Mrs.

Aesop Analysis

People talk about the infamous Aesop. But what about the Mrs.? “Mrs. Aesop”, a poem

by Carol Ann Duffy,explores the wife’s hatred and spite towards her husband. However, it is

written for Mrs. Aesop’s view.The poem flourishes with repetition,consonance,alliteration

and figures of speech. The poem’s characteristics and aspects are what creates a story for the

reader to visualize. Duffy wrote this poem to show the hardships of marriage and that women

can also be superior.

“Mrs. Aesop '' is a free verse poem and does not follow any sort of rhythm or rhyme

scheme. The lack of a rhythm and rhyme scheme makes the poem less formal and more like

telling a story, but in the wife’s perspective. It contains five stanzas and twenty-five lines.

The poem utilizes a nanometer in each line. Enjambment is found in lines seven to eight and

eleven to twelve. Enjambment is incredibly important, especially in Duffy’s poems, since it

shows emphasis and continuation of a certain idea.

Not only does “Mrs. Aesop” have sound devices, but it also packs in figurative language.

In line twelve “ ..a tortoise, somebody's pet, creeping, slow as marriage, up the road. “, a

polysyndeton can be seen.In stanza one, Mrs. Aesop calls him small, belittling him,so it is an

understatement. “He didn’t use prepositions, so he tried to impress” is an example of an

allusion. In the last stanza, she compares her husband’s genethlia to a tail. Having described

him as a scoundrel hare previously, this would make sense.” the bird shat on his sleeve” is an

allusion referring to his bad luck and characteristics.

Repetition is observed constantly in “Mrs. Aesop”. For example, “What” is repeated in

stanza four, questioning her husband’s delusional unrealistic stories. It also shows that she

never cared for those type of things. In lines seven and eight, the sound “ss” was repeated in

sly, sky, swallow, therefore it is an allusion. In stanza three, the “l” sound was repeated in

“strolling” and appalling”, making it an assonance.There is a variety of sound devices

throughout the poem which makes it flow and interwine together.

To conclude, “Mrs. Aesop” is a marvelous and exciting poem. Embarking on a journey to

empower other women while reflecting her uprising as a lesbian and female. The poem is

unique and different. It gives the perspective of the wife for a change. “Mrs. Aesop” also

belittles men and makes them look inferior to show female superiority. Duffy believes that

women can also be in power. Her special talent of telling a story and entertaining at the same

time is what made “Mrs. Aesop” eye opening and refreshing. It does not follow any sort of

guideline and helps the reader connect with the character.