the maid, has breakfast
and decides to clean up her life.
Initially there doesn’t seem
anything amiss. Many people
wake up in bed with a stranger
in the modern world. However,
knowledge of the original
Salome makes the words
profoundly shocking.
Casual almost
indifferent voice.
Sex is casual.
I'd done it before
Serial killer
(and doubtless I'll do it again,
sooner or later)
woke up with a head on the pillow beside me -whose?
what did it matter?
Good- looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted;
the reddish beard several shades lighter;
Free verse. The narrator
is just awakening.
Red theme
Lots of detail.
“The Godfather”
An arrogant voice. Sounds almost
boastful. They only have good
looking partners.
with very deep lines around the eyes,
from pain, I'd guess, maybe laughter;
and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew
how to flatter...
The mouth is cold because he is
dead. Kissing the decapitated
which I kissed…
head is depraved and shocking.
Colder than pewter.
Strange. What was his name? Peter?
Can’t remember his name! The murder is told
in a very matter of fact way. Her lack of interest
in the individual suggests she might be a
psychopath
Red theme
She is now more awake so the tempo picks up.
Simon? Andrew? John? I knew I'd feel better
for tea, dry toast, no butter,
Names of the disciples. Link
so rang for the maid.
to the biblical roots of the
poem.
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
A very simple breakfast sits in
of cups and plates,
juxtaposition to the scale of her
her clearing of clutter,
depravity.
her regional patter,
were just what needed hungover and wrecked as I was from a night on the
batter.
Hard “c” sounds
Colloquial language. This makes it seem chatty and friendly
which is at odds with the violence and the madness.
Doesn’t include
murder in her list
of things to cut
back on.
Casual about
these things.
But also casual
about killing
Never again!
I needed to clean up my act,
get fitter,
cut out the booze and the fags and the sex.
Yes. And as for the latter,
Hates the male
sex. Misandry.
it was time to turf out the blighter,
the beater or biter,
who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
to Salome's bed.
Simile
Use of the 3rd person. She is a force
to be reckoned with.
Red theme
In the mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.
I flung back the sticky red sheets,
and there, like I said -and ain't life a bitch was his head on a platter.
Poem culminates in the
decapitation. Echoes the
original biblical story.
Is she referring to
herself? Or is it
ironic sympathy for
her victim?