Q. How does Carol Ann Duffy make the poem Stealing a moving one for you?

The poem ‘Stealing’ creates a very disturbing feeling in the reader due to the apathetic and
indifferent tone that the speaker adopts. The apparent lack of concern over the act of
‘stealing’ a “snowman’ and the relish with which the incident is narrated also unsettles the
reader. Appalled by an actual incident of stealing that happened in her neighborhood, Duffy
explores the sadistic intent of the act. She also investigates deeper issues such as alienation
and isolation, which makes the poem poignant. The poet uses structure, negative diction and
themes to showcase the poem as a moving one.

The writer makes interesting use of structure to make the poem a touching one. There are five
stanzas, each with five lines. This organized structure provides a feeling of symmetry which
connotates a calm and satisfying vibe that however, contrasts completely with the overall
morose and angry tone of the poem. Interestingly, the poem both opens and closes with a
question that give it an interesting proportion. The first line, “The most unusual thing I ever
stole? A snowman.” uses a hypophora which creates a feeling of a dialogue between the
narrator and the reader, but the reader never replies, leaving them puzzled and confused.
Again the speaker tries to create an empathy in the reader. This shows how from the
beginning itself, Duffy creates a narrator who is isolated but who tries to reach out, with no
response from the outside world. The poem does not have a fixed rhyming scheme which
creates a very muddled and chaotic feeling. This reiterates how the narrator feels out of place
and misguided in life. Another interesting thing to notice about the poem has the shape of a
wave, increasing and then decreasing in size. This emphasizes how the narrator’s life is full
of highs and lows, like tide; and how ‘stealing’ led to problems but at the same time is not
related to acquisitiveness, but to relieving an inner pain, a cathartic release. Moreover, Duffy
uses several different types of sentences to make the poem a very staccato one rather than a
continuous flow of ideas. This keeps the readers on their toes since with every short or
holophrastic sentences, the course of the poem can change. The second line starts with the
word “Midnight”, this quick sentence right at the beginning foreshadows the bumpy route of
the poem. This structure is a representation of the narrator’s life, “life’s tough”, a simple
sentence that emphasizes the difficult dilemmas the narrator had to face. The reader
throughout realizes that they are invited to engage in a life that is for some reason lonely,
which makes the poem poignant. Hence, the use of structure throughout the poem makes the
reader pitiful for the narrator, therefore making it a heartrending one.

With the use of negative diction, Carol Ann Duffy renders the poem a poignant one. When
the narrator talks about stealing a “snowman” it automatically gets rid of the innocent essence
of a “snowman” and relates it to a very negative idea which is “stealing”. Throughout the
poem, the snowman becomes a symbol of emotional alienation and coldness, desire and
failure to connect and personifies the self-destruction inherent in the speaker. The simile “as
cold as the slice of ice”, although implicitly is referring to the coldness of the snowman, it
can be inferred as the emotional coldness of the speaker who is looking for companionship
and friendship. Since, camaraderie is usually associated with warmth, Duffy’s choice of a
snowman as a ‘friend’ is striking because it shows how the speaker feels completely isolated
and out of place with others. When the speaker talks about how they “joy-ride cars to
nowhere”, it suggests how he or she is experiencing an exciting and thrilling event,
something to add “joy” to his life. However, the speaker may also be seeking attention and
actually wanting to be caught while committing crimes such as “breaking into houses”,
hoping for a desperate human connect. The speaker boasts of these actions, almost
glamorizing his or her actions, which suggests how the boast is merely a cover for loneliness
and failure. Additionally, when the narrator looks at his reflection in the “Mirror”, it suggests
how he or she could be narcissistic, since he has no other company. While the speaker hugs
the snowman “a fierce chill pierced” his “gut”, this is the closest the speaker gets to physical
affection or any connection with anyone throughout the poem, hence the moment of
humanness is juxtaposed with the “fierce chill” to show how painful it’s been to be alone this
whole time. The speaker hugging the snowman suggests lack of affection in his/her life.
Duffy’s use of negative diction over here can clearly be seen to elucidate the poem as a
heartwarming one.

Duffy’s use of different themes like suicide, alienation, and isolation contribute in making the
poem a moving one. The theme of suicide is explored throughout the poem making the reader
pity the speaker and making them aware of the importance of helping someone having
thoughts like the speaker. In stanza 3, When the speaker breathes on to the mirror, “I sigh like
this – Aah”, the condensation formed on the mirror hides their reflection. This could imply
how he’s sick of being his own company and could also suggest how he or she could be
suicidal due to loneliness. This forms a very morbid atmosphere and makes the reader feel
glum. Furthermore, when the speaker mentions that his or her “breath ripped out in rags”, it
suggests their breath is their inner-self escaping, again implying that the speaker is suicidal
and wants to be freed of themselves. The word ‘ripped’ is also a very violent and gruesome
description and shows how the speaker is slightly sadistic. This is because he or she is able to
make something as simple as breathing a very a vicious thing. In the first line of stanza five,
the speaker talks about he or she is so bored they could “eat” themselves. This gory thought
again emphasizes the suicidal thoughts the speaker could be having since he or she is ready to
eat themselves. When the speaker describes a chill “piercing” their gut, the word “piercing”
is associated with a knife ‘piercing’ through someone, in this case the knife is the cold. Duffy
also brings in the theme of alienation and isolation. The speaker “watches” himself “twist the
doorknob”, the fact that the line is phrased as “watch my hand twisting the doorknob” and not
“I twist the doorknob with my hand” shows that besides feeling alienated from society, the
narrator feels alienated from himself. It’s almost as if the speaker is watching himself while
being present outside his body, which presents a very eerie mood. When the speaker is
talking about “breaking into houses”, he/she mentions that they’re a “mucky ghost”. The
word “ghost” reinforces the theme of isolation and alienation since it shows how they’re
invisible to the rest of the world. Moreover, word “mucky” means grimy and filthy, which
implies how he is aware of his wrongdoings like “Stealing” but is still continues with it since
it provides him with a sense of satisfaction. This shows how the use of themes aids with
rendering the poem as a moving one.

In conclusion, Carol Ann Duffy utilizes themes, negative diction and mixed structure to
make the readers aware of the different problems people face that society might hide from,
henceforth presenting the poem Stealing as a touching and poignant one.