The peoms were very moving to those who understand peoms very well. for the self confidence people the poem "Phenomenal Woman" is a great poem. others like "Anno Wrek Sick" and "Don't Ever slap me again, are just some of my favorites. I would reccomend this book to girls 11 and up

Carol Ann Duffy covers a wide world from her London perch in the 1980's. Her poetry is modern, well-written, easy to click into, and gripping in its realism. Often you are the character,and always you are sucked well and truly in! This is now in a reprint, 10 years after being one of Duffy's first published collections. An entertaining and warming forary into the world of poetry! Carol Ann Duffy now lives in Manchester. Born in Glasgow she spent her early twenties writing poetry in Liverpool, moving down to London and really taking the poetry world by storm. It is well worth checking out anything with her name on it. Look also for plays by Carol Ann Duffy.

As volumes of poetry go, The World's Wife is very tightly-themed: each poem is a monologue in the persona of a woman married (or otherwise attached) to a more famous man. The men are more usually from myth or fairy tale (Mrs Sisyphus, Mrs Beast) than from history, although five are biblical and one or two are from history as recent as the 1960s (I think The Devil's Wife may be a portrait of Myra Hindley). Duffy's approach to these monologues is almost absolutely consistent: the women express contempt, irritation, resentment and sorrow for the foolishness and egotism of their partners. Mrs Quasimodo desecrates her husband's beloved bells by fouling them with her own urine; both Penelope and Mrs Lazarus are discomfited by their husbands' return; Mrs Tiresias seeks solace in lesbianism. Only occasionally (as with Anne Hathaway) does the wife feel real love for her husband. The subject-matter, thus paraphrased, looks gloomy and bitter, but in fact these poems are entertaining and very likeable. It is quite important to these pieces that they are funny - and we do laugh because of the constantly-perceived clash between lofty, remote, sacred men and contemporary-sounding, slangy, immediate women. Duffy's language is exactly right for her project. Rhythmically it is strongly pulsing; even more important is the function of rhyme and half-rhyme (the latter perhaps this poet's single-most impressive talent). Reinforcing the wilful, aggressive quality of the rhetoric is Duffy's aptitude for witty puns involving cliches and hackneyed figures of speech (Eurydice is 'out of this world'). At the same time, however, the language is kept aerated and three-dimensional by beautiful off-the-cuff metaphors ('a snapdragon gargling a bee'). I think all this is extremely well-judged poetry; it is rich and confident and if it lacks subtlety, irony or mysteriousness, that is in the nature of its unusually rhetorical mission.

This book of poems was given to me by a friend and now lives on my desk at all times. Each poem is an absolute gem, sparkling with humour. I loved every one of them. They are all so different in tone, from the outrageously funny 'Mrs Icarus' to the achingly poignant 'Queen Herod'. As a woman who lives and works in an all-male environment, i would whole-heartedly say, this is an absolute must-buy.

These poems are so good, witty, smart, it might even turn me on to reading poetry again. But where can I find poems as intelligent and deep and amusing as these? I keep re-reading them for the joy of it. I had never heard of Ms. Duffy, but my sister sent me the book from England. I need more!

If you love modern poetry then this is the book for you! Carol Ann Duffy explores many aspects of modern life in this selection of poems from childhood to relationships.... and if you are looking for lighthearted poems the last section on the worlds wife is great! I really enjoyed studying all of the poems for my A levels and will definantly go back and read some of her other poems! DEFINANTLY WORTH A READ! :)

Accounting for approximately all the resource material available on Duffy, this book is a 'must-have' for all those A-level students requireing a deeper exploration of her frequently reccuring themes and ideas. Deryn Rees-Jones provides a critical commentry of selected poems highlighting aspects such as style, language and intention whilst purposely refusing to define Duffy's precise role in the poetic field, "Shall I call her a woman poet, a working class poet..." By maintaining this ambiguity, Deryn Rees-Jones can effectively demonstrate Duffy'y ability to portray various existing minorities.

Although exessively detailed, this book is able to capture the essence and development of Duffy's writing. It begins by taking us through her use of the dramatic monologue and describes how this technique was essential in order for Duffy to 'find her own voice.' Jones explores this progression, showing how Duffy was able to cristalise her style in order to acheive such a refreshing yet satirical observation of mainstream society.

The sometimes complex interpretations and references do juxtapose with Carol Ann Duffy's own quotations throughout the book, almost to the point where her interviews serve to undermine such extensive and calculated analysis. It seems almost comical that amongst the intense commentry, Duffy admits that she writes with no pre-meditation, "I dont think 'right, today I'm going to write about...'" For that reason I'm not sure that Duffy herself would purchase a copy of the book, but I would recommend it to anyone looking to adopt an analytical approach to poetry. In fact, to indulge in Duffy's affection for the cliche, it's a great buy.

I have the unfortunate task of having to study this 'poet',as part of my 'A' level English course.
I find her poetry to be very limited in imagination, merely concentrating on a very narrow view of issues that obviously she, is passionate about. I feel that this limits her ability as a poet to see things from a different perspective other than her own,but,what do I know,I am merely a student!.

After reading this book for my as level English Literature course I realised that Carol Ann Duffy's poems are very limited in topics and I'd like to take this chance to express my disappointment. For a poet who's supposed to be well known for being a "representative poet of the present day" she doesn't include very many ideas!!

I was subjected to many months of torture reading through these poems, one by one, taking notes on the blatently obvious.

The captain of the 1964 top of the form team- thinking back to childhood
Litany- thinking back to childhood.
Stafford Afternoons- thinking back to childhood.

This is what my notes consisted of after all the time spent on them. I was very disappointed in value for money. Bring back Keats into the classroom!

I won't bore anyone with my interpretations of the work, a little patience and a little insight will yield your own conclusions. But i do recommend investing that time, this collection is one of the finest i have encountered and i return to it as i might to an old friend. Other reviewers have criticised it for being repetetive, but where one deals with the major themes that poets tend to grapple with, such 'repetition' is apt to happen. It is the refreshing way in which she deals with universal themes that marks this book out as one which will endure. Duffy is one of the brightest contemporary talents, do not be put off by those who were forced to study the work and somehow bypassed its beauty, this is a deeply moving collection, with a fair bite of sharp humour - enjoy.