This poem introduces an onion as a gift but the poem is talking more about the essence of love. Duffy talks about how she really feels love is and how cliche gifts and romantic gestures don’t mean as much to her as finding the meaning of love and getting to the crux of her relationship. Shedding tears, ripping through the layers to find true love.

The title itself, Valentine, suggests that this poem will deal with the traditional notions of love with its connotations of flowers, hearts and romance. However, the traditional idea as suggested from the title is subverted from the very beginning in the opening line, ‘Not a red rose or a satin heart’ and in the line ‘Not a cute card or a kissogram’. By starting with a negative, Duffy is effectively dismissing traditional symbols of love. She finds the cliche unnecessary and rather wants to work on the functioning of her relationship, the highs-and-lows, the hardships. This is evidenced by the line, ‘I am trying to be truthful’. Duffy is perhaps trying to justify all the negativity about love that has been said so far, and continues to stress the desire for honesty within the relationship. Honesty, to Duffy, is far more important than cliche gift-giving and public display of affection, as long as there is trust and mutual respect and understanding in her relationship, the rest is not as important. Her intention for her love to be pure is also evidenced in the lines, ‘Here’ and ‘Take it.’ It’s almost like she is fulfilling an obligation or some sort of requirement to give a gift. This goes against the cliche gifts given on a special day like Valentine’s day and continues with the theme of the unconventional interpretation of love.