Education for Leisure

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Dan Sumption

on May 23, 2006

in Poetry

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The Clock’s Loneliness’ poem for the day today, Education for Leisure by Carol Ann Duffy, a corker:

Today I am going to kill something. Anything.
I have had enough of being ignored and today
I am going to play God. It is an ordinary day,
a sort of grey with boredom stirring in the streets.

I squash a fly against the window with my thumb.
We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in
another language and now the fly is in another language.
I breathe out talent on the glass to write my name.

I am a genius. I could be anything at all, with half
the chance. But today I am going to change the world.
Something’s world. The cat avoids me. The cat
knows I am a genius, and has hidden itself.

I pour the goldfish down the bog. I pull the chain.
I see that it is good. The budgie is panicking.
Once a fortnight, I walk the two miles into town
for signing on. They don’t appreciate my autograph.

There is nothing left to kill. I dial the radio
and tell the man he’s talking to a superstar.
He cuts me off. I get our bread-knife and go out.
The pavements glitter suddenly. I touch your arm.

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dansumption 2 years ago 2 points
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Fuuck U, it's quite clear from your comment that your literary skills tower over anything that "Caron All Duuuuuufy" [sik] could ever hope to attain. When can we expect to see your first collection published? Surely long overdue already.

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1 /people/dansumption/ /people/dansumption/following/

Anonymous 3 years ago 1 point
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uh7j76

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Tutty 2 years ago 1 point
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The poem is like pure tutty

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Xx. .xX 2 years ago 1 point
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This poem has deep and hidden meanings

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Sanovar Atwal 2 years ago 1 point
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This poem has influenced me into drugs and made me fat

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Miinxy 3 months ago 1 point
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LmFaOoo.. Dahz Soo Funii =L

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Dynamyte 2 years ago 1 point
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basically da guy wants 2 play n be god becoz he enjoys 2 hav and hold power
no1 notices him n he dislikes dis, he believes he's a genius but he isnt offered any opportunities

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Rosie Ainsworth 2 years ago 1 point
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This poem is a stream of consciousness, where the persona spills out his thoughts and feelings. In my opinion, the opening is particularly effective as the poem starts with cold, unemotional language. 'Anything' is a vague, monosyllabic word which stands alone as does the writer. A truly remarkable poem.

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dynamyte 2 years ago 1 point
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he believes he is important, a credit to society.
"they dont appreciate my autograph" suggests that he is an egomaniac. very powerful sense of sadness that he's neglected and ignored by those around him. feels a need to prove that he is a genius, wants attention. loves to know that he has the power of life and death in his hands.

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Lil_Treacle 2 years ago 1 point
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Dis is bare strange!!!!!!

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[[GetYourKicks]] 2 years ago 1 point
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lol.

i actually well like this poem

haha
proper good mayte.

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Sam Bell 2 years ago 1 point
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Rosie Ainsworth,

'Anything' is not a monosyllabic word, as monosyllabic means 'one syllable', look it up! Don't use words than you don't mean, you sound stupid and/or pretentious.

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Marie - D 2 years ago 1 point
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This clearly about a teenage boy who is not stimulated or encouraged at school and feels alienated. When he does decide to leave school with no qualifications, he resorts to crime and violence. The destruction he causes in the poem is not only a grasp for control and power, but also a cry for help.

Giving a powerful message to our society today about how we must encourage education!

Marie

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P Johnston 2 years ago 1 point
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The "genius" in this poem has not yet grasped that we all have the power to kill "something. Anything." Most of us, at some time or other, even think we could but few actually do.
The real power, the real genius, is knowing you could do these things but being able to control yourself. One has to learn how to do this. This person, with the knife, is about get a real education ........at her Majesty's Leisure!

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annymous 2 years ago 1 point
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this poem is about a person who is pathetic because he is picking on little animals and think hes a genius for breathing he is a confused person and thinks hes god he thinks hes famous as he says "They donâ€™t appreciate my autograph".i am studying this poem at my school .

