Discuss the use of imagery in the poem "Medusa" by Carol Ann Duffy

Ultimately, the entire poem is an extended metaphor for a woman consumed by jealousy as she parts from her lover. Her jealousy is portrayed through the violent animalistic images of creatures the speaker is compared to; growing in size as her power builds. Starting as a "buzzing bee", she develops into a "snuffling pig", an image that is considerably less attractive than the small "bee" she could once be compared to, arguably showing how her physical form reflects the nature of her power as her jealousy grows.

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Answered by Helena M. English Literature tutor

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