On valentine's day, generally a beloved and suitor exchanges love, in form of red rose or something in red color. As it symbolizes love.
LITERAL MEANING OF THE POEM
If literally seeing this poem then there is a person, named(I) who is addressing (you) another person, who is just telling her(I give you an onion).
Where as per the(I) onion is having some qualities, which he has described, you can see in the poem. As poem is further unfolding, (I) is becoming (we) and it seems as already an experienced, one of the couple's members is sharing (her) experience from feminist point of view, denoting such volunteer attitude. If one likes one may have such experience of onion but its scent will cling to fingers and also to knife.
Perhaps meant to say that a girl/female/woman will only remain in four walls, where she might be doing the general things, the housewife is expected to do. Rather than this she can't even think about.
Keeping this things in mind, one can think further, if she wants this onion of reality or not.
DECONSTRUCTION OF THE POEM
Deconstructing the very poem, the prime focus of the poet is on "valentine's gift". A redrose(love, sacrifice death, marriage), satin heart (sophistication, superficiality, delicateness) to onion(hard, layered, real, dark) the poet centralizes focus on.
Onion is having its own story. It is a moon(wrapped in brown paper) that promises light like a careful undressing of love, blind with tears like lover. Describing onion as platinum loops, shrink to a wedding ring, and its scent cling to fingers cling to knife.
As we have seen how "onion" is in nature, from the view point of the poet. But as its description says it is a wrapped moon in brown cover, which promises light like a careful undressing of love. Is poet trying to say that something is mysterious, hidden, covered up, though seems to be joy at first, but it is mere an aspect of love, which is just opened? Why such mystery? Why such hidden forces? Is it that something is as such that it will reveal gradually? Is it indicating towards some colonialism or imperialism aspects of History, where in the name of civilization, annihilation and destruction were carried out? Let's see.
Furthermore the poem says it is blind with tears, suggest here vagueness, blurriness, which is actually like lover.
It has been revealed now, an onion is a lover.
As it is lover, it is now clear that this is male lover.
Does it suggest that the lover is possessing dual aspect of nature, which is different from what he seems to be and what actually he is?
Then suddenly the mind urge to see in flashback, who is describing such qualities of onion and the "I" comes into being. Is this a male or female(as one is describing such characteristics, seems to be sharing one's own experience or if having an evident experience of).
As it is saying "I'm trying to be truthful"! Is this mean 'she is just trying' while she isn't? Or just trying to stop someone from commitment for love relationship? Isn't it that third aspect playing role? Or something else..let's see further..
Suddenly then "I" transforms into "WE" and it gets reveal that it is based on poet's own experience. Through which the poet is trying to make aware that person, who wants to indulge in such relationship.
From the phrase "platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring, its scent clings to your fingers, cling to your knife".
It finally reveals as onion is describing a 'relationship' which will open up one after another layer, shrinking just to wedding ring, it will only be limited to house chorus, especially for women here.
onion seems to now suggest patriarchy, politics in relationship, gender discrimination, gender inferiority(especially concerning here female gender).
Patriarchy in sense, where female gender isn't given appropriate freedom, but expected to live in the power structures of society, where male gender is given due importance and respect.
As the poet also emphasize on "here". Where perhaps, she is suggesting a specific place, a spot, a society, perhaps her own house and the poet herself is female and so she is narrating her own experience and putting forward, positive and negative aspects of relationship, as it is also having its limit and it should be followed as such.
NARRATIVE OF FRAGMENTED PIECES
"I": How I was swept into, don't know; a magic-like atmosphere was such, It rattled me with it, through unknown place.
How it was at first,
Seeming as everything is here,
Don't want to go anywhere,
My heart was urging me to seize the moment,
As the atmosphere is, wasn't ever.
I was on nine clouds,
Perceiving myself as most luckiest in the world.
But what happened....
Was this life, for which I was craving?
It is now becoming dull and passive day by day, seems as the moment has seized somewhere,
Ashes is sprinkling, finding traces but not able to make it out!
How everything changed, or I got bored?
Seems as I was only here to eat onion and enjoying its scents..
Ain't I having feelings, emotions, wanting to live freely;
Then why restrictions, only on my part,
Being woman is crime,
We all are human beings and equal as per God;
Then why god I'm disqualified here?
Is this a different world from yours;
Or there also such things were prevailing,
Only I was ignorant of;
Why? Why God?
Now I'm helpless;
What I can do?
As I have spoiled half of journey of my life..
I can't see anyway;
It seems to be blur everywhere;
But I will now try to make appraise others!
"YOU": What I have thought, and what it has now become!
How fool I'm, how ignorant I'm that I wasn't knowing this!
How raw I was! Is it due to that sweet somber sprinkling of words, coming out of thoughtful mind? Was I prone to this fate! O gentle lady, how fortunate I'm to meet you!
"ONION": Whirling mustache! An eye around, inhaling; just treading forward, with horse-shoes, bragging point is mocking on him, nevertheless he is walking, a cast of abhorrent sight, stamping a shawl with pride, just furthering....
Perhaps in this way or by critiquing and seeing each aspect or character in different manner, a criticism can be developed in progressive way.
Seeing all the narratives, the listener, who is seeing and observing everyone, will have to now decide what she is suppose to do as representative of the society. Where she will marry her lover, or musing upon the woman's suggestions, she will decide to quit the marriage and be an exemplar for the society?..
CONCLUSION
Thus deconstruction is a form of different and altogether a new type of criticism, which rather than just giving surface meaning, provides unconscious and suppressed meanings, which had been thought by the concerned writer but as hesitating to openly share the thoughts, such things are layered out in this way.
While such a task and its manner of doing is introduced by Jacques Derrida. One of which I have carried out and tried to put my views on, through the mentioned poem.
Learning experience on TEDEd
Works Cited
Duffy, Carol A., "Poem: Valentine". Originally published in Mean Time(Anvil 1993). www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk.
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