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Ms Beast is the speaker. She's a confident and independent woman, telling her story.

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Mrs Beast talks about her life with the beast and explains why it's better to be with someone like him than a 'perfect' prince.

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The poem doesn't have a specific location. It mixes fairy tales and modern life

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The poem's theme is about woman taking control, rejecting old idea about love and beauty and being true to themselves

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The poem doesn't follow strict rules. It's free verse with different line length and breaks.

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The structure reflects freedom with line breaks, free verse style etc. Like the speakers message.

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The rhymes in Carol Ann Duffy's "Mrs. Beast" are not always the same. Rather, it uses free verse (poetry that doesn't use any strict meter or rhyme scheme. Because it has no set meter, poems written in free verse can have lines of any length), which allows the poem's rhythm and structure more freedom. Internal rhymes or near rhymes can happen occasionally, but they don't always follow a pattern.

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"Mrs. Beast" uses a variety of line lengths, enjambment (the use of a sentence or phrase continuing past the end of a line onto the next one), and the natural flow of speech to generate rhythm. You might describe the rhythm as flowing and irregular imitating the way someone could talk in a confident and commanding way. The speaker's strong personality, which questions conventional ideas of women and authority, is conveyed through this irregular beat.

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Carol Ann Duffy uses a variety of punctuation marks in "Mrs. Beast" to control the pace and tone of the poem. She employs commas, periods, dashes, exclamation marks, and occasional ellipses. Commas and periods often create pauses that give the reader time to reflect on the preceding phrase. Dashes are used to introduce additional thoughts or abrupt shifts, adding to the conversational and sometimes defiant tone. Exclamation marks emphasize strong emotions or assertions, highlighting the speaker's confidence and power. The punctuation in the poem is deliberate, shaping the reader’s experience and guiding the rhythm and emphasis throughout the text.

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What does the punctuation communicate in the poem?

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What does the punctuation communicate in the poem?

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The punctuation in "Mrs. Beast" communicates several things. Firstly, it reflects the speaker’s assertiveness and control over the narrative. For example, the use of periods and exclamation marks helps to make bold statements more emphatic, reinforcing the speaker’s authority. Secondly, commas and dashes create a conversational tone, making the poem feel like a direct address from the speaker to the reader. This conversational style makes the poem more engaging and personal. Lastly, the varied punctuation contributes to the overall rhythm and pace, allowing for moments of reflection or abrupt changes in tone, which keeps the reader engaged and underscores the poem’s themes of power and subversion of traditional roles.

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Lines in "Mrs. Beast" vary in length throughout the poem. While some lines are lengthy and flowing, others are brief and abrupt. This line-length shifts gives the poem a dynamic flow and helps hold the reader's interest. Additionally, the varying durations make some words or concepts stick out and have greater impact.

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Where does the poet use caesura in a significant way? How does the pause affect the rhythm of the poem?

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Where does the poet use caesura in a significant way? How does the pause affect the rhythm of the poem?

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The poem makes good use of caesura, which is a pause within a line, in several places in the poem. For example, in the line "I laughed last, longest." the pause after "last" (shown by the comma) creates a dramatic moment. This pause forces the readers to stop and think about what has been said, adding weight to the speaker’s words. By using caesura, Duffy adds layers of meaning to the poem and controls the pace, making certain moments stand out more.

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How does the poet use end-stopped lines and enjambment? What is the effect on the rhythm?

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How does the poet use end-stopped lines and enjambment? What is the effect on the rhythm?

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Carol Ann Duffy uses enjambment (in which the sentence or thought continues into the following line), as well as end-stopped lines (where the sentence or thinking ends at the end of a line), in "Mrs. Beast." End-stopped lines convey a sense of closure or finality and often create a powerful statement. Enjambment, on the other hand, produces a feeling of movement and continuity that can increase the sense of urgency or stress. By combining these techniques, the poem's rhythm becomes more lively and engaging, which supports the speaker's aggressive and commanding voice.

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The tone of "Mrs. Beast" by Carol Ann Duffy shifts throughout the poem. At first, the tone is bold and confident, as the speaker takes control of the narrative usually dominated by men. As the poem continues, the tone becomes defiant and critical, especially towards traditional ideas about gender roles. There’s also a playful and ironic tone as the poem twists familiar fairy tale themes. Toward the end, the tone becomes reflective and triumphant, as the speaker celebrates her power and independence.

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Duffy creates these different tones through her choice of words, punctuation, and literary devices. The confident and defiant tones come from the use of strong statements and words that show certainty and strength. The playful tone is created by turning common fairy tale ideas upside down, making the reader rethink them. The reflective and triumphant tones are achieved by slowing down the rhythm with punctuation, allowing the reader to focus on the important moments and ideas.

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Describe any patterns you see in the type of diction the poet uses.

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Describe any patterns you see in the type of diction the poet uses.

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Duffy mixes both formal and informal language in the poem. Sometimes, she uses fancy words, especially when talking about serious themes like power. Other times, she uses everyday words to make the poem feel like a conversation. The words are often strong and assertive, helping to show the speaker’s dominance. Descriptive words are also used to create clear and vivid images.

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What types of sentences does the poet use?

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What types of sentences does the poet use?

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Duffy uses different types of sentences to create various effects:

Imperative sentences: These give commands and show the speaker’s control.

