Poem commentary

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Commentary of the Poem, “Stealing” By Carol Ann Duffy
The Context of the Poem
The major theme in the poem is loneliness or social alienation that may lead to some social deviant behaviors like stealing. The persona steals as a way of rectifying the loneliness that unfortunately does not become successful. The narrator steals a snowman as a ‘mate,’ a casual friend, and companion, though the snowman is extremely cold and so do not solve the loneliness problem. At one time, the narrator also stole a guitar to learn how to play and possibly take care of the boredom of loneliness. To understand the happenings in the poem, the reader gets the memoir of the narrator’s past lonely life and the actions he took to try to rectify the persistent loneliness problems. The major importance of the poem is to let the readers connect the social loneliness and the personality of people in the society. It is through loneliness that readers get to understand the value of the alienation that some people may face. Therefore, any reader can connect to the theme of loneliness in the poem by empathizing with the narrator. To empathize is to be in the narrator’s shoes and know how the loneliness can be detrimental. The most interesting thing about the poem is that when the narrator engages in stealing or other socially non-acceptable behaviors, readers get to understand the cause of the behaviors and can easily empathize. Other themes include meaninglessness, hopelessness, and alienation.

The Key Features in the Poem
The thief was the narrator and recounts instances when he had to steal for various reasons. Though the gender of the persona remains ambiguous and nondisclosed, it is possible to understand the general character traits. An initial impression may show the narrator as a victim of circumstances, but a closer understanding shows plain narration that lacks attachment between the narrator and the major theme. The persona narrates the various instances that he had to do antisocial actions closely associated with loneliness. Sometimes the person steals because he needs the item like stealing the snowman, and sometimes he steals just to kill boredom like breaking into houses just to have a look, or when he joyride cars to no specified destination.
In this regard, the poet is interested in telling the audience his stealing character, and why he finds the act fulfilling his needs. The best attribute about the narrator is that he is honest and open in his revelation of the unbecoming character of stealing. The attribute also helps in communicating the theme of the poem, stealing, told in a light tone and a more humorous note. Therefore, the narrator communicates the theme of loneliness and the need to be noticed by anyone, even if it means stealing.
The Literary Features of the Poem
The poem’s structure consists of five lines in every stanza. The poem deploys different styles to underscore the messages it contains. Notably, the poet writes in a conversational style that invites the readers to participate in the poem through the rhetorical questions. Moreover, the poet uses a narrative voice with a deep indication of a morose and angry tones. The poem takes the form of first-person narration, and there is no identified kind of meter or rhyme scheme. The poem develops the theme of detachment and alienation since it commences on a hypophora note, and shows a lack of unity and cohesion when it ends with a rhetorical question. For instance, it begins with, “The most unusual thing I ever stole?” and ends with, “You don’t understand what I am saying, do you?” Moreover, a symbol, snowman, shows an instance of emotional alienation of a person, coldness, and personal failure to connect with others. In the same manner, midnight symbolizes darkness when stealing takes place. The poet also uses imagery, by saying, “he looked magnificent; a tall; white mute; beneath the winter moon.” The roles of symbols and imagery are to create a sense of closeness between the reader and the persona, thus enhancing poetic understanding and further developing the theme. To further create meaning in the poem the poet uses similes, “With a mind as cold as a slice of ice” and hyperbole, “he weighed a ton” to let the readers get to understand the deep meaning of loneliness and further empathize with the narrator.

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