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supernaturalfan 2 years ago 1 point
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I'm sorry but i have to ask why do you all assume its a boy, the only reference to a male is the man at the radio that the person talks to. Is there not a possibility that the person could be a girl???

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A 4 months ago 1 point
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because serial killers are usualy male, and that is what the persona is becoming - a serial killer, we know this because serial killers often start out by killing animals then moving onto people.

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your mum 2 years ago 1 point
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your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum your mum

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fuuck u 2 years ago 1 point
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this poem is lyk this biggest peice of shit i hav ever read and im onli readin it cos skl makein me wat a load of bull stupid lesbo caron all duuuuuufy

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Marie - D 2 years ago 1 point
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In response to "supernaturalfan":

Its a male because i spoke to Carol Ann Duffy personally (no jokes) and she told me it was...she visited a worn down school and when she saw the state of its pupils and the teachers..and so she wrote this poem, Although poems are all about interpretation so its a girl if u think its a girl as long as u back that up...

In response to Dan Sumption:

Agrees with Dan Sumption's comment about Fuuck u

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A* Student 2 years ago 1 point
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Fuuck u needs to get a fuucking life and find out how to fuucking appreciate fuucking poetry. (and spell too)

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Baddy Paul 2 years ago 1 point
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Pure thrash of a poem, thrashed through the essay in like a second, about a druggy who is influenced by others

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Aeddan And Chloe 2 years ago 1 point
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well...this is a joint thought on this poem...

BULLSHIIIIT it is sooo fkn crap man hu tha fuk wud write abt dis fked up biatch, i only know it cuz of fkin schl makin me read it but it is a poem dat no1 cares the fk abt. fkin carol ann duffy musta bin pissed or stoned wen she wrote dis shit!!

LovezZ ox

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Aeddan And Chloe 2 years ago 1 point
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i love his poem it is from the heart it make my heart beed it touches me in a place only debra can touch and she suckd my ball bag lst nite

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peice of shit 2 years ago 1 point
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a hate dis poem it makes me wana cry cos a cant write a essay on it n its due tomoz!grr shes jst a fat lesbo anyho! its sick! n so th school gad! laters!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Hannah 2 months ago 1 point
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if you cant write an essay on this then you're stupid.

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........ 2 years ago 1 point
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This poem just shows how messed up civilisation is today. It is a realistic poem, not necessarily by the events tht take place but by the way in which this person has been neglected and ignored so badly tht they want to retaliate on the world. It dus not surprise me tht this poem is based on real people because the fact is now a days people are so self obssessed that no one takes the time to look at someone elses life and try to help the people who may need it, we all just turn a blind eye and let people like that get through the system.

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dansumption 2 years ago 1 point
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Thanks Cara (I presume it's Cara) - a thoughtful comment for a change. I think you only have to look at some of the other comments above to see that "now a days people are so self obssessed that no one takes the time to look at someone elses life and try to help the people who may need it".

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1 /people/dansumption/ /people/dansumption/following/

i have 2 years ago 1 point
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the shits

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george gwatkin 2 years ago 1 point
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this poem is a load of dump, carol anne duffy is a blatent weirdo love from george xxxxxx

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george gwatkin 2 years ago 1 point
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i eat poo and i am an inbread, i also do my nan and my sister

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Northwood School 2 years ago 1 point
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I'm from northwood school and I have to read this for my exam. Well can I just say that by looking at the other comments, their not very nice. They obviously don't understand literature very well or are not fond of it. I would just like to say that this poem is very meaningful once you read a couple of times because if you read closely you can understand it. It is in a lot of depth, and is very well written. The ending is very good as it leaves you suspicious and wandering what will happen next and this is a very good way to end a poem as it builds up suspense. I can go on forever saying positive things about this poem but I'll leave that for other people to do. Carol Ann Duffy you are an amazing author and I hope you continue writing poems as good as this one. Thank you, pupils from Northwood School

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http://www.northwood.hillingdon.sch.uk

........ 2 years ago 1 point
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Dan Sumption- I totally agree bout people on this page i mean look at the comments there people on here who arent even talking about literature they just want to get some attention.... so maybe they should appreciate this poem more lol. I just dont see why people would come on here to completely slate the poem. I think that every poem needs critism as nothing is ever perfect but the people who are insulting the poem arent even saying whats wrong with it there just complaining because there school is giving them the oportunity to actually learn about mature literature and they just dont want to be open to it and for that i feel sorry for them! And yes it is Cara :) lol

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Charlie&Ellie 2 years ago 1 point
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Hellooooo all you stud muffins! =)

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tom marsland 2 years ago 1 point
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i am fat
some people may call me a necrophiliac, but this is only partly true. however, i do do my dead uncle.

