QUICK DRAWQUICK DRAW

CAROL ANN DUFFYCAROL ANN DUFFY

STARTER…STARTER…

Read the poem and list all of the Read the poem and list all of the references to the Wild West in your references to the Wild West in your books.books.

I wear the two, the mobile and the landline I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones,phones,

like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m allall

alone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletalone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletin my ear, and hear me groan.in my ear, and hear me groan.

I wear the twoI wear the two, the mobile and the landline , the mobile and the landline phones,phones,

like guns, slung from the pockets on my hipslike guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m . I’m allall

alone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletalone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletin my ear, and hear me groan.in my ear, and hear me groan.

SUGGESTS THAT SPEAKERIS NEVER FAR FROM PHONES

- EXPECTING CONTACT?

I wear the two, the mobile and the landline I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones,phones,

like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m allall

alonealone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pellet. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletin my ear, and hear me groan.in my ear, and hear me groan.

ENJAMBMENT GIVES EMPHASIS TO THE WORD – LEAVING IT AWAY

FROM THE REST OF ITS LINE

I wear the two, the mobile and the landline I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones,phones,

like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m allall

alone. You ring, alone. You ring, quickdrawquickdraw, your voice a pellet, your voice a pelletin my ear, and hear me groan.in my ear, and hear me groan.

SUGGESTS HOW RAPIDLY THEPHONE IS ANSWERED

THE COMMASINSIST ON

PAUSES TO GIVE EFFECT

I wear the two, the mobile and the landline I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones,phones,

like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m allall

alone. You ring, quickdraw, alone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletyour voice a pelletin my ear, and hear me groan.in my ear, and hear me groan.

ABLE TO DELIVER CUTTINGREMARKS THAT HURT

I wear the two, the mobile and the landline I wear the two, the mobile and the landline phones,phones,

like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m like guns, slung from the pockets on my hips. I’m allall

alone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletalone. You ring, quickdraw, your voice a pelletin my ear, and hear me in my ear, and hear me groangroan..

RHYME LINKS WITH THE WORD ‘ALONE’ ON

PREVIOUS LINE

You’ve wounded me.You’ve wounded me.Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the

phone,phone,then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of

the mark.the mark.You choose your spot, then blast meYou choose your spot, then blast me

You’ve wounded meYou’ve wounded me..Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the

phone,phone,then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of

the mark.the mark.You choose your spot, then blast meYou choose your spot, then blast me

SPEAKER IS HURT BY THELOVER’S WORDS

You’ve wounded me.You’ve wounded me.Next time, you speak after the toneNext time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the . I twirl the

phone,phone,then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of

the mark.the mark.You choose your spot, then blast meYou choose your spot, then blast me

SPEAKER DOES NOT ANSWERTHE NEXT CALL – NOT AS

EAGER…

You’ve wounded me.You’ve wounded me.Next time, you speak after the Next time, you speak after the tonetone. I twirl the . I twirl the

phonephone,,then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of

the mark.the mark.You choose your spot, then blast meYou choose your spot, then blast me

INTERNAL RHYME ADDS EMPHASIS TO THE

FRACTURED RHYTHM

You’ve wounded me.You’ve wounded me.Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the

phone,phone,then then squeeze thesqueeze the t trigger of my rigger of my ttongue, wide of ongue, wide of

the mark.the mark.You choose your spot, then blast meYou choose your spot, then blast me

FIRES OFF THE NEXT HURTFUL REMARK – BUT ‘MISSES’ (DOES

NOT HAVE THE DESIRED EFFECTALLITERATION

You’ve wounded me.You’ve wounded me.Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the

phone,phone,then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of

the mark.the mark.You You choose your spotchoose your spot, then blast me, then blast me

MAYBE PLANNED TO ATTACKA WEAK SPOT, KNOWING IT

WILL HURT

You’ve wounded me.You’ve wounded me.Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the Next time, you speak after the tone. I twirl the

phone,phone,then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of then squeeze the trigger of my tongue, wide of

the mark.the mark.You choose your spot, You choose your spot, then blast methen blast me

