Dolphins: Subject: English

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DOLPHINS
Subject: English
DOLPHINS BY CAROL ANN DUFFY

Theme
‘Dolphins’ by Carol Ann Duffy voices the pangs of the dolphins that are confined
as a means of entertainment. The poet seems to have entered into the world of
those captivated dolphins and sharing their woes as a compatriot and as a poet.
However, in this poem, Carol Ann Duffy expresses a broader perspective. It is
about the lack of sensation and common sense in the modern world. Moreover,
the poet takes the side of those creatures that can’t convey their hopelessness in
words. For this reason, the poem becomes a record of the dolphins’ suffering in
the man-made pools.
Summary
‘Dolphins’ by Carol Ann Duffy is told from the perspective of suffering, hopeless
dolphins kept captive in a theme park.
The poem begins with the speaker defining the world as the space where one
exists. To the dolphins in captivity, the world is the pool. They know very well
the world they were taken from, the open ocean, and now have to contend with
a future of confinement. There are only men and hoops and endless circles
around the pool.
The dolphin speaker goes on to describe how they first came to know their space
and realize their terrible change of circumstances. They used to be “blessed” but
soon realized that that time was over. Now they are “not blessed.” The poem
concludes with the dolphins explaining that they know there is no hope of ever
leaving this place, not while there are human beings in existence.
Structure
‘Dolphins’ by Carol Ann Duffy is a four stanza poem that is divided into even sets
of six lines, or sextets. These sextets do not follow a specific pattern of rhyme,
but that does not mean that there isn’t a rhyme present in the text. For
example, there are moments of internal rhyme between words that do not
correspond at the end of lines. At the end of line three of the fourth stanza,
“own” and “stone” rhyme. Additionally, the end words of lines four and six of the
second stanza rhyme, “began” and “man”.
There are also instances of half or slant rhyme within the text. These are words
that line up due to similarities in vowel or consonant sounds. For example,
“flesh” and “blessed” in lines two and three of the second stanza are connected
due to assonance, or the similarity in the short “e” sound.
Literary Devices
‘Dolphins’ by Carol Ann Duffy contains several literary devices. Likewise,
alliteration is an important technique that pops up in the poem. It occurs when
words are used in succession, or at least appear close together, and begin with
the same letter. A reader can see it happening with phrases such as “silver skin”
or “deepen to dream”.
The most important technique used by Duffy in ‘Dolphins’ is anthropomorphism.
She used the dolphins as the speaker/s of the poem, giving their perspective on
their confinement. Due to their obvious sentience, the reader is unable to escape
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the fact that the dolphins are miserable. They know they are not where they’re
supposed to be and they are capable of missing the past. There is no way for a
human look at this situation, after hearing from the dolphins themselves, and
think that it is okay to keep them captive.
Analysis of Dolphins
Stanza One
World is what you swim in, or dance, it is simple.
We are in our element but we are not free.
(…)forms my thoughts. And also mine. There is a man
and there are hoops. There is a constant flowing guilt.
In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins by stating that the world
which one interacts with is the world that is real. This means that if you “swim”
or “dance” in a space, that is your world. The speaker, who is revealed to be a
collective of dolphins, states that dolphins in captivity are “in [their] element
but…not free.” This line is particularly impactful as Duffy uses the cliche phrase
“in our element.” It takes on an important second meaning in that water is an
element in and of itself.
In the next lines, the speaker walks through the two different worlds they have
belonged to. There is the one that has their “shape” and then the one in which
“you cannot breathe for long.” The latter is the human world, the one in which
the dolphins are forced to perform in. It is the free ocean world that they strive
for, but unfortunately, they have the human keepers to contend with. They are
forced to deal with “hoops” and “man” and their demands.
The stanza ends with the line, “There is a constant flowing guilt”. The word
flowing relates back to the overarching image of water, and the guilt connects to
the inner emotions of the keepers. They know keeping the dolphins in captivity
is wrong but they do it anyway.
It is interesting to consider how one might approach this piece without the title.
If a reader applied these same lines to the human condition, how might they be
interpreted.
Stanza Two
We have found no truth in these waters,
(…)
the same space always and above it is the man.
In the waters of the theme park, the dolphins have “found no truth”. There is
nothing familiar about the world they’re forced to live in. They can’t tap into the
history of their “flesh”. The speaker makes use of a simple way of describing
what happened to them. They were “blessed” in their previous world, and in this
one, they “are not blessed.”
In lines four through six the dolphin speaker/s explains how they came to