Interrogative sentences: Questions are used occasionally to challenge or make the reader think.

Declarative sentences: Most sentences are statements that show the speaker’s strong views.

Exclamatory sentences: These express strong feelings and add emphasis to important points.

High modality sentences: These use words that show certainty and confidence, adding to the speaker’s strong tone.

Low modality sentences: Rarely, these show a bit of doubt or reflection.

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Duffy uses a variety of words in the poem:

Abstract nouns: Words like power and freedom, which represent ideas.

Concrete nouns: Words that describe physical things or places, grounding the poem in reality.

Verbs: Strong action words that show the speaker’s power and control.

Adjectives: Descriptive words that help create vivid images.

Adverbs: Words that modify verbs and add detail to actions.

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Which literary devices seem the most significant?

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Which literary devices seem the most significant?

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Several literary devices are important in "Mrs. Beast":

Metaphor: Used to explain complex ideas about power and identity by comparing them to other things.

Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things, making the poem more imaginative.

Alliteration: Repeating consonant sounds to add rhythm and emphasis.

Irony: Twisting traditional fairy tale ideas to create humor and critique gender roles.

Imagery: Vivid descriptions that help the reader visualize the scenes and understand the poem’s themes.

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Carol Ann Duffy uses strong and clear images to challenge traditional ideas about men and women

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Carol Ann Duffy uses strong and clear images to challenge traditional ideas about men and women

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Visual images: Descriptions like "his golden claws" and "his lair" show a rich but dangerous world, symbolizing male power.

Symbolic images: The Beast represents male authority, while Mrs. Beast shows female strength and independence.

Types of imagery: The images appeal to the senses (what you can see, touch, or hear) and focus on power and control.

Symbolism: Mrs. Beast living in the Beast's space shows how women can take control in a male-dominated world.

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The title puts Mrs. Beast, not the Beast, at the center of the story. It shows her as the main character and gives her power.

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It changes the usual fairy-tale idea of women being passive, making her someone who takes charge.

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In "Mrs Beast", Carol Ann Duffy explores gender power dynamics, showing a strong independent woman who challenges traditional roles and refuses to be controlled by men.

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AXE Ad: The "Find Your Magic" campaign by AXE encourages men to embrace their individuality, challenging stereotypes about masculinity.

Shared Global issues: Both the poem and the ad address gender roles and expectations, encouraging people to break free from stereotypes.

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How does Duffy show Mrs. Beast as a strong and independent woman, and what does this say about how society views women?

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How does Duffy show Mrs. Beast as a strong and independent woman, and what does this say about how society views women?

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How does Mrs. Beast explore power in relationships, and what does it say about equality between men and women?

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How does Mrs. Beast explore power in relationships, and what does it say about equality between men and women?

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These myths going round, these legends, fairytales,
I’ll put them straight; so when you stare
Into my face – Helen’s face, Cleopatra’s,
Queen of Sheba’s, Juliet’s – then, deeper,
Gaze into my eyes – Nefertiti’s, Mona Lisa’s,
Garbo’s eyes - think again. The Little Mermaid slit
Her shining, silver tail in two, rubbed salt
Into that stinking wound, got up and walked,
In agony, in fishnet tights, stood up and smiled, waltzed,
All for a Prince, a pretty boy, a charming one
Who’d dump her in the end, chuck her, throw her overboard.
I could have told her – look, love, I should know,
They’re bastards when they’re Princes.
What you want to do is find yourself a beast. The sex

Is better. Myself, I came to the House of the Beast
No longer a girl, knowing my own mind,
My own gold stashed in the bank,
My own black horse at the gates
Ready to carry me off at one wrong word,
One false move, one dirty look.
But the Beast fell to his knee’s at the door
To kiss my glove with his mongrel lips – good –
Showed by the tears in his bloodshot eyes
That he knew he was blessed – better –
Didn’t try to conceal his erection,
Size of a mules – best. And the Beast
Watched me open, decant and quaff
A bottle of Château Margaux ’54,
The year of my birth, before he lifted a paw.

I’ll tell you more. Stripped of his muslin shirt
And his corduroys, he steamed in his pelt,
Ugly as sin. He had the grunts, the groans, the yelps,
The breath of a goat. I had the language, girls.
The lady says Do this. Harder. The lady says
Do that. Faster. The lady says That’s not where I meant.
At last it all made sense. The pig in my bed
Was invited. And if his snout and trotters fouled
My damask sheets, why, then, he’d wash them. Twice.
Meantime, here was his horrid leather tongue
To scour between my toes. Here
Were his hooked and yellowy claws to pick my nose,
If I wanted that. Or to scratch my back
Till it bled. Here was his bullock’s head
To sing off-key all night where I couldn’t hear.
Here was a bit of him like a horse, a ram,
An ape, a wolf, a dog, a donkey, dragon, dinosaur.

Need I say more? On my poker nights, the Beast
Kept out of sight. We were a hard school, tough as fuck,
All of us beautiful and rich – the Woman
Who Married a Minotaur, Goldilocks, the Bride
Of the Bearded Lesbian, Frau Yellow Dwarf, et Moi.
I watched those wonderful women shuffle and deal –
Five and Seven Card Stud, Sidewinder, Hold ‘Em, Draw –

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The title, Mrs Beast, flips the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. instead of focusing on a submissive beauty, it's about a strong woman in charge of her own life