The Laughter of Stafford Girls’ High
Carol Ann Duffy
A poem written in the form of an epic tale.
The longest poem in the anthology, its
sardonic satirical view of “girl’s school”
education as twee and restrictive is
hilarious.
The poem tells a story of laughter breaking out
at the school and infectiously spreading
throughout the school.
This eventually causes the end of the
school and even seems to inspire the
repressed teachers to follow their own
desires.
The atmospheric description of the school with every
girl’s name fitting into four syllables seems to represent
an education system designed to churn out girls like a
factory line.
The atmospheric description of the school with every
girl’s name fitting into four syllables seems to represent
an education system designed to churn out girls like a
factory line.
This is emphasised by the lists used every
time a teacher is quoted teaching, showing
that the education was purely factual and
never encouraging thought.
The infectious laughter (often described with natural imagery)
seems to be an extended metaphor for freedom of speech, and
possibly feminist rebellion against such an education system.
The infectious laughter (often described with natural imagery)
seems to be an extended metaphor for freedom of speech, and
possibly feminist rebellion against such an education system.
The infectious pleasure found through
rebellion is juxtaposed by the female
teachers. Each is shown to be shocked by
the student rebellion, but equally is
presented as repressed by society in their
own lives.
The poem is a celebration of rebellion against
repressive regimes, and the simplicity of laughter
as the catalyst for change is a powerful metaphor
which shows that such rebellion is often natural
and harmless.
Duffy went to a school called “Stafford
Girls” which could suggest the poem also
presents her views on her own schooling.
Every time the teaching of students is mentioned,
the delivery is in the form of lists
Every time the teaching of students is mentioned,
the delivery is in the form of lists
“Egbert, Ethelwulf,Edgar”
Every time the teaching of students is mentioned,
the delivery is in the form of lists
“Egbert, Ethelwulf,Edgar”
“Brathay, Coquet, Crake, Allen, Clough,
Dudden,Skirfare, Troutbeck, Wash”
Every time the teaching of students is mentioned,
the delivery is in the form of lists
“Egbert, Ethelwulf,Edgar”
“Brathay, Coquet, Crake, Allen, Clough,
Dudden,Skirfare, Troutbeck, Wash”
This shows to suppression of thought in 1960s girl schools
and reflects Duffy’s view that women used to be taught to
supress their aspiration.
The suppression of free will is further demonstrated in
the description of Ms Dunn who returns home to
The suppression of free will is further demonstrated in
the description of Ms Dunn who returns home to
“her small terraced house”
The suppression of free will is further demonstrated in
the description of Ms Dunn who returns home to
“She roused it
each evening, kisses of light on its cheeks
from her lamps, the small talk of cutlery, pots
and pans as she cooked, sweet silver steam caressing”
“her small terraced house”
The suppression of free will is further demonstrated in
the description of Ms Dunn who returns home to
“She roused it
each evening, kisses of light on its cheeks
from her lamps, the small talk of cutlery, pots
and pans as she cooked, sweet silver steam caressing”
“her small terraced house”
The sexual language “kisses of light”, “small talk” and “caressing”,
coupled with the sibilant “sweet silver steam”, all serve to highlight
her tragic loneliness and desperation for a sexual partner while also
emphasising the social alienation of single professional women.
Whenever the laughter is mentioned, natural imagery is used.
Whenever the laughter is mentioned, natural imagery is used.
“a gurgle, a ripple, a dribble,
a babble, a gargle, a plash, a splash of a laugh
the sudden jackpot leap of a silver fish
in the purse of a pool”
Whenever the laughter is mentioned, natural imagery is used.
“a gurgle, a ripple, a dribble,
a babble, a gargle, a plash, a splash of a laugh
the sudden jackpot leap of a silver fish
in the purse of a pool”
“sparkled and fizzed”
Whenever the laughter is mentioned, natural imagery is used.
“a gurgle, a ripple, a dribble,
a babble, a gargle, a plash, a splash of a laugh
the sudden jackpot leap of a silver fish
in the purse of a pool”
“sparkled and fizzed”
“a small human shower of rain”
Whenever the laughter is mentioned, natural imagery is used.
“a gurgle, a ripple, a dribble,
a babble, a gargle, a plash, a splash of a laugh
the sudden jackpot leap of a silver fish
in the purse of a pool”
“sparkled and fizzed”
“a small human shower of rain”
The often onomatopoeic metaphors present the rebellion of
the girls as positive and natural – something to celebrate - and
therefore the suppression of their voices wholly unnatural.
We are presented laughter as an extended metaphor of the
natural human urge to overthrow any tyrannical rule, and
that the human spirit cannot be contained.
The poem is written as a Mock-epic poem which is effective
in delivering its message.
Like Milton’s Paradise Lost which details Satan’s rebellion
against God, this hilarious satirical poem seems to enjoy its
fast-paced description of women throwing off the
repression of their conformist education. Similar to Satan
in Milton’s work, the girls are heroic, rallying against the
education system’s mind-control and repressing their
ambitions, and their rebellion is both natural and inspiring.
Lacking a rhythm or rhyme scheme, the poem almost
sounds like a narrative. This is particularly effective as it
satirises the children’s stories of schooldays (like those by
Angela Brazil).
The poem’s narrative is structured around the infectious
laughter that builds into full scale rebellion against the
teachers, closes the school and forces the teachers involved
to search out their own dreams that they too have always
repressed.
At the start of the poem, the teachers are seen as strict and
without character.
By the end, the rebellion of the girls seems to
inspire them as they accept who they are and
investigate the parts of their character that
they have supressed for years.
Whenever the laughter is mentioned, natural imagery is used.
“a gurgle, a ripple, a dribble,
a babble, a gargle, a plash, a splash of a laugh
the sudden jackpot leap of a silver fish
in the purse of a pool”
“sparkled and fizzed”
“a small human shower of rain”
The often onomatopoeic metaphors present the rebellion of
the girls as positive and natural – something to celebrate - and
therefore the suppression of their voices wholly unnatural.