Today the new Poet Laureate will be named by the Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham. The Poet Laureate’s duties include writing poetry to commemorate royal events and working to raise the profile of poetry in the UK. All previous Poet Laureates have been English men, and the role call includes legendary figures such as Ted Hughes, Sir John Betjeman, John Masefield, Lord Alfred Tennyson and William Wordsworth.
For the first time ever, this position is going to be filled by a woman, Carol Ann Duffy. Her work is work is both accessible and academic, making her a good choice for Poet Laureate. It’s possible to understand and enjoy her poems at first reading, and also possible to write 5000 word essays on her writing (believe me, I’ve done it!)
In light of today’s announcement, I thought our Poem of the Week should be one by Duffy herself. Enjoy, and as ever, let me know what you think.
Tea
I like pouring your tea, lifting
the heavy pot, and tipping it up,
so the fragrant liquid steams in your china cup.
Or when you’re away, or a work,
I like to think of your cupped hands as you sip,
as you sip, of the faint half-smile of your lips.
I like the questions – sugar? Milk? –
and the answers I don’t know by heart, yet,
for I see soul in your eyes , and I forget.
Jasmine, Gunpowder, Assam , Earl Grey, Ceylon,
I love tea’s names. Which tea would you like? I say,
but it’s any tea, for you, any time of the day,
as the woman harvests the slops
for the sweetest leaves, on Mount Wu-Yi,
and I am your lover, smitten, straining your tea.
Carol Ann Duffy
I like this one because something as commonplace as tea-making suddenly takes on greater significance in the context of a new relationship. It’s not just making tea; it’s an opportunity to think of your lover’s ‘hands’ and ‘lips’, to get to know their tastes ‘by heart’, to look deep into their eyes and just see ‘soul’. Who knew that making a cuppa could be so romantic?!
