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Penelope: Duffy's Feminist Embroidery Poem

Carol Ann Duffy's poem 'Penelope' presents a feminist reinterpretation of the classical figure Penelope, who copes with her husband's absence through embroidery, ultimately discovering her passion and independence. As she creates intricate designs, she reflects on love, loss, and self-fulfillment, finding joy in her artistry rather than waiting for Odysseus. The poem culminates in her realization of self-contentment, just as she hears her husband's return, symbolizing her journey of personal growth.

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Kalpana Krishnamurthy
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175 views4 pages

Penelope: Duffy's Feminist Embroidery Poem

Carol Ann Duffy's poem 'Penelope' presents a feminist reinterpretation of the classical figure Penelope, who copes with her husband's absence through embroidery, ultimately discovering her passion and independence. As she creates intricate designs, she reflects on love, loss, and self-fulfillment, finding joy in her artistry rather than waiting for Odysseus. The poem culminates in her realization of self-contentment, just as she hears her husband's return, symbolizing her journey of personal growth.

Uploaded by

Kalpana Krishnamurthy
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Penelope

Carol Ann Duffy


At first, I looked along the road
hoping to see him saunter home
among the olive trees,
a whistle for the dog
who mourned him with his warm head on my knees.
Six months of this
and then i noticed that whole days had passed
without my noticing.
I sorted cloth and scissors, needle, thread,

thinking to amuse myself,


but found a lifetime’s industry instead.
I sewed a girl
under a single star—cross-stitch, silver silk—
running after childhood’s bouncing ball.
I chose between three greens for the grass;
a smoky pink, a shadow’s grey
to show a snapdragon gargling a bee
I threaded walnut brown for a tree,

my thimble like an acorn


pushing up through umber soil.
Beneath the shade
I wrapped a maiden in a deep embrace
with heroism’s boy
and lost myself completely
in a wild embroidery of love, lust, lessons learnt;
then watched him sail away
into the loose gold stitching of the sun.
And when the others came to take his place,
disturb my peace,
I played for time.
I wore a widow’s face, kept my head down,
did my work by day, at night unpicked it.
I knew which hour of the dark the moon
would start to fray,
I stitched it.
Grey threads and brown

pursued my needle’s leaping fish


to form a river that would never reach the sea.
I tried it. I was picking out
the smile of a woman at the centre
of this world, self-contained, absorbed, content,
most certainly not waiting,
when I heard a far-too-late familiar tread outside the door.
I licked my scarlet thread
and aimed it surely at the middle of the needle’s eye once more.

 “Penelope” Introduction
o "Penelope" is Scottish poet Carol Ann Duffy's feminist take on
a classical heroine. In this poem, Penelope (wife of
Homer's Odysseus) takes up embroidery to distract herself
from her grief while her husband wanders the world, only to
find that she's stumbled onto her life's passion. The artistry of
sewing gives Penelope joy, power, and independence, offering
her a world of her own rather than a life dependent on a
husband. The poem first appeared in Duffy's 1999
collection The World's Wife.

 Read the full text of “Penelope”

 “Penelope” Summary
o The poem's speaker, Penelope, recalls that she used to look
wistfully down the road hoping that her wandering husband,
Odysseus, would come strolling back home through the olive
groves, whistling for their pet dog (who sat sadly with its head
on Penelope's knee, wishing for Odysseus too). After six
months of longing, though, Penelope realized that she'd
stopped counting the days since Odysseus had disappeared.
Bored, she gathered her sewing kit—and rather than just
finding a way to keep herself busy, she discovered her life's
work. She began by sewing a picture of a little girl running
after a ball beneath a silvery star. She carefully chose the best
colors of thread: the right green for the grass, and pinks and
greys for the light and shadow in an image of a snapdragon
with a bee in its throat. She picked out walnut-colored thread
to sew a tree, and felt as if her thimble were an acorn, the
seed from which the tree grew onto the cloth.

In the shade of that tree, she embroidered a pair of young


lovers like she and her husband once were, finding herself
carried away by all the memories of romance and growth she
called up as she worked. Finally, she embroidered the young
man sailing away into an embroidered sunset.

