Question

Question 9 : How do the dolphins feel in the water pool in Carol Ann Duffy’s poem The Dolphins? Why are they unhappy
and hopeless? Discuss with close reference to the text.

(15 marks)

Answer 1

Answer:

The speaker of this poem (a dolphin) narrates how its freedom has been usurped, how its dreams have been shattered and how drastically its world has changed, thanks to the insatiable greed of man. The lives of these beautiful sea creatures are completely controlled by man and they are made to dance to the tunes of the Master. The sense of alienation, their loss of freedom and the overarching hopelessness makes the poem all the more poignant, especially when they express their awareness of the inevitable fate that awaits them.