understand their new, confining space. They traveled it for “days” and then
“began / to translate.” They figured out quickly that there was nothing more to it
than what they initially experienced. It “was the same space” day after day.
They are also able to count on the continued presence of man “above” the
space.
In these lines, a reader should take note of the three different times the word
“space” is used. The speaker says, “such space” once and “same space” twice.
This is in order to emphasize the importance of place and space in the dolphin’s
world.
Stanza Three
And now we are no longer blessed, for the world
(…)
we have to balance till the man has disappeared.
In the third stanza, the speaker uses the word “blessed” again. They know that
they are “no longer blessed” because the world doesn’t act like it used to. It will
not “deepen to dream in.” This contrasts with what they knew before. The
oceans were to them a world that reflected back their own selves.
There are moments in which they see one another, and the flash of “silver skin”
and think they are somewhere else. It brings up a memory of the past in which
they were free to swim and be with others of their kind. Now, the only colors
they really see are the ones on the “ball.” The stanza ends with the speaker
saying that there is no way out of this situation for them until “man has
disappeared.” This is a dark statement that alludes to more than the end of that
day’s show. They know that dolphins, and all those like them, are not going to
be free until men are gone for good.
Stanza Four
The moon has disappeared. We circle well-worn grooves
of water on a single note. Music of loss forever
(…)
to the limits of this pool until the whistle blows.
There is a man and our mind knows we will die here.
In the fourth stanza, the speaker begins by saying that the “moon has
disappeared”. In ways that are familiar for animals in captivity, the dolphins’
circle and circle. They speak on the “well-worn grooves” in the water and of
music that is lost forever. This is the language of their previous lives. It is the
pattern of their prior movements and the interactions they use to have with the
larger ecosystem.
In the final lines, the poem ends on a very dark note. They spend the night
circling and eventually sink to the bottom of the pool. As stated in the last
stanza, they know there is “no hope” of getting out of this situation, there are
only the “limits of this pool”. Then, the man is back again and the “whistle
blows”. They are forced to perform while knowing in their minds that they “will
die here.”
Question 1
The poem is a monologue by a dolphin in confinement. Is the voice of
the dolphin individualistic or collective? Comment on the technique of
monologue used in the poem with reference to the poem.
Ans. The poem is in the form of a monologue. A dolphin speaks of its life in
confinement. The use of the second person ‘you’ relates the speaker with the
readers. The dolphin speaks collectively for all his friends – all the dolphins
confined to a pool, for it represents the predicament of all dolphins put in the
similar circumstances. Although they live in water where they swim and dance,
they are no longer free. In a monologue a character speaks his or her thoughts
and feelings out loud. In the course of his or her speech, the speaker unveils the
situation, setting, the audience and his or her own personality. The monologue
offers a psychological experience. The intent of a monologue is to make the
reader more and more familiar with the character. As the poetic verse continues,
the character will evoke an extreme emotional response from the reader. The
dolphin looks at other dolphins whose shape and constraints are same as its
shape and constraints. There is a man controlling them and there are hoops to
make them perform tricks. In the first stanza itself the dolphin uses the term
‘we’ – ‘We are in our element but we are not free.’ The dolphin says their
‘element’ (water) remains the same in both the places. Outside of water a
dolphin cannot survive. But there is a stark contrast between the two places. In
the ocean it was absolutely free. It was not confined by any restrictions. Man has
created an artificial environment to keep the dolphins in captivity in order to
entertain people with their tricks. There is a constant flow of water into the pool
but this flow of water is referred to as a constant flow of guilt – the guilt of
confining dolphins to a life of slavery. The dolphin speaks collectively for all the
dolphins in captivity.
The first stanza of the poem has the following lines: “The other has my shape.
The other’s movement forms my thoughts. And also mine. “ By using the term
‘the other’, the speaker refers to the other dolphins in captivity. It is clear from
the context as the dolphin says that the other has its shape and the movements
of the other dolphins are also the same. It means the other dolphins are also in
confinement. They too monotonously encircle the pool and perform the routine
tricks under the control of their caretaker. The speaker says that their thoughts
and its thoughts are the same. In the second stanza the speaker says:
“We have found no truth in the these waters, no explanations tremble on our
flesh” Again, “We were blessed and now we are not blessed.” In the third stanza
of the poem the speaker repeats the same idea. “And now we are no longer
blessed,”
The speaker comments on their life of slavery in the artificial environment.

