Carol Anne Duffy’s “Shooting Star” is a tragically intriguing poem. The poem is set in the year 1940 or during World War 2 wherein the Nazi Party, led by Hitler, had taken control most of European countries and vowed to exterminate all Jewish races. The author creates an image of a heroic figure situated within a concentration camp, in adaptation of female Jew speaking from beyond the grave about the ordeals she had in a concentration camp. Duffy used the persona of the female prison to create a sense of impending death and violence throughout the poem. The poem also encourages readers to remember what the Jewish victims had been through and were forced to go through, and begs others not to turn their back and forget.
The title of the poem is ironic, effective, and ambiguous and reinforced by a creative use of alliteration. It can be expected that the tile can/will be literally about shooting stars but ‘Shooting’ can be referred as Nazis with guns and the ‘Star’ represents the Jewish symbol, The Star of David. Jewish people were forced to wear them on their clothes to mark them out as targets of abuse and torment for Nazis (Tomblomus, 2010). The ‘star’ is being shot by the Nazi and the theme of suffering is settled. Another meaning that can be derived in the title is metaphorically symbolising a literal shooting star and comparing it to the life of the Jewish prisoners. The Jews ' life is similar to the shooting star in the way that their life and potential was bright and