Bloody Men
‘Bloody Men’ by Wendy Cope
Wendy Cope born in 1945 is an award winning British poet. Cope wrote “Bloody Men” in 1987 which then became the opening poem of her second collection, “Serious Concerns” in 2002. “Bloody Men” is a witty yet serious poem. This expresses Cope’s distinctive style of writing.
The title “Bloody Men” illustrates or suggests the frustrations woman have with men in or out of relationships. The poem is 12 lines and has an ABCB rhyme scheme. The tone of the poem is playful but has an underlying seriousness to it. Cope uses alliteration and the simile “bloody men” and “bloody buses” to express the severity of frustration woman have with men when it comes to relationships. Women can never seem to find the right “bus”.
In the first stanza, Cope expresses that just like when a person waits for a bus to arrive, so do women who wait to find companionship. Waiting for a bus can mean sitting at a bus stop endlessly, waiting impatiently for the arrival of your bus. This can symbolize women waiting on end for the “the one” to come along. Society has created the fantasy of “the one”, relating to finding the right man to spend the rest of your life with. This coincides with the perfect life, which is getting married and having children. Thus, Cope harshly expresses her frustrations with what society has pressured every woman with.
The line “wait for about a year” indicates that a man finally arrives. The woman gives the man a chance to see if he is the right one that will take her to her destination. Destination can refer to a long-term relationships or marriage. This indicates that women and constantly looking for stability in their lives. And one way to have this is in a committed relationship. Men commonly prefer casual relationships. Therefore, women find it tough to find a suitable partner. It further goes on as the woman contemplates riding a bus that appears to be “the one”. However, “two or three others appear.” This suggests that when a
Wendy Cope born in 1945 is an award winning British poet. Cope wrote “Bloody Men” in 1987 which then became the opening poem of her second collection, “Serious Concerns” in 2002. “Bloody Men” is a witty yet serious poem. This expresses Cope’s distinctive style of writing.
The title “Bloody Men” illustrates or suggests the frustrations woman have with men in or out of relationships. The poem is 12 lines and has an ABCB rhyme scheme. The tone of the poem is playful but has an underlying seriousness to it. Cope uses alliteration and the simile “bloody men” and “bloody buses” to express the severity of frustration woman have with men when it comes to relationships. Women can never seem to find the right “bus”.
In the first stanza, Cope expresses that just like when a person waits for a bus to arrive, so do women who wait to find companionship. Waiting for a bus can mean sitting at a bus stop endlessly, waiting impatiently for the arrival of your bus. This can symbolize women waiting on end for the “the one” to come along. Society has created the fantasy of “the one”, relating to finding the right man to spend the rest of your life with. This coincides with the perfect life, which is getting married and having children. Thus, Cope harshly expresses her frustrations with what society has pressured every woman with.
The line “wait for about a year” indicates that a man finally arrives. The woman gives the man a chance to see if he is the right one that will take her to her destination. Destination can refer to a long-term relationships or marriage. This indicates that women and constantly looking for stability in their lives. And one way to have this is in a committed relationship. Men commonly prefer casual relationships. Therefore, women find it tough to find a suitable partner. It further goes on as the woman contemplates riding a bus that appears to be “the one”. However, “two or three others appear.” This suggests that when a