FORM AND STRUCTURE Carol Anne Duffy’s poem “Adultery” is structured in a traditional and straightforward way. It is comprised of eleven verses - each with the common four lines, which consist of between four and nine words. This makes the poem not particularly striking at the first look, before it is read. The typography does not attract the readers attention, this is probably because Duffy wants the reader to concentrate on the language, and …showed first 75 words of 2200 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2200 total…capital letters, italics, or bold type, but Duffy again does not want to be so explicit. She wants the reader to have to read the verse a few time through to understand it, as this will make them concentrate more and focus on what is being said. Throughout this poem Duffy is building up atmosphere. She uses language and poetic devices to create a mood, and then changes the mood, thereby moving the story on.