Tales passed on through centuries, mythology studied in depth, philosophers whose life stories we know all too well – what do these have in common? Right, they are primarily told from a male perspective. In shining armor men go out into the world, returning to their wives who have been sitting at home waiting for their life's purpose to come back to them. However, that was before Carol Ann Duffy entered the picture. The female poet (literally) rewrites history, by giving a voice to women, who have been ignored by their menfolk over decades. Through offering the female perspective to common stories – including Greek mythology, the Bible or even the tale ”Red Cap”, Duffy highlights the issues of gender inequality in our society, which clearly have been prevalent since the beginning of time.
”The World´s Wife Collection” is a series of poems, focusing on a different undervalued woman in each poem. Through creatively adding a spin to all too well-known tales, the themes of love, power, injustice and female empowerment are discussed through a humorous tone. For instance, 'Mrs Rip Van Winkle' references her husband's need for Viagra - which, considering his reputation for being sleepy, adds a funny tone to serious stories. However, Duffy's successful incorporation of humor, should not and does not take away from her ability to beautifully represent the emotions as well as the importance of the women, pushed into the shadows of history. A poem from the collection that particularly resonated with me was ”Penelope”. In Greek mythology she is the wife of Odysseus, a brave king that embarks on an adventure of a lifetime, fighting over Troy and sleeping with witches. Whilst his experiences in the world of mythology are extremely popular, Penelope's own story is overlooked:
“[...]
I wrapped a maiden in a deep embrace
with heroism’s boy
and lost myself completely
in a wild embroidery of love, lust, lessons learnt;
then watched him sail away
into the loose gold stitching of the sun.
And when the others came to take his place,
disturb my peace,
I played for time.
I wore a widow’s face, kept my head down,
did my work by day, at night unpicked it.
[...]
Grey threads and brown
pursued my needle’s leaping fish
to form a river that would never reach the sea.
I tried it.
I was picking out
the smile of a woman at the center
of this world, self-contained, absorbed, content,
most certainly not waiting,
When I heard a far too familiar tread outside the door.
I licked my scarlet thread
and aimed it surely at the needles eye once more.”
Duffy uses the metaphor of sewing as a means to offer Penelope an outlet and chance to present her most intimate emotions. So, when she describes “heroism´s boy”, Odysseus is reduced to merely his heroic status in society by remaining unnamed rather than a husband, proving how finally for once this story is not about him. What is most fascinating about the poem is how Penelope reacts completely differently to how a grieving woman missing her spouse would – she is accepting. His departure is rather romanticized with the “gold stitching of the sun” and she is finally able to see herself as “a woman at the center of this world, self-contained, absorbed, content, most certainly not waiting.” Nevertheless, Duffy also clearly draws attention to the negative effects societal norms have on women. Because whilst deep down Penelope is fulfilled with a quiet life, sewing and being undisturbed, she is forced to keep her head down when “the others came”, an allusion to the numerous sailors that tried to marry her - “save her” from her loneliness and assumed vulnerability. Thus, gender bias forces her into masking her true independence and happiness through “wearing a widows face”, since it is the only way, she can trick society into believing she is following their expectations.
Personally, I loved the way in which Penelope found peace in an unexpected situation, that is, the absence of her husband, the one person she “should” be missing the most. The poem just goes to show how women in many instances are forced to not reveal their true emotions, even if these are positive, in fear of being disturbed and forced into situations which would compromise their happiness for the benefit of men. After having read the poem, suddenly I no longer anxiously hope for Odysseus to make it home after each one of his stories in the Odyssey, but rather wish for Penelope´s freedom of expression, all thanks to the work of Duffy.
I would truly recommend reading this collection of poems for anyone interested in exploring the complexity of gender relations and the ill treatment of women in mythical, fictional and biblical settings. Duffy truly is able to capture female rage and the (occasional) stupidity of men in tragic but also deeply humorful ways, by taking her readers' stereotypical expectations of these stories and completely turning them upside down. I loved reading these poems and can only hope that this article inspired anyone out there to do the same. Truly a must read.
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