If the post of Poet Laureate were allocated on the basis of popularity, Carol Ann Duffy would have been the first woman to hold this prestigious post. Like Philip Larkin in his day, Duffy is both a poet respected by many academics and teachers and widely read and enjoyed by children and adults. This collection of essays on the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy approaches and explores her work from a variety of literary theoretical perspectives, including feminism, masculinity, national identity and post-structuralism. This anthology situates Duffy's poems in relation to debates about the state, value and social relevance of contemporary British poetry. Issues addressed include: why Duffy's poetry is so popular; the importance of national identity to her writing; whether Duffy's work is part of a feminist tradition of writing; and whether her work is anathema to men. Comprehensive, engaging and accessible, this text should be of value to scholars, teachers and students in the fields on contemporary poetry and critical studies.