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Nadia 2 years ago 1 point
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Sorry if I am repeating anything already said, but i couldn't be bothered reading all the comments.

we studied this in school a few times but i heard they might be taking it off the curriculum???? due to violence etc etc

Despite the lack of referrence to either gender I think this poem appears to be written in the character of an older teenage boy. The egotisim and self-obssession seem to stem from the lack of attention he recieves from those around him, he's paying himself the attention no one else seems willing to give him.

He seems to have little real control over his life, (he is on the dole and doesn't seem to have any close friends or relatives) so he grasps for control over creatures smaller than himself, to increase his sense of power.

Two parts about this poem that strike me as important are the title and the ending.

I may obviously be wrong but i think 'education for leisure' indicates his attitude towards society, education and so and so forth - leisure. He seems to only take himself seriously and has no-one to challenge his authority.

The end line could be percieved as a variety of implications. However, I believe that, despite this persons love of power and basically his-self, he is still a basic human being with real emotion and the hand reaching to touch your arm is his quiet plea for help.

hope that was any help if anyone still studying this lol =P

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replying to comments 1 year ago 1 point
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you are all just freaked that you cannot write an essay bout a poem.
carol ann duffy can clearly write good poerty. you all just dont understand how to evaluate one. im in year 9 and i understand it perfectly well.

Its about a male or female who feels annoyed because he feels nobody pays attention to him. The speaker informs us that he is going to kill â€œsomething. Anythingâ€ - who or what seems irrelevant, so long as the gesture is dramatic enough and gains the world's attention, because the speaker wishes not to be â€œignoredâ€ any longer, and would like to â€œplay Godâ€.

he is obviously not a young boy or girl because he has no job and regularly goes for "signing on" this means that he signs his autograph to get free money off the government. they do not appretiate he autograph because there is no reason why he cant work.

It can be seen as a cautionary tale about what happens to those who have nothing to do, and tire of waiting for other people to give them a living or some kind of recognition, that they have not earned.

hope this is of some help =]

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Gayatri Gogoi 1 year ago 1 point
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Best poem in the world

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sik guy 1 year ago 1 point
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thia poems gtta be gay

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What u talkin' about?!!! 1 year ago 1 point
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i read this poem and i found it confusing. the poem tells us what is going through someones mind and how they are feeling.
it also makes you think that the persona is out of this world(if u dont no what a persona is, it is the character) and that they have a weird state of mind.
the last line"i touch your arm" is slightly nerve-wracking because it could be slightly disturbing, but "hey" dont worry about it.

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Sarahh. 1 year ago 1 point
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To all the brainless idiots who posted worthless time consuming comments.......get a life. What is the point of wasting your time posting a comment if it's to slag the poem off without saying what's wrong or to post an immature comment purely because you are too stupid to understand it. You are allowed to not like it but at least say why or just don't bother. Otherwise you're just pathetic really.

I have many different interpretations of the poem and i actually thing the poem is interesting. It is based on real life situations and it's weird to think that people like the speaker are out on the streets today.

sorry for ranting btw. It just annoys me :). x

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Sarahh. 1 year ago 1 point
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also a big well done to Dan Sumption, Cara and anyone else who posted a decent comment. You only said what others were thinking :). x

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Sarah :) 1 year ago 1 point
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I quite like this poem, we have to study it for English Lit and i think it's alrighty. I think it's odd though because all the poems my teacher chooses (maybe the curriculum first) are about murder and death and leaving home. It's really hard to relate to them and understand them for what they are, never mind what clever literary devices the poet uses.

