Carol Anne Duffy’s poems “Prayer,” and “Confession” present two different views of religion. In “Prayer,” Duffy examines how comfort can come from ordinary, routine occurrences, instead of organized religion. These seemingly insignificant events are instead used to provide consolation for the unidentified people mentioned in the poem. These works are also influenced by the poet’s childhood memories of Confession. Duffy clearly found this form devotion to be a terrifying and oppressive experience.
“Prayer” refers to a secularized version of traditional religious prayers, and is written as a sonnet. It is a poem by Duffy that aims to show people without religious beliefs how they can find peace in their everyday lives. Duffy represents the secular community through the unidentified people in the poem. We can also see Duffy herself as part of this group by Duffy’s use of the pronouns “we” and “us,” which show that the work was written by Duffy. The poem refers to the absence of religion in the lines ‘although they cannot pray’ or ‘although they are faithless’. However, it does not mention religion as a source of consolation. People can find comfort through their memories and appreciation for the small things in everyday life. These consolation moments are mentioned throughout the poem. The poem contains many references to these moments of consolation. Duffy tells us about a man that hears the distant Latin-chanting train. His memories are triggered by sounds, and he is then cheered up by them. The poet speaks of a lodger who is soothed by the ‘Grade 1 piano scores’. Perhaps their child was learning to play the piano. These small daily events can provide solace. It conveys a sense that this fear and pain are inevitable and is normal. Duffy also speaks of discomfort and fear in the poem. The next line contrasts with the more comfortable ‘radio’s Prayer’ inside. The familiarity and safety that the radio inside’ provides suggests that we are protected from the world’s ‘darkness’ by these comforts. The poem is finished with a couplet of rhyming rhymes and an excerpt from the shipping forecast, Rockall. Malin. Dogger. Finisterre. This phrase conveys comfort. Another possible reference to the small and familiar ways that familiar things can help us stay safe in the dark is the shipping forecast. It helps us navigate home when we are lost.
“Confession,” a new way to view religion, is called this. Duffy discusses her own experience with traditional religion as well as her childhood experience of going to confession. Catholics are required to attend the Sacrement of Penance in Catholicism. This is where they will confess their sins and receive absolution. Duffy was raised Catholic but became an atheist in his teens. Contrary to “Prayer,” where faith can provide comfort, this poem depicts religion as oppressive and frightening. Duffy describes the ‘dark cells’ and the smell it emits, which have connotations of death or imprisonment. ‘Tell’ is used to suggest interrogation. While darkness is used in prayer to emphasize the comfort of the inside, it is also used in a nonthreatening manner in ‘Prayer’. However, Duffy’s poem uses darkness in a menacing way -‘musty darkness,’ ‘dark cells. This gives the impression Penance is a controlling, repressive experience. This sentiment is evident both in the simile works your consciencelike a glove puppet’ as well as in the phrase merely to imagine a wrong’s just as horrible as actually doing it.
Duffy might have said that “Confession” was Duffy’s declaration of her belief that religion doesn’t always provide comfort and reassurance. Instead, it causes fear and discomfort. Duffy’s poem suggests that to seek ‘Jesus’ love, you need to restrict your thoughts and act in the ‘approved manner. Duffy would not have known how to get there as a child. Duffy’s “Prayer” focuses on how there are no limitations and how an appreciation of nature can be a source of solace.
