Medusa and Les Grands Seigneurs Essay Example

references snakes (The Garden of Eden and Satan) but the courtesan being a dominant, out-of-reach woman, commanding men at her will.

Leading on from earlier points about the courtesan being able to seduce men so easily, contrasting this with ‘Medusa’ she tried desperately to cling to Perseus, but was unable, the only man in her life. Linking the two poems through this, we almost feel Medusa’s jealousy towards the courtesan and her dominance. We obtain a heightened sense of Medusa’s mistrust, jealousy, and doubt, very early in the poem, she would rather kill Perseus than have him leave her; ‘so better by far for me if you were stone’.

To further reinforce the point of the courtesans supremacy, the terms; ‘best and worst of times’ is used, showing that men have no personal position with her, they are her playthings. With this line Molloy has also used antithesis and juxtapositions the use of ‘best’ and ‘worst’. However this was not accidental as this phrase forms the 1st line of a Dickens novel, being deliberate as it is about a revolution and therefore change… her change in men. One key aspect of both poems is the use of an extended metaphor throughout to create character and to some extent the voice of the poem.

This closely ties in with the semantic field, also produced in both, with Ann Duffy’s poem focusing around the myth of ‘Medusa’ and the association of this central idea. Looking at ‘Les Grands Seigneurs’ and the way the extended metaphor is portrayed, the two greatly differ. ‘LGS’ focuses its attention on the sexual metaphor, a double entendre, scattering subtle

innuendos throughout; ‘buttresses’, ‘castellated towers’, and ‘bowers’. ‘Medusa’ is then shown with three stanzas dedicated to her and the myth, the myth of sight; ‘I glanced’, ‘I looked’ and ‘I stared’.

These are all verbs of sight, which are important considering the way she looks at things, deadening the world, incapable of feeling, turning everything to stone. The use of these metaphors is key to the portrayal of ‘Medusa’ and the courtesan as they produce associations with the two; sexual, absurd, ugly and silly images. Looking over LGS the first stanza is rich with the extended sexual metaphor, with the semantic field being about medieval castles and churches. Examples of this; ‘my buttresses’, ‘castellated towers’ and ‘bowers’. ‘Buttresses’ are found on old churches and castles which act as a supporting structure.

The use of this here is to symbolise the sexual meaning in ‘butt’ which carries a double meaning, men were her support, allowing the voice of the poem to have a joke. Remaining with ‘my buttresses’ the use of ‘my’ is a possessive pronoun, once again reinforcing her superiority. In verse two ‘the bowers’ is a reference to a shady or leafy recess where lovers might go, however the courtesan could not marry as she was ‘out of reach’, once again augmenting the semantic field. Continuing with the first stanza LGS much like ‘Medusa’ uses pleasant images, albeit they are sexual puns; ‘peacocks’ and ‘cockatoos’.

Here the voice is suggesting men are birds, that they show off their colours (peacocks) or their feathers stand up (cockatoos). Both poems present voice in the form of a 1st person narrative, allowing the reader

to see the point of view (opinions and thoughts) of the narrator. The poem ‘Medusa’ calls out directly to the ‘you’, the lover; ‘and here you come’. LGS on the other hand speaks out to the men and their desperation, how they are shallow creatures; ‘men were my dolphins’. One thing the poems have in common is found in the first word of the first verse, LGS uses; ‘men’ and ‘Medusa uses ‘a suspicion’.

The effect of this is that the poems straight into the subject, with Duffy’s use of ‘suspicion’ inferring that the speaker is paranoid. Looking at the final stanza in LGS the voice has changed from active to passive, the courtesan is no longer using, but being used. A related effect is also used in ‘Medusa’ where her lover, Perseus, enter the poem; ‘and here you come’. This final stanza is all about Perseus and how he is a ‘perfect man’, ‘Greek God’, however ‘Medusa’ is still mistrusting of him; ‘your girls, your girls’.

The phrase; ‘wasn’t I fragrant’ is then used which relates to the phrase; ‘brides breath soured’, forming a paradox. Moving back to LGS and the final stanza it begins to run quickly as she no longer has control; ‘… I was wedded, bedded’. Furthermore her take on men has changed due to the terms she uses; ‘a plaything’, ‘little woman’ and ‘a bit of fluff’. These are all derogatory terms inferring that the ‘wife’s’ (no longer courtesan) husband believes her to be intrusive. Moreover as she is no longer a courtesan the narrator begins to diminish the power a woman has.

The revolution has taken

place overnight as aforementioned. The presentation of character in ‘Medusa’ is formed through the use of imagery, although to a lesser extent compared to other techniques. There is a similar amount of imagery in LGS whereas ‘Medusa’ is images of nature, life and following with ugly images, LGS uses more silly and absurd imagery. In ‘Medusa’ the fourth stanza through to the sixth stanza uses verbs of sight; ‘I glanced’, ‘I looked’ and ‘I stared’ followed by images of nature; ‘a buzzing bee’, ‘a singing bird’ and ‘a snuffling pig’.

Proceeding from this line ugly images follow; ‘…dusty gravel spattered down’ and ‘…a heap of shit’. This final ugly image has been intentionally used due to its striking effect; the use of unexpected taboo language shocks the reader. LGS also uses imagery though with duality, producing images with a pleasant yet sexual meaning; ‘rocking horses’, ‘…down the promenade’. One of the more basic techniques which are rhyme and rhythm is shown in both poems as to be expected, though not too common. LGS uses internal rhyme, rhyme within the line which is not conventional; ‘towers’ and bowers’.

The effect of this is to show the desperation of men for her attention. ‘Medusa’ uses a more basic rhyme which breaks up two sentences; ‘home’ and ‘stone’. Focusing on the title of ‘Les Grands Seigneurs’ there is an irony, literally translated to; ‘The Big Men’, we know the poem is about men who are powerless, small and weak, with the woman commanding and dominating them. Shining the light on ‘Medusa’ and centring on rhetorical techniques the use of rule of 3, is shown in the

1st line; ‘a suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy’.

These entire words link back to a key aspect of the poem, Medusas jealousy and doubt about her husband, how she wants to possess him and is incapable of letting go. Moving to the second and third verses of this same stanza the phrase; ‘grew in my mind’ is used as it is a short sentence (four syllables) while the third verse has fifteen syllables showing that her suspicion and doubt has grown. Medusas possessive and controlling characteristics are presented perfectly through the imperative commands used at certain points; ‘be terrified’ and ‘look at me now’.

This final phrase as seen in the final verse has a poignant meaning it could be a despairing plea to her lover or a despairing plea to herself. To conclude I will offer my own opinions on the use of ‘courtly love’ and what it could mean in the poem ‘Les Grands Seigneurs’ and also my own opinion of ‘Medusa’. Firstly the term ‘courtly love’ is idealised with a strong juxtaposition between the life of a courtesan and a married woman whilst being explicitly mentioned in the third stanza as it is derived from the medieval world of French relationships.

The term also offers an exploratory act where the woman does not have to be married producing a sexual encounter that can be deemed passionate, intimate of dominating. To summarise LGS and offer the voice of the narrator, her attitude to marriage is don’t do it. My overall judgement of ‘Medusa’ is that Carol Ann Duffy intends the poem for performance and not just an intellectual exercise as

she calls us towards it through the large use of sibilance.