Stealing

1. Starts and ends with a rhetorical question
2. Talks about what goes on in the thief’s mind
3. Metaphor - snowman can represent the thief themselves.
4. Refusal to accept anything positive

Group 2 Presentation on "Stealing" by Carol Ann Duffy

Annotations:

First Stanza: The speaker describes the most unusual thing they ever stole, which is a snowman. The speaker finds it unusual because of its likeness to them, which was its coldness - a reflection of the coldness in the speaker’s mind and heart when they steal.

Second Stanza: The speaker thinks that it is better to die than to not have what you want. Perhaps this philosophy can be a motive to this thievery. They about the consequences of their actions, that is, making children cry by stealing the snowman. However, they show no remorse, rather excitement, showing the reader the coldness in their heart.

Third Stanza: Boredom is said to be another motive for the speaker’s actions. Stealing is now a form of entertainment for the speaker. Here the reader discovers that the thief is in fact, lonely - to the extent that they risk being caught by leaving trails, only to receive attention. One almost feels sorry for the speaker.

Fourth Stanza: The speaker has stolen the snowman and destroys it in disgust and frustration. Perhaps the thief knows that their actions are wrong but will not stop since it is now a habit. The speaker also refuses anything that gives happiness, such as a snowman and a guitar that was also stolen. The speaker destroys both and is convinced that the reader cannot understand what they think.

Theme:

1. Loneliness (to an extent that they risk being caught to get attention by leaving trails behind)
2. Purpose vs Meaningless(a relatable line where the speaker justifies boredom as a reason for stealing)

Stylistic Devices:

1. Asyndeton (I'm a mucky ghost, leave a mess, maybe pinch a camera.)
2. Repetition (Again. Again.)
3. Rhetorical Devices (The most unusual thing I ever stole?)
4. Enjambment (My breath ripped out / in rags)
5. Eponym (I nicked a bust of Shakespeare once,)
6. Internal Rhyme (gut...Life’s tough)
7. Alliteration (I'm a mucky ghost, leave a mess, maybe pinch a camera)
8. Hyperbole (Mostly I'm so bored I could eat myself.)