Later, she remembers, other men came and tried to get her
attention, getting in the way of her quiet art-making. So she
put them off, behaving like a faithful, mournful widow; she
made her embroideries in the daytime and undid them at
night. She got into a rhythm, knowing when the real moon
would set and she could undo her embroidered moon in the
dark.

She kept on making art, using grey and brown thread to make
a river, her needle leaping through it like a fish—even though
that river couldn't reach the ocean. She was just starting to
create a self-portrait: a smiling woman completely contented
with herself and her art, no longer waiting for her husband to
return. But just then, she heard his familiar footsteps at the
door—too late. Without missing a beat, she threaded her
needle and prepared to sew on.

Common questions

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Duffy uses vivid imagery to reflect Penelope's internal transformation by describing her detailed embroidery work. For instance, the imagery of "cross-stitch, silver silk," and "a snapdragon gargling a bee" captures the beauty and intricacy of her art. Through these images, Duffy illustrates Penelope's shift from longing to creativity, demonstrating her transition from passive waiting to active fulfillment .

The structure of "Penelope" mirrors her journey towards self-sufficiency through its narrative flow and the progression of imagery. The poem begins with Penelope's passive waiting, described in a wistful tone, but gradually transitions into a detailed depiction of her embroidery work. This shift in focus from external events to her internal world underscores her growing self-reliance and contentment with her craft, rather than her husband's return .

Carol Ann Duffy's reinterpretation of Penelope in her poem "Penelope" transforms her from a woman whose identity is largely defined by her waiting for Odysseus into a character who finds independence and self-contentment. Traditionally, Penelope is seen as a passive figure dutifully waiting for her husband's return. In contrast, Duffy's Penelope discovers joy and personal fulfillment in embroidery, an art form through which she expresses herself and establishes autonomy .

The motif of the moon in "Penelope" reflects Penelope's evolving state of mind. Duffy writes about the moon unraveling, symbolizing Penelope’s nightly unraveling of her embroidery to delay the suitors. This continual process mirrors her transition from passive waiting to active assertion of her independence through creativity. The moon's cycle parallels her routine of creating by day and unpicking by night, underscoring her autonomy and control over her life .

Penelope sewing a self-portrait is significant as it represents her self-realization and empowerment. Through the act of creating her own image, she asserts her identity beyond being the wife of Odysseus. This self-representation highlights her journey toward self-contentment and independence, aligning with the poem's message of finding personal fulfillment and autonomy through creativity .

Time in "Penelope" signifies a shift from a preoccupation with Odysseus's absence to an embrace of creative independence. Initially, time is marked by Penelope's longing and waiting, but as she immerses herself in embroidery, she loses track of time, becoming absorbed in her art. This evolution illustrates her transformation from a state of dependency to independence and self-sufficiency .

Colors in "Penelope" symbolize emotion and transformation, portraying the richness and depth of Penelope's inner life. The choice of "silver silk," "smoky pink," "shadow's grey," and "walnut brown" illustrate the complexity and beauty of her embroidery, reflecting her emotional journey and the vibrant world she creates for herself. These colors convey her shift from longing to fulfillment, illustrating her independence and emotional depth .

Duffy's portrayal of Penelope challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing her independence and creative agency rather than her role as a loyal wife. Penelope is traditionally depicted as the ideal woman who waits faithfully for her husband. In contrast, Duffy's Penelope finds purpose and fulfillment in embroidery, representing a departure from passive domesticity towards active self-expression and autonomy .

In Duffy's poem, themes of identity and autonomy are central, contrasting with traditional interpretations where Penelope's identity is linked to Odysseus. In "Penelope," she finds fulfillment and self-definition through embroidery, creating an autonomous identity independent of her role as Odysseus's wife. Traditionally, Penelope epitomizes loyalty and patience, but in Duffy's retelling, she embodies self-sufficiency and creative agency .

In "Penelope," embroidery symbolizes self-discovery, empowerment, and independence. It represents Penelope’s journey from longing for her husband to finding fulfillment and autonomy through creative expression. The act of sewing becomes a means for her to create her own world and identity, moving away from her role as the passive wife of Odysseus .

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