I like this poem because of the bit about the animals, they make me smile, spesh about the cat. Very true.

Sarah x

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hateit 1 year ago 1 point
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this is a *** poem hate it very much my damn teacher spents lessons on it trying to find out its hidden meanings. they try to analyse it so much that not even the poet had thought absolutelu bull****.

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man who kills chavs/commoners 1 year ago 1 point
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see name

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hey 1 year ago 1 point
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totally agree with 'hateit' we have been lookin at poem for a month now and have had to write 3 essays on it, complete crap if u ask me.

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lisa 1 year ago 1 point
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well i think the poem has a ture maing that the man is lonley and has no one

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Louice 1 year ago 1 point
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hateit u said that ur teacher have been spending the whole lesson analying the poems in more detial can u email me some notes please.
tanx

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Tom Garvey 1 year ago 1 point
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I have recently read 'Education for Leisure' as part of my GCSE English course, and I must say that I was deeply impressed by every word I read. I have read many poems recently, most of them have been brilliant, very much reommended to those who would enjoy poetry, but when I read 'Education for Leisure' my view on Carol Ann Duffy's poetry was established - genius! An absolutely outstanding work of literature - inspiring!

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Tom Garvey 1 year ago 1 point
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I have recently read 'Education for Leisure' as part of my GCSE English course, and I must say that I was deeply impressed by every word I read. I have read many poems recently, most of them have been brilliant, very much reommended to those who would enjoy poetry, but when I read 'Education for Leisure' my view on Carol Ann Duffy's poetry was established - genius! An absolutely outstanding work of literature - inspiring!

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maaat! 1 year ago 1 point
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i don't get why everyone is getting so pissed of about this poem. its only a poem for gods sakes, you only hate it because you think its "cool" or makes you look big. it doesn't.

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()() 1 year ago 1 point
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WHY??? WHAT IS THE POINT!!!!!....HOWEVER I DO LIKE THE INBRED MAN....

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( Y ) BUMBUM 1 year ago 1 point
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THIS POEM IS WHACK

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lala la 1 year ago 1 point
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this poem is such a fucking waste of time!
carol deserves to die!!! fuck her and fuck this poem

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lala la 1 year ago 1 point
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in jamaica under a tree,
selling condoms for 19 p,
large or small its up to your pick,
but it just depends on the size of your dick.

there, im better than that carol cunt...
fuck all the teachers that make me study this fucking pointless poem...

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jump. 1 year ago 1 point
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Duffy is not disturbed. people interpret her poems as if they are how she as a person feels, but that is not true. this poem reflects a lot of events that have actually happened such as when that girl killed e number of her classmates one monday morning, in America. Duffy is not trying to express herself throught this poem, but expressing somebody else. She does this a lot, take her poem Havisham for instance. Similarly, this poem is not about her it is about a lady written about by Charles Dickens.
Yeh anyway, what do people think the reason for not giving the gender of the subject is? And do you really think the subject IS a genious, or do they just THINK they are... this poem could be reflecting the big-headedness and ignorance of some people...
reply.

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Sandyman 1 year ago 1 point
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Why do people insist on writing worthless comments about this poem? I came here to get some help with my upcoming exam on poems like this one but i had to trawl through loads of worthless shit to read people's comments which actually were insightful and useful.

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luke 8 months ago 1 point
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this is a great poem aas it shows how some people are not sane as well as the word genius is related to killing is deluded but this is a great poem anyways can people stop saying bad things in the comments bit cus its desturbing

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Rhys 8 months ago 1 point
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I loathe this poem xD
I don't know why, I just don't like it :/
To make things worse, I have to wrtie a story using this as a stimulus -.-"

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meg 7 months ago 1 point
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hi i really need to find a good poem for my english homework that is not to long. i have to illistrate it so i do not want to do this one. i would greatly appricate any help offered. thank you

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Annonamous 7 months ago 1 point
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ok i really love this poem, and im not the best at english as this comment will show you because the language i use isnt, propper enough. i read what you all write and i envy your knowledge, well some of you, not the imbosylic fools who droan on about "how shit this poem is" i think its brilliant, it gets you on the edge of your seat, its witty, and overall deep. i love your poems Carol ann duffy they make me laugh in a strange way. x

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Lauren 1 month ago 1 point
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I wouldn't worry about your english not being very good. Your comment was far more coherent than some of the others on this page.
No matter how disturbing this poem may be, I think it gives across a really powerful message about violance and the danger of neglection. I think that maybe Duffy is a socialist who is trying to tell the adult community that they should pay attention to the lives of working class children before judging them.

