Period 1
Brian Stone
Ms.Zinke
9/24/13
Standing Female Nude Analysis
The poem “Standing Female Nude” by Carol Ann Duffy is written from the point of view of a nude model. The poem depicts a day in the life of the unsatisfied nude model. The first line clearly shows that she finds her profession uninteresting by stating, “Six hours like this for a few francs.” The tone at times is a bit somber, although it is evident that towards the end of the novel the poem becomes more exuberant. The grammar used in the poem is short and snappy adding to the feel of a very unenthusiastic model.
An example of this unusual word play is the use of sarcasm. It creates a jaded and somber tone; almost as if the model has experienced the burden of crude art many times prior. Most clearly seen in lines (24-26) the model patronizingly uttered” These artists take themselves too seriously. At night I fill myself with wine and dance around the bars.” The allusion to the bars and artists leads the reader to believe that she has done nude paintings many times before.
Additionally, the poem is composed of four stanzas consisting of seven unrhymed lines in each. Duffy uses a technique that involves the mixture of enjambment and end stop to create a very unique tone to the poem. She carries ideas between stanzas yet includes punctuation to add emphasis to what the model is saying. In the following lines it is most evident. “His name is Georges. They tell me he’s a genius.” (14-15)She also uses vernacular form of speech to convey the true voice of the model. As seen in lines (1-2)” Six hours like this for a few francs. Belly nipple arse in the window light.”
The Essay on Opening The Door Line Stanza Tone
Language and visual techniques used and an explanation of their effectiveness "Maybe" is in italics because it emphasises that what follows are only possibilities. The verbs "go" and "open" are in the imperative mood. In each stanza this contrasts strongly with the hesitant feeling of words like "maybe" and "if." The effect of this juxtaposition is to emphasise the change of tone, from the strong ...
In conclusion, Carol Ann Duffy composed a poem capable of conveying an ensemble of patronizing emotions and ridiculing thoughts through the perspective of a 18th century artist and his model. . Duffy has captured the bizarre relationship between artist and model that involves a fully clothed man staring for hours at a naked woman for a purpose that has nothing to do with sex; although the model fantasizes that there might be a hint of feeling on the artist’s part due to her being a woman as well as a “shape”. When all is said and done, though, the model has her money, the artist has his masterpiece, and both people end the encounter satisfied and ready to move on, as though the meeting had never taken place. (On a side note if you think this doesn’t sound like me, beware that is spent hours trying to understand the poem and had access to a thesaurus which I used in abundance)
