Allusion
That's him pushing the stone up the hill, the jerk.
He might as well bark at the moon - "Feeling like Noah's wife" |
An allusion is a reference within a poem to a person, place, or thing that is never directly mentioned. It is assumed. Duffy uses the allusion, "That's him pushing the stone up the hill, the jerk." and she is referring to Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the hill. When Mrs. Sisyphus says, "He might as well bark
at the moon –" Duffy is having her make an allusion that her husband is like a dog, so focused on and entranced in his work.
The reference to Noah's wife is one of similar circumstance as Mrs. Sisyphus. Noah was also a hard working man who was told to build an ark for God so he worked day in and day out to build this ark, (which was massive) by himself. So Noah's wife must've felt the same way Mrs. Sisyphus felt as both of their husbands were never-ending. |
Figurative Language
one hundred percent of his work and more
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She uses this to show how much work he puts in his work and more. This creates an image of diligence, yet never having time to relax.
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Colloquial Terms:
Kirk - a church
Berk - a stupid person Lark - an activity done for a joke that is is not intended to cause serious harm or damage Dirk - a type of dagger (= small pointed knife) used as a weapon in Scotland in the past Bollocks - testicles (nonsense) |
Duffy uses British and Scottish colloquial terms within her poem. Colloquial language consists of word and phrases that are native to a certain country or demographic. By making the choice to use the words, Duffy creates a relaxed and at sometimes humorous feeling that juxtaposes the seriousness of the situation Sisyphus is in.
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AnachronismS:
when you haven't time to pop open a cork...
...or go for so much as a walk in the park? |
Anachronisms are terms and phrases that suggest an action or place that is out of the time period the text, or in this case the poem, is set in. Back in ancient Greece, Sisyphus and his wife we're popping bottles of champaign, and although walks might have been taken, the phrase, "a walk in the park" is a modern saying. By using anachronisms, it gives relevance to the events and characters in the poem and relates them to issues of today. It brings the poem into the modern day.
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Meter:
The meter and pacing of the poem is not consistent throughout. With the Duffy's use of rhyme along with the mixture of short and long sentences, it gives the audience an image and rhythmic feeling of Sisyphus actually pushing his boulder up the hill.