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helen 7 months ago 1 point
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in response to Sandyman completely agree.
Im in year 11 studying this poem for GSCE and some on the morons that come on here and make worthless comments are proving how illiterate they really are.
To begin with I didnt particularly enjoy poetry and thought it was a load fo rubbish btu after a while I kinda opened up my mind and now i quite like it.

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we r gay bois 7 months ago 1 point
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i love it it is inspiratioal, it brings poems to a new level

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no chez 6 months ago 1 point
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NO chez you are very ghay

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wateva 7 months ago 1 point
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if you read it carefully you see that it is a person neglected and egnored from society , this is influenced by his poor education. this poem is based on the quote from frankinstien, and the person in the poem has miss understood this as he did it in school which comes back to the poo education, he feels like he is famous and he ca play god.

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joper 7 months ago 1 point
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this poem fucked me in the bum and carol ann duffy shagged my mum, she held her down and raped her it was amazing.
i wish i could shag carol an duffy and then take a dump on her head and in her hair.
carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer carol ann duffy is a lezzer

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dally 7 months ago 1 point
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i hada wank ova dis...
even tho its a wank piece of shit...
lesboz are wack!no1 rote a poem bout me n ive bin in prison 4 murder byt usin a knife :S
big up nn3 btw!! brup brup

i love Joper..hes ma bezzy

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joper 7 months ago 1 point
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my english teacher raped me :S
it was scary
and ted is a jew
:)
xxxx

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I dont no x 7 months ago 1 point
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O M G this reminds me of the weekend, haha that mother fucker had it coming

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I dont no x 7 months ago 1 point
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Jokes x

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HI 7 months ago 1 point
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this poem is a piece of shait, just like meh teacher fkn hate itt :@ hahahahahahahahahahahah suck my nob

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t nd j nd wot! 7 months ago 1 point
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this poem is crap i dont see any point in studying it whatsoever!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAARRRGGHH!!!!
sexy ;)
x x x x x x x x x x x

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bob 7 months ago 1 point
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dis poem is shit but then again so is carol ann duffy
she licks hairy balls and i teabaged her mum

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bob 7 months ago 1 point
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i wiped my sweaty balls over carol ann duffy shit covered foehead

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bang bang 6 months ago 1 point
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did u

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bang bang 6 months ago 1 point
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i m stadyin dis poem 4 GCSE bladz
bang bang

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Lizzie 6 months ago 1 point
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I cannot believe that this poem has been removed the the Anthologies. This would have been a fantastic poem to write about in my GCSEs, however, it apparently shows mindless violence, and encourages youths to behave in a similar way. Pathetic. This poem would have to be one of my all time favourites, and yet brilliant poetry cannot be appreciated because it contains violence. Does that mean we should remove all films and books that contain violence as well?

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anon 6 months ago 1 point
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omg some of the people on here need to grow up if your sad enuf to go on here and leave a comment at least make it something related to the poem not mindless shit tht no 1 cares about this poem is ace and u can all fuck off

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an unknown author 5 months ago 1 point
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this poem is a powerful piece of emotive writing, it displays a person (of unknown gender as we are not told whether it is a male or female) who appears to have a delusion of grandeur believing they can play god. I believe it is a true poem describing the sheer terrifying truth of the inside mind of a killer I believe it is a truly brilliant piece of poetry and deserves to be more recognised for the genius of the mind that created it.

And to the people who are being stupid on this site, just stop now, you ar just showing yourselves to be stupidly uneducated in the brilliance of literature.

