Mrs Midas Essay Questions

What is the effect of opening the poem with a scene of Mrs Midas cooking?

The opening imagery creates a sharp juxtaposition between the husband and wife. Mrs Midas is contented, enjoying a glass of wine while breathing in the bouquet of the vegetables slow-cooking and releasing their fragrance. She acts kindly and gently, wiping the window like a brow. All is natural and all is fine with the world. It is not a castle and the couple is not wealthy, but life is good in that moment. Meanwhile, Mr Midas stands alone in the dark garden, holding a pear that he has turned into gold, grappling with the aftermath of his fateful wish. The word "snapping," with its violent connotations, emphasizes this disconnect. It is a portrait not just of the stark difference in character between husband and wife, however. The scene also foreshadows the downfall of Midas resulting from his inability to enjoy what he has, since his golden touch prevents him from engaging in all of the normal, physical functions that sustain life.

How does allusion operate in the poem?

An allusion is a reference to another literary text (or object, person, or event). Allusion is arguably the most prominent rhetorical device in the poem and operates at both a macro and micro level. At the macro level, the poem itself is an allusion to the myth of Midas; without a prior understanding of this myth, the reader cannot grasp the full meaning of the poem. Notably, the only direct reference to the myth is in the title: "Mrs Midas." The text of the poem itself is in a contemporary setting (with references to lightbulbs, stoves, cigarettes, toilets, and The Chronicles of Narnia), and descriptions of Midas's condition are somewhat subtle, specified mostly in metaphors that imply or allude to gold. By making this central allusion to the myth of King Midas subtle in the text, Duffy demands a degree of investment or prior understanding by her reader.

In addition to this central allusion, the poem also contains four direct allusions: to the Field of the Cloth of Gold, Miss Macready, the tomb of Tutankhamun, and the god Pan. Like the central allusion, these subtle references demand that the reader either bring prior knowledge to the poem or look up the allusions in order to fully understand the poem's meaning. In addition to their direct functions as symbols in the poem (for example, the tomb of Tutankhamun is a symbol for the spare room that Midas turns into gold), these allusions situate Mrs Midas in a literary and cultural canon. These many allusions can therefore be seen as a way of critiquing and reimagining Western culture and literary tradition to place women at the center of it.

How does Duffy utilize tone in "Mrs Midas?" How does the tone shift over the course of the poem?

"Mrs Midas" is marked by several significant tone shifts that convey the title character's changing understanding of and attitude toward her husband's wish. In the first stanza, the tone is calm and content, with descriptions of vegetables "gently blanching" the windows and Mrs Midas tenderly wiping the window "like a brow." The second and third stanzas present a sharp shift to a tense and confused tone, as Mrs Midas squints at the dark garden and wonders to herself what she is seeing. In the fifth stanza, the tone becomes violent and foreboding, as Mrs Midas "started to scream" and Midas "sank to his knees." The remainder of the poem takes on a melancholy, regretful tone. Mrs Midas questions why her husband had his wish granted and demands that he move out. The final stanza encapsulates this melancholiness, as it describes Mrs Midas standing alone beside a bowl of apples. These multiple tone shifts operate alongside the language of the poem to vividly describe the full emotional experience of a woman seeing her husband turning everything he touches into gold. It allows Duffy to combine humor with the real danger that Mrs Midas experiences.