VICTIM IS NOT SPAREDANY PAIN

through the heart.through the heart.And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquor And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquor

ininthe old Last Chance saloon. I show the mobilethe old Last Chance saloon. I show the mobile

to the Sheriff; in my boot, another one’sto the Sheriff; in my boot, another one’s

through the through the heartheart..And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquor And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquor

ininthe old Last Chance saloon. I show the mobilethe old Last Chance saloon. I show the mobile

to the Sheriff; in my boot, another one’sto the Sheriff; in my boot, another one’s

EFFECTIVE IF A LOVERS’ TIFF

through the heart.through the heart.And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquor And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquor

ininthe old the old Last Chance saloonLast Chance saloon. I show the mobile. I show the mobile

to the Sheriff; in my boot, another one’sto the Sheriff; in my boot, another one’s

CLASSIC WESTERN IMAGE – INDICATING HERE THAT THEY HAVE

REACHED THE‘MAKE OR BREAK’ TIME IN THE

RELATIONSHIP

through the heart.through the heart.And this is love, And this is love, high noon, calamity, hard liquorhigh noon, calamity, hard liquor

ininthe old the old Last Chance saloonLast Chance saloon. I show the mobile. I show the mobile

to the to the SheriffSheriff; in my ; in my bootboot, another one’s, another one’s

ALL OF THESE IMAGES COMBINE TO CREATE

AN EXTENDED METAPHOR

concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …and this … and this … and this … and this …and this … and this … and this … and this …

concealed. You text them both at once. concealed. You text them both at once. I reelI reel..Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …and this … and this … and this … and this …and this … and this … and this … and this …

SHORT SENTENCE –EMPHASISES A FASTREACTION – ALMOSTAS IF SPEAKER HAS

BEEN SHOT

concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.Down on my kneesDown on my knees, I fumble for the phone,, I fumble for the phone,read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …and this … and this … and this … and this …and this … and this … and this … and this …

CONFIDENCE HAS BEEN SHATTEREDLITERALLY ON THE FLOOR –

A CONTRAST TO THE GUN TWIRLEROF EARLIER

concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.Down on my knees, I Down on my knees, I fumblefumble for the phone, for the phone,read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …and this … and this … and this … and this …and this … and this … and this … and this …

THE CONFIDENT ‘SWAGGER’HAS NOW TURNED TO A

‘FUMBLE’ – DEFINITELY THEUNDERDOG HERE

concconceaealed. You text them both at once. I rled. You text them both at once. I reeeel.l.Down on my knDown on my kneeees, I fumble for the phone,s, I fumble for the phone,rreaead the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …d the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …and this … and this … and this … and this …and this … and this … and this … and this …

ASSONANCE OF LONG ‘EE’SOUND EMPHASISES THE

LONG DRAWN OUT MOMENTSWHEN TIME SEEMS TO

SLOW DOWN

concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,read the read the silver bulletssilver bullets of your kiss. Take this … of your kiss. Take this …and this … and this … and this … and this …and this … and this … and this … and this …

SOUND VERY PRECIOUS ANDVALUABLE

concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.concealed. You text them both at once. I reel.Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,Down on my knees, I fumble for the phone,read the silver bullets of your kiss. read the silver bullets of your kiss. Take this …Take this …and this … and this … and this … and this …and this … and this … and this … and this …

REPETITION SOUNDS THAT THE TEXTED KISSES ARE LIKE BULLETS

FIRED FROM A GUN…GIVES THE

EFFECTOF A PASSIONATE

EMBRACE

SUMMARY…SUMMARY…

‘‘Quickdraw’ employs the use of an extended Quickdraw’ employs the use of an extended Western conceit to relay the experience of a Western conceit to relay the experience of a painful conversation to the reader. painful conversation to the reader.

Although repeated references to the West Although repeated references to the West make the poem appear light in tone, make the poem appear light in tone, ‘Quickdraw’ shows the speaker’s vulnerability ‘Quickdraw’ shows the speaker’s vulnerability as she clearly suffers at the hands of her lover as she clearly suffers at the hands of her lover and appears to come off the worse after the and appears to come off the worse after the showdown.showdown.