Mrs Aesop
By Carol Ann Duffy
By Christ, he could bore me for Purgatory. He was small, didn’t possess. So he tried to impress; Dead men,
Mrs. Aesop, he’d say, tell no tales. Well, let me tell you now that the bird in his hand shat on his sleeve, never mind the two worthless in the bush. Tedious.Going out was worst. He’d stand at our gate, look, then leap; scour the hedgerows for a shy mouse, the fields for a sly fox, the sky for one particular swallow that couldn’t make a summer. The Jackdaw according to him envied the eagle Donkeys and would, on the whole, prefer to be lions. On one appalling evening stroll we passed an old hare snoozing in a ditch, he stopped and made a note, and then, about a mile further on, a tortoise, somebody’s pet, creeping slow as a marriage up the road. Slow but certain, Mrs. Aesop, wins the race. Asshole. What race? What sour grapes? What silk purse, sow’s ear, dog in a manger, what big fish? Some days I could barely keep myself awake as the story droned on towards the moral of itself. Action, Mrs. Aesop, speaks louder. I’ll cut off your tail, all right, I said, to save my face.
Summary of Mrs. Aesop
Published in her renowned collection, The World’s Wife, in 1999, the poem Mrs. Aesop follows the perspective of a woman who sees her husband’s behavior as a series of absurd, exaggerated tales. Duffy’s poem has been praised for its strong prose, vivid description and the story about a man who, in short, remains the same in an endless story. The poem explores themes of boredom, suppressed femininity, and the empowering act of reclaiming one’s voice.
Allusion
Allusions in Mrs. Aesop are references to other works or events, enriching the text and adding layers of meaning. The most obvious allusions are to the fables of Aesop himself – “the bird in his hand,” “sour grapes,” and others are interwoven into the narrative. Furthermore, the reference to “Christ” and “Purgatory” is a biblical allusion that highlights the speaker’s exasperation and her husband is as torturous as an eternity in purgatory. These allusions aren’t merely decorative; they underscore the poem’s central theme of challenging traditional narratives and power structures.
Assonance and Consonance
Assonance and consonance illustrate how sound enhances meaning. For instance, consider the line “He’d stand at our gate, look, then leap.” The repetition of the ‘a’ sound creates a flowing rhythm. Similarly, the repetition of ‘s’ and ‘t’ sounds in “Going out was worst. He’d stand at our gate, look, then leap” subtly emphasizes the speaker’s irritation.
Enjambment
Enjambment is a continuation of a sentence beyond the line break. The line “Action, Mrs. Aesop, speaks louder” shows enjambment in the poem. The lack of punctuation at the end of the first three lines forces the reader to keep going, mirroring the speaker’s inability to escape her husband’s endless pronouncements.
Intertextuality
Intertextuality means the poem draws heavily on and transforms existing texts. It’s not just that Duffy alludes to Aesop’s fables; she actively rewrites them from a female perspective, turning them into a narrative that examines the dynamics of a modern marriage. This relationship enhances the poem’s power and adds depth to the characters.
Imagery
Imagery is a visual element that creates vivid, memorable, and engaging reading experience. Duffy’s poem uses vivid imagery to build the story. The image of a swallow that can’t make a summer, the tortoise creeping slow as a marriage, or the “slow but certain” line that emphasizes the husband’s indecision are all vivid and powerful images that convey the poem’s themes. This imagery creates a sense of intimacy between the narrator and the reader, encouraging an emotional connection.
Metaphor and Simile
Metaphor and simile are figurative language that compares two different things. In the poem, metaphors and similes create a vivid sense of the characters, the narrator’s perspective, and the narrator’s perspective. For example, “slow but certain” is a metaphor that compares the narrator’s patience to that of a tortoise, “slow as a marriage” is a simile that compares a marriage to a tortoise, and the line “the sky for one particular swallow” is a metaphor that compares the sky to a particular swallow. These metaphors and similes help to convey the narrative’s themes and the narrator’s perspective.
Rhetorical Questions
Rhetorical questions are used to emphasize a point or ask a question. The poem is peppered with rhetorical questions, such as “What race? What sour grapes? And what silk purse?” The use of rhetorical questions in the poem enhances the poet’s voice and helps to reinforce the story’s emotional content.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Mrs. Aesop”
This section explores the poetic devices that Duffy uses in the poem “Mrs. Aesop.” These devices add depth and meaning to the poem, making it more engaging and memorable.
Free Verse and Form
Mrs. Aesop is written in free verse, meaning there is no strict meter or rhyme scheme. This form gives the poem a more natural flow and allows the poet to use language more freely.
Enjambment
Enjambment is a literary technique that creates a smooth transition between two lines or multiple lines. It allows the poet to emphasize the poet’s perspective or to convey the narrator’s emotional experience. For example, the line “The narrator’s perspective, or the narrator’s perspective” is an example of enjambment that creates a natural flow and helps to emphasize the narrative’s perspective.
Allusions
The allusions used in the poem “Mrs. Aesop” include a reference to the narrator’s perspective or the narrator’s perspective. These allusions are an important part of the poem, helping to build a narrative or give a unique perspective on the poem’s perspective.