Duffy's poems, Adultery and Disgrace, depict the theme of betrayal in different ways. Both show that betrayal is destructive and deadly to relationships, however, different styles including hisses and oxymorons are used in both poems to describe this. It is possible to infer that the two poems are related since adultery depicts betrayal in the present tense while disgrace shows the consequences of betrayal in a relationship. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In both poems, betrayal proves to be destructive and deadly to relationships, however, different devices are used to depict these effects. In Adultery, one of the speakers describes his night as a "deadly and exciting night" which, at first glance, conveys the excitement and thrill of the night. However, the use of the word "deadly" makes this statement an oxymoron, drawing attention to the word and causing the reader to stop and contemplate the phrase. Perhaps this is a way of showing the reader that the excitement of the night will inevitably lead to tragedy. Additionally, the choice of the word deadly also adds a sense of dramatic tension, because deadly implies that this betrayal will be deadly to the relationship, not just damaging. On the other hand, Disgrace uses the simile "your clothes like a corpse on the ground" which, although also depicting a deadly image of betrayal, shows it in a different way. The simile suggests that once the act of betrayal has been committed, all that will be left of the other party in the relationship is their clothes on the floor, as if a memory of them has been left behind. The semantics of decay and death are present throughout the poem, but this image is particularly powerful. The dark imagery of "dead flies" immediately implies the death of the relationship, but the use of "web" imagery can suggest that all the negative things involved are still entangled in both parts of the relationship, even though the relationship is dead. The speaker of this poem is perhaps indicating that even when betrayal has killed the relationship, the feelings and events around that betrayal remain present in former partners. Additionally, the use of the words "blackened" and "stiffened" in the next line may imply that the destructive nature of betrayal remains present for a long time in those involved in the relationship. Similarly, both poems use images of decadence to present the idea. of betrayal. In Adultery, the speaker gives the comparison of a relationship falling apart "like a wedding cake", implying that the relationship is still breaking down and the vows and commitment of marriage are falling apart. inevitably erode. Whereas in Disgrace, the image of apples being “rotten to the core” shows that the relationship is so rotten after the betrayal event that there is nothing left. Both of these images use conventional, home-based metaphors to convey the idea of ​​decay due to betrayal. However, they also emphasize the time gap between the two poems, as adultery is in the process of decaying while disgrace has already completely decayed. '.The contrast between the two eras of the poems is highlighted by the language used. In adultery, the present tense is used like "now", "slice" and "know" rather than the past tense equivalents "then", "slice" and "knew". This can give the poem a tone of raw, passionate emotions around betrayal and adultery, making the poem's narrative more intense. However,.