Dolphins have a very sensitive skin which is capable of feeling minute changes in
their environment. But, living in confinement their skin has slowly lost the ability
to respond to the stimulus. Their life in the ocean was a blessed life but their
present life is not a blessed one. They monotonously encircle the same space
every day and very slowly they sense the truth of their confinement. Their life is
the same always, the same routine and the same experience. Their actions are
controlled by men and they are no longer free. The third stanza of the poem
expresses the mutual understanding and love between the dolphins and how
they define themselves with reference to each other. The speaker says: “The
other knows and out of love reflects me for myself.” The dolphins are
sympathetic to each other. The dolphins are aware of the sufferings of the others
because all of them undergo the same torture but they are helpless. They try to
console each other by referring to the same treatment they receive in their
artificial environment. They remember how their skin flashed like silver under
the light of the sun when they lived in the ocean. Now they have to jump
through the hoops and balance a coloured ball till their caretaker goes away.
Look at the following lines to see the sympathy, the speaker has towards the
other dolphins suffering with him in the confinement of the pool. “Music of loss
forever from the other’s heart which turns my own to stone.” The sorrowful
music of loss (lamentation caused by the loss of freedom) arising from the
hearts of the fellow dolphins turns the dolphin’s heart into a stone. There are
other instances in the poem where the poet uses the term ‘we’ and ‘our’. It is
evident from all these examples that the speaker of the monologue in this poem
speaks collectively for all other dolphins which are doomed to live a life of
slavery in the confinement of artificial pools, performing tricks to entertain the
visitors.
Question 2
The poet uses the technique of contrast in the poem ‘The Dolphins’ to
highlight the plight of dolphins in confinement. Do you think she is
successful in her attempt?
Ans. The technique of contrast is successfully used in the poem to highlight the
sufferings of the dolphins displaced from their natural habitat (the ocean) and
confined to a pool. The poem begins on a happy note of swimming and dancing
but soon highlights the stark contrast between their natural habitat and the pool.
The tone abruptly changes from happiness to utter despair. The dolphin thinks
about his happy life in the ocean and his present life in the confinement of the
pool. The dolphin says their ‘element’ (water) remains the same in both the
places. But there is a stark contrast between the two places. In the ocean he
was absolutely free. He was not confined by any restrictions. There was no
boundary wall as the sea was vast and limitless. There was no one to control his
movements. There was no one to make him perform any tricks. His life was not
monotonous. On the contrary his life in the pool is not free. The pool has a
boundary wall. Unlike the ocean the pool is limited. The dolphin encircles the
pool monotonously. He is the same forever. There is nothing new. Every day he
performs the same tricks. The dolphin looks at other dolphins in the
confinement, whose shape, restricted movements and the thoughts are similar
to his. There is a man to control them with hoops. They are enslaved and
destined to perform tricks to entertain the visitors.
Instead of the constant movement of waves in the ocean there is a constant flow
of water through a pipeline into the pool to create an artificial atmosphere for
the dolphins to survive in the pool. The word ‘guilt’ is used for this constant flow
of water into the pool in order to maintain this artificial atmosphere, emulating
an ocean. The poem contrasts the pool with the ocean. The pool is artificially
created and lacks the expanse and environment of the natural sea. A dolphin’s
skin is very sensitive to the environment. The dolphin gets information about the
surroundings through its skin. Through the skin it is able to detect minute
changes in the environment. When they lived in the ocean their skin responded
spontaneously to the stimuli but in the pool it takes days to translate their
stimuli into truth and the truth is that they are confined to an artificial habitat. In
the confinement a man makes them to perform various tricks such as jumping
through hoops and balancing coloured balls on their noses.
Their life in the ocean is described as blessed and the present monotonous life as
