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Mrs Midas is a poem written from the viewpoint of the wife of the mythological King Midas from Metamorphoses. King Midas was granted a wish whereby everything he touched would turn to gold.

This autobiographical poem sees Duffy considering and exploring the sense of isolation and confusion felt when she moved as a child from Scotland to England.

This poem expresses love and affection in the form of a conceit whereby the symbol of love being offered by the persona is an unconventional onion.

This poem addresses the peculiar challenge faced by war photographers, whose job requires them to record terrible, horrific events without being able to help them directly.

Duffy explores the theme of childhood and growing up in this poem. She describes the joys of primary school before the children are exposed to a more frightening adult world.

Exploring the themes and structure of Carol Ann Duffy's poem, The Way My Mother Speaks