I am also a poet and a writer

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saskia 5 months ago 1 point
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this poem is crap..i dont see the point in learning bout it at skool :@

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Joshyy 5 months ago 1 point
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ugh.
I love this poem =)
a man OR a woman, noticed- just not noticed enough. obviously an egomaniac/megalomaniac..
I can't believe they are taking it out the AQA GCSE syllabus just because it seems to violent and the book contains the image of a knife. There are far worse poems in the book...
Damn people, eh?!

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Literature geek 8-) 5 months ago 1 point
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This poem is amazing!!!!! I am so annoyed we are not allowed to study it in English Literature though!! I mean the poem 'Hitcher' is worse than this and we still get to study that! But i think Carol Ann Duffy is awesome, and her poem Havisham is legendary!!! Cant wait to meet her in a few weeks :) x

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The Unknown 4 months ago 1 point
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This poem is brilliant. It's a brilliant story of a mis-understood, Ignored, Sadistic man. I love it. In my point of veiw, the definition of poetry.

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nicky p 3 months ago 1 point
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i drink dog urine, sometimes its salty other times it tastes like rainbows.
carol is my rug muncher, i like to suck her testicles and feed her crusty haribo. she likes tht.

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Jane Poata 2 months ago 1 point
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I came across this controversial poem and poetry 'chat' session (to use a blatent euphemism!) while checking out another UK site. Far out - what a bunch of homophobic little wankers some of you kids are! Must be all that English sexual repression or something. It's so cool though that everyone - even the total boneheads amongst you, get to have your say about the poetry and it is also mightily ironic that so many of these seem to be acting out the exact same misguided drive for attention that Duffy displays in the poem. Duh! Sorry if that's too highbrow for those of you who haven't progressed beyond toilet humour yet and big ups to all you who can see into the words and understand the deeply tragic nature of them. I am intrigued that your Ministry of Education has chosen to ban this poem and think this would be a good reason to study it with my own bunch of 'educationally challenged' Year 13's in New Zealand. Many of you do realise just how privileged you are to have a living poet as clever and amazing as Carol Ann Duffy. Funny how studying a poet for exams absolutely kills the poetry for so many students though. What's that about do you think?

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Anon 2 months ago 1 point
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Heh, I'm a pupil in England I just lol'd. Yeah, some people are brain dead and simply do not have any kind of motivatino or drive to perform or even respect the poem. Oh the wells.

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nicrophilliac lover 2 months ago 1 point
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hi i teabaged all your mums n dead uncles i guess thats makes me a nicrophilliac x x

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Poetry aint so bad 2 months ago 1 point
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I have to say I am not one for English lit at all. But reading what other people think of the poem has shown me that the poem does go into depth, and that there are many interpretations.

To the people who leave worthless comments for example 'Your mum' why not try using your brain for once and think about how the poem has a serious meaning, as the persona is showing great need for help, yet they are just being 'ignored' which causes them to act in an anti-sociable way.

Many people today who commit major crimes, for instance murder, does sometimes stem from paranoia as the 'cat avoids' them which triggers physcological thing to gain their own power.

Sorry for the spelling, I really am not very good at poetry or English.

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XxSammyxX 1 month ago 1 point
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This poem is amazing. it is so deep and has a lot of hidden meanings. It's really cool!
:-)

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Ulrich 1 month ago 1 point
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SAMMY <3 Ine

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esmerelda 1 month ago 1 point
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Interesting poem, but I'm glad it isn't in the anthology. Not that I have a problem with violence (why is this banned and yet we study Macbeth and Lord of the Flies?) but it means that we have one less poem to study. It's good for lazy teens.

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Nicole 1 month ago 1 point
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This poem does have hidden meanings...

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Xx Nicole Jahnsen xX 1 month ago 1 point
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I love this poem when i first read it in my anthology :D.. Its got meanings and its deep :D.. Amazing Xxx

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amy 3 days ago 1 point
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absolutly discusting poem..i hope carol got alot of complaints. im glad it got removed from the anthology because this is the sort of thing that motivates these messed up kids to join in knife crime.

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