‘not blessed’. The dolphin says that the pool they live now can never be as vast
and deep as their previous ‘world’, the ocean. The narrow pool limits their
dreams. Their dreams about independence are over in the shallow waters of the
pool. When they were in the sea their skin reflected the natural sunlight and
shone like silver under the sun. Now it is an old memory. They could enjoy the
vision of the moon while they were in the ocean but now in the place of moon,
they have coloured plastic balls. In the place of music they have the single note
of a whistle.
This single note of music refers to the whistle blown by the man who makes
dolphins perform the tricks. The lamentation of the other dolphins turns the
heart of the narrator (the dolphin) to a stone. There is a stark contrast with the
life of joy the dolphins had in their natural habitat and their present life in the
pool where a man controls their movements. The poem compares the life of the
dolphin in the ocean and its present life in the confinement of the pool. Thus the
poet uses this literary technique very effectively to highlight the plight of
dolphins that are exploited by human beings.
Question 3
Carol Anne Duffy is known for highlighting various issues in the society
such as oppression, confinement of animals, animal welfare, etc. in her
poems. Discuss how these themes are highlighted in the poem.
Ans. 'The Dolphins'. Dame Carol Anne Duffy is known for highlighting various
issues in the society such as animal welfare, oppression, gender discrimination
and violence in simple language through her poems. The poem ‘The Dolphins’
brings to the notice of the general public several issues related to animal welfare
such as oppression and lack of freedom. It also highlights issues such as enmity
between man and nature, exploitation, etc., in connection with animal welfare.
She takes us to the world of dolphins and asks us to look at these issues from
their perspective.
Exploitation of Animals by human beings for selfish interests is the major theme
of this poem. Man exploits animals for food, entertainment and various other
monetary purposes. Animals are used for procuring milk, flesh, eggs and other
animal products. They are treated with cruelty in this process. They are
displaced from their natural habitat and forced into artificial environments. Their
freedom of movement is restricted. They are confined to cages, pools, etc. Some
of them are mutilated and killed for scientific experiments. The young ones are
separated from their mothers. Man behaves as if he is the master of all animals.
The poem is a monologue of a dolphin that speaks for its friends. It compares
their previous life in the sea and their present life in a man-made pool, confined
and controlled by its master, performing tricks to entertain people. They are
exploited and made to perform tricks with a coloured ball and hoops for
entertaining people. Though they are in water they no longer experience
freedom. There is a note of despair in the poem. Every living being loves
freedom. It is not only human beings who strive to shake off the shackles of
enslavement but also animals. They want to live freely in their natural habitat.
The poem ‘The Dolphins’ expresses this quest for freedom. In the ocean they
could swim freely but in the pool they live a monotonous life. The moon has
disappeared from their eyes. They have lost their sensitivity to the environment.
The poem presents a bleak and hopeless future for the dolphins. The dolphin
says that they will ultimately die in the pool. The imagery used in the poem is
touching. The author asks the readers to look at all the enslaved animals from
their perspective. We should think that just as in our case animals too want to
live freely in their natural habitat.
The poem criticises human superiority over nature and the exploitation of the
elements of nature for the benefit of man. Human beings behave as if they are
the custodians of the nature. They feel that they have the right to exploit the
elements of nature including animals and plants. They treat animals with utmost
cruelty for their entertainment, monetary purposes, food and other benefits.
They displace animals form their natural habitat. Only if we are able to look at
animals and plants from their perspective we will be able to understand the pain
they undergo. People vehemently criticize the government when human rights
are violated. Similarly animals too have rights.
Can anyone of us imagine a situation in which we are confined to a cage or a

