A Satisfying Relationship in Anthology Poetry

Marking points

1. 1 Choose a valid poem from the Love and Relationships cluster other than ‘Love After Love’ and keep the response focused on a satisfying relationship.
2. 2 Use relevant textual references to develop an informed personal interpretation.
3. 3 Analyse how language, form and structure create the presentation of satisfaction.

Full-mark answer

In Rita Dove’s ‘Flirtation’, a satisfying relationship is presented as playful, sensual and full of possibility. The speaker’s relaxed ‘walking’ suggests that the relationship develops willingly rather than under pressure. Dove’s couplets can suggest two people moving together, while the final single line gives their closeness a moment of completion. The image of ‘an orange, peeled / and quartered’ makes the new relationship seem sweet, generous and ready to be shared; at the same time, the Wedgwood plate suggests something precious but fragile. Sensual sound in phrases such as ‘rolled up her rugs’ and the image of salt ‘strewn’ across the sky make the experience feel vivid and pleasurable. These methods present satisfaction not as certainty about a distant future, but as delight in intimacy, discovery and the shared present.