Question

The Dolphins ‘by Carol Ann Duffy conveys the idea forcefully, though

implicitly, that isolation and dislocation cause painful nostalgia. Discuss

with close reference to the text.​

Answer 1

Answer:

The dolphins in this poem are contained inside a pool. They have been accustomed to living a free life in the ocean where they could do as they please. For them, their life was as simple as swimming and dancing. But now, they need to live under Man. He regulates their actions, such as making them swim through hoops and balancing balls. Not only do they have to suffer that, they also do not have enough place to swim about freely.

In such conditions, it becomes natural to reminisce their lives before confinement. Their skins remember the feel of the water and they want to travel once again to the depths of the ocean. They wish to sing under the moon rather than feel the sadness around them in the pool.

These dolphins are suffering their current situation but because they have experienced the freedom of living in the ocean, they are unable to adapt to their current situation and feel that they will die.

Explanation: