I Wanna Be Yours (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

I wanna be yours

Each GCSE poetry anthology contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another. The exam is closed-book, which means you will not have access to the second poem. This does not mean you need to remember every line from memory, but you do need to understand and remember key aspects of the poem. Understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem

• The ideas and messages of the poet 

• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods

• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to John Cooper Clarke’s poem 'i wanna be yours', from the Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods

• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes

• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell

• A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining John Cooper Clarke’s intention and message

'i wanna be yours' in a nutshell

'i wanna be yours', written by English poet John Cooper Clarke, subverts traditional ideas of romantic relationships with simple imagery that describes love unconventionally. Incongruously, the poem uses casual language to explore intense love. 

'i wanna be yours' breakdown

Lines 1–2

“let me be your vacuum cleaner

breathing in your dust”

Translation

• The poem begins addressing an implied listener 

• The speaker clearly gives their intention, that they want to “breathe” in the other person

Cooper Clarke's intention

• Cooper Clarke sets the tone of the unconventional romantic poem with non-standard grammar, breaking traditional conventions 

• The odd metaphor implies the speaker’s longing for an even closer relationship

• The poet uses a vacuum cleaner’s ambiguous connotations to imply ideas about love:

  • It could be perceived as invasive, disruptive, perhaps even toxic

Lines 3–6

“let me be your Ford Cortina

i will never rust

if you like your coffee hot

let me be your coffee pot”

Translation

• The speaker wants to be their car that will never “rust”, suggesting a long-lasting love

• The speaker could perhaps appear a little flustered mentioning coffee twice, but this intensifies the image and implies the speaker will do anything to please their lover 

Cooper Clarke's intention

• Cooper Clarke uses metaphorical imagery that defies typical romantic symbolism

• The speaker’s down-to-earth language makes their message seem more genuine

• Nevertheless, the bizarre images hide the deeper implications of an obsessive love

Lines 7–8

“you call the shots

i wanna be yours”

Translation

• The speaker says their partner is in charge and no matter what they ask it will be done

Cooper Clarke's intention

• Cooper Clarke shows a love that is entire:

  • The speaker’s submission to their partner’s control is offered willingly

• The colloquial phrase “you call the shots” contributes to a casual tone:

  • This may lighten the poem’s intense declaration of love

  • However, Cooper Clarke draws attention to it with short, emphatic lines

Line 9–14

“let me be your raincoat

for those frequent rainy days

let me be your dreamboat

when you want to sail away

let me be your teddy bear

take me with you anywhere” 

Translation

• The speaker wants to protect their partner on bad days, like a “raincoat” 

• In addition, they want to be their “dreamboat”:

  • This is a pun as it plays on two ideas: a boat and the colloquial meaning of an attractive lover

• The phrase “let me be your teddy bear” refers to a romantic song by Elvis Presley in which he sings the same line

Cooper Clarke's intention

• These lines draw further comparisons that reinforce the speaker’s longing

• Cooper Clarke presents a lover’s desire to be their partner’s support and comfort 

• These lines allude to a romantic relationship that is steadfast and dependable 

Lines 15–16

“i don’t care

i wanna be yours”

Translation

• The speaker breaks from their metaphorical list to clarify their message

• Whatever their partner wants they will do it if it means they can be together 

Cooper Clarke's intention

• The rhythm is disrupted again to show the speaker’s passionate and all-consuming love

• This is illustrated, too, with the rhyming of “anywhere” (in the previous line) and “care”

Lines 17–20

“let me be your electric meter

i will not run out

let me be the electric heater

you’ll get cold without”

Translation

• The speaker returns to offering themselves to the relationship 

• The reference to an “electric meter” and “heater” implies the speaker wants to be their source of warmth  

• They add that they will never stop offering warmth and energy as they will “not run out”

Cooper Clarke's intention

• Cooper Clarke uses mundane household images that connote to vital parts of daily life

• Perhaps this implies the speaker wants their partner to depend upon them like electricity:

  • The line “you’ll get cold without” does indicate a relationship that is possessive

Lines 21–23

“let me be your setting lotion

hold your hair

with deep devotion”

Translation

• The speaker says they want to be their partner’s “setting lotion” (for styling hair)

• These lines mean the speaker will help their lover stay “firm” with their strong commitment

Cooper Clarke's intention

• Cooper Clarke alludes to the strength of commitment the speaker can offer

• This presents romantic relationships as a source of stability

Lines 24–27

“deep as the deep

atlantic ocean

that’s how deep is my emotion

deep deep deep deep de deep deep”

Translation

• These lines repeat the word “deep” to emphasise the speaker’s message 

• The language breaks down and the speaker defaults to romantic traditions

• This is reinforced with the repetition of the alliterative and auditory “de deep deep” 

Cooper Clarke's intention

• Cooper Clarke conveys a speaker losing control of their emotions:

  • Nevertheless, the oral nature of the poem contributes to the idea that the poem is a tribute to the idea of love

• Here, the speaker uses traditional romantic imagery of the deep ocean, to connote, arguably, to the way passion has increased over the course of the monologue

Lines 28–29

“i don’t wanna be hers

i wanna be yours”

Translation

• The last line is ambiguous and can be interpreted in different ways:

  • One argument could be that the possessive pronoun “hers” suggests the existence of another girl (perhaps one who has interfered in the relationship)

  • Alternatively, it could imply that no other girl is good enough

Cooper Clarke's intention

• Cooper Clarke’s poem ends suddenly with reference to a third person: 

  • This may indicate, ironically, that the passionate poem is an argument to prove their commitment to the listener instead of a third party

  • It could also end the poem by reinforcing the idea of entire commitment and monogamy 

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Cooper Clarke’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

The form of 'i wanna be yours' is an unconventional approach and defies traditional presentations of romantic relationships. Simultaneously, Cooper Clarke’s poem is a presentation of intense, obsessive love.   

Structure

The poem’s structure creates a lyrical yet urgent monologue to present a speaker’s dedication to love, and their commitment to their romantic relationship. 

Language

The poem 'i wanna be yours' uses metaphorical imagery that mostly undermines traditional romantic symbolism. However, Cooper Clarke’s poem portrays love as consuming and perhaps a little suffocating. 

Context

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about John Cooper Clarke or facts unrelated to the ideas in 'i wanna be yours'. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Cooper Clarke that relate to romantic and intense or complex relationships. 

This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Cooper Clarke explores:

• Romantic relationships

• Complex love and intense desire

Romantic relationships 

• John Cooper Clarke was born in 1949 in Salford, Lancashire, England

• His northern heritage inspires his work’s poetic and auditory quality:

  • The poem 'i wanna be yours' is reflective of this musical style, for example in the line “deep deep deep deep de deep deep”

• Cooper Clarke’s early work included performance poems and songs that he performed in clubs in Manchester in the 1970s and 1980s

• Here, frequent interactions with musicians and bands led to further musical influences:

  • Rhyming lines in the poem 'i wanna be yours' are typical of pop love songs 

  • Its short, fast-paced rhythm is typical of punk music’s dynamic nature: 

    • This is also evident in the emphatic refrain “'i wanna be yours'” and “let me be”

• Cooper Clarke is known for his distinctive, colloquial style, evident in the poem’s use of phrases and puns such as “call the shots” and “dreamboat”:

  • In this way, Cooper Clarke uses qualities of performance poetry and punk music to express intense emotions in a real way

  • The poem 'i wanna be yours' is typical of this genre in its employment of an unconventional metaphor such as a “vacuum cleaner” and an “electric meter”

  • These styles draw inspiration from popular culture (such as in “Ford Cortina”)

  • The images signify genuine emotions and relationships that are “real”

Complex love and desire

• Cooper Clarke is known as the “people’s poet” as he often uses non-standard English: 

  • The poem 'i wanna be yours' conveys the voice of an everyday person

• Cooper Clarke’s poem presents a generally unromanticised idea of love and, at times, shows its stifling and complex intensity:

  • This can be considered typical of the genre of realism, in which everyday items are used to express deep emotions

• Using banal images in the poem, such as a “coffee pot”, is indicative of a post-modern perspective:

  • This genre is known for expressing ironic or cynical attitudes about reality

  • Perhaps the addition of another person (“hers”) signals potential threats to love

• Cooper Clarke is said to have been inspired by the Beat poets of the 1960s:

  • The Beat generation is known for its many writers and artists who rebelled against established social and political structures

• The poem’s reference to “electric heater” and “meter” alludes to vital sources of warmth:

  • Cooper Clarke wrote the poem in 1983 or 1984, at a time when England’s working class were experiencing economic difficulties 

  • Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Britain, had put in place controversial policies that led to a disillusioned working class

  • In the poem, the speaker suggests the need to be a source of comfort in difficult times: they refer to sailing away and “frequent rainy days”

What to compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about relationships, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that 'i wanna be yours' explores the ideas of romantic relationships and complex love, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• 'i wanna be yours' and 'How do I love thee? (Sonnet 43)'

• 'i wanna be yours' and 'Love's Dog'

• 'i wanna be yours' and 'Valentine'

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell

• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem

• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem

• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

'i wanna be yours' and 'How do I love thee? (Sonnet 43)'

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both John Cooper Clarke’s 'i wanna be yours' and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s ‘Sonnet 43’ present insistent speakers who declare love to an implied listener. However, Cooper Clarke conveys this in a post-modern poem while Barrett Browning uses a traditional sonnet. 

Similarities:

Similarities:

Differences:

'i wanna be yours' and 'Love's Dog' 

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore the presentation of romantic love in modern poems. Both poems convey love as powerful, but Cooper Clarke’s lyrical address is a declaration of complete love while Hadfield’s poem is a balanced abstract reflection. 

Similarities:

Differences:

 'i wanna be yours' and 'Valentine'

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both poems are modern explorations of intimate romantic relationships. However, John