pool and made to perform tricks to entertain others? Great leaders like Abraham
Lincoln and others stood against human slavery. It is time that we stand against
the exploitation of animals. We may have to use animal products for food and
other purposes. But we should, by all means avoid cruelty to animals. We should
treat animals and plants - in fact all living and non-living things and beings with
at most respect. We are not the masters of the universe. Mother earth belongs
to all, human beings, animals and plants.
Question 4
Give a critical appreciation of the poem ‘The Dolphin’s by Carol Ann
Duffy.
Ans. Carol Ann Duffy is known for highlighting various issues in the society such
as animal welfare, oppression, gender discrimination and violence in simple
language through her poems. Her poems are known for the combination of
tenderness and toughness, humour and unconventional attitudes. Her poem ‘The
Dolphins’ is an example of this particular style. It highlights issues such as
enmity between man and nature, exploitation, oppression and lack of freedom in
connection with animal welfare. She takes us to the world of dolphins and asks
us to look at these issues from their perspective. The poem is in the form of a
monologue by a dolphin comparing its previous life in an ocean and the present
life in a pool. It speaks for all the dolphins confined to a pool. Although they live
in water where they swim and dance, they are no longer free.
The dolphin looks at other dolphins whose shape and constraints are same as its
shape and constraints. There is a man controlling them and there are hoops
which are used to make them perform tricks. The title of the poem is very
relevant. The poem is about confinement of dolphins that once lived a life of
freedom and joy in an ocean but now live a life of despair in a pool controlled by
men. Although the poem is a monologue by a dolphin speaking about the plight
of other dolphins confined to a pool, it represents all such animals that are
displaced from their natural habitat by men. The technique of contrast is
successfully used in the poem to highlight the sufferings of the dolphins
displaced from their natural habitat – the ocean and confined to a pool.
The poem begins on a happy note of swimming and dancing but soon highlights
the stark contrast between their natural habitat and the pool. The tone abruptly
changes from happiness to utter despair. Their life in the ocean was described as
blessed and the present monotonous life as ‘not blessed’. When they lived in the
ocean their skin responded spontaneously to the stimuli but in the pool it takes
days to translate their stimuli in to truth and the truth is that they are confined
to an artificial habitat. They could see the moon and enjoy while they were in the
ocean but now in the place of moon, they have coloured plastic balls. In the
place of music they have the single note of a whistle. Above all there is a man to
control their movement. Thus the poet uses this literary technique of contrast
very effectively to highlight the plight of dolphins that are exploited by human
beings. The poem criticises human superiority over nature and the exploitation
of the elements of nature for the benefit of man.
Human beings behave as if they are the masters of the nature. They feel that
they have the right to exploit the elements of nature including animals and
plants. They treat animals with utmost cruelty for entertainment, monetary
purposes, food and other benefits. They displace animals form their natural
habitat. There is no definite rhyme scheme for the poem. The poet uses
repetition, imagery and other literary techniques to highlight the plight of
dolphins that are dislocated from their natural habitat and confined to an
artificial pool. The tone of the poem is depressing and sad. The dolphins are
aware of their bleak future. They know that they will live a monotonous life in
captivity and will end up dying in the same pool. The poem begins on a joyful
note describing activities such as swimming and dancing, but the mood suddenly
changes into despair and the same tone continues till the end.
The poet uses the metaphor of flowing water into the pool. He describes this flow
of water into the pool as 'a constant flow of guilt'. It highlights the guilt of people
who enslaved the dolphins to an artificial habitat. Thus the poet Carol Ann Duffy
is successful in her endeavor to highlight issues such as enmity between man
and nature, exploitation, oppression and lack of freedom in connection with
animal welfare in her poem, ‘The Dolphins’.

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NAME: ________________ BATCH: _ DATE: ________

DOLPHINS BY CAROL ANN DUFFY

The speaker comments on their life of slavery in the artificial environment.

Can anyone of us imagine a situation in which we are confined to a cage or a

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