ABSTRACT:

Carol Ann Duffy is, arguably, not only the most widely acclaimed poet in Britain today, but is also a major influence on a wide range of poets. With her filleted syntax, populist verse technique, feminist politics, and most importantly dramatic monologue, (which she is famous for), Duffy best illustrates the subtle, but profound changes that are taking place in contemporary British poetry. Duffy is also known for her poetry's attempt to unmask the poetic language, her exploration and exploitation of everyday speech; as well as addressing of complex philosophical issues, like the place of language in the construction of the self, the failure of language to say anything, etc. She also writes about lesbian love and female sexuality, in either gendered or ungendered narrative voices. This paper seeks to appraise and discuss the poet's sense of displacement and sexuality through textual analysis of Duffy's major book-length collections. It also highlights the place of pronouns in the poet's oeuvre, while concluding with the proposition that "home" in Duffy's poetry is a reflection of pluralism and fluidity in which the poet is raised and lived; and the implication of these for African readers is also underlined.