Understanding 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy

The poem ‘Valentine’ is an unconventional love poem, which subverts the conventions of traditional love poems. The speaker gives her lover an onion and explains why this is a better metaphor for their relationship than a rose. The onion arguably represents both the joy in relationships, but also the pain and suffering that people endure. Arguably, the poet feels that conventional romantic gifts are cliché, and limit people’s freedom of expression. The tone shifts throughout the poem; the poem ends with an ominous tone, perhaps to show the dangers of possessive love.