Duffy AS Revision Notes:
Beautiful
Notes from the podcast
Summary of Beautiful
A poem which traces famous “beautiful” icons
through time (Helen of Troy, Cleopatra,
Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana). Each
woman is described as powerful and
autonomous, but each is famed for “beauty”
more than anything. Each died in an
unpleasant way, the poem suggests somehow
that their fame (“beauty is fame”) aided their
demise.
Language in Helen of Troy section
The imagery of “a bird inside a cage” is
poignant as it represents all of the female
icons described. They are all trapped as
“beautiful” females inside the “cage” of fame.
Helen of Troy was kidnapped as a prize for
Paris as she was believed to be “the most
beautiful woman in the world”.
Language in Cleopatra section
In Cleopatra’s section there are luxurious descriptions
of exotic Egyptian objects: “rosted songbirds, gleaming
figs, jasmine scented milk” These all allude to her
femininity and juxtapose with her male, Roman lover
Mark Antony. The juxtaposition is surprising when
Duffy chooses to place Cleopatra in a drinking game
where “she matched him glass for glass”. She describes
Cleopatra as having “held her drink” “until the big man
slid beneath the table wrecked”. The amusing contrast
defies the gender expectations showing her strength.
Language in Marilyn Monroe
section
In the description of Marilyn Monroe, she is
described as a pawn of the wealthy studios –
“She sang to camera one, gushed at the greased
up lens, her skin investor’s gold”. The
juxtaposition of joyous singing and the studio
equipment, reminds the reader of how her sexual
behaviour was often for the camera, and the
word “investor’s” emphasises how she was
marketed and used as a product rather than
respected for her talent.
Language in Diana section
Finally in the last section which alludes to Princess Diana, with
the mention of the pose in front of the Taj Mahal. The motif of
“Beauty is fame” is repeated but this time it is “beauty is fate”.
The change to “fate” alludes to the destined pain and suffering
that descends on a women famous for her beauty. The
onomatopoeic “gibbering” of the cameras suggests the way the
paparazzi drove Princess Diana mad. The course aggressive and
offensive phrases in italics: “Act like a fucking princess” and give
us a smile, cunt” both bring sharply into focus the tabloid
judgements thrown at her and reminds the reader of the role
the press played in her demise. The offensive language also
suggests males using the sexist language (“Princess” and
“cunt”), and reflects the misogyny of society that feeds such
tragic stories.
Structure of the poem
Duffy crowds each section of the poem with numerous
caesurae creating lists and making the pace of the poem
fairly hectic. For example,
“Then it was coffee, pills, booze,
Frank on the record-player, it was put on the mink,
get in the studio car. Somebody big was watching her –
White fur, mouth at the mike, under the lights”. The hectic
tone of the poem reflects the hectic lifestyle endured by
Monroe and the way men are pulling at her for what they
desire.
Structure and Form of the
poem
The form of the poem, is mock-epic. The poem is split into
four fairly even sections – each focussing on a different
woman in time. The name of the woman is never
mentioned but the reader is able to match the descriptions
to the icons of history: Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Marilyn
Monroe and Diana.
The poem mentions “Beauty is fame” in the first section on
Helen of Troy, the repeating motif with the twist “Beauty is
fate” in the last section on Diana, gives the poem a cyclical
feel, and this perhaps carries the tragic and cautionary
message of the poem. That our male-dominated society
still destroys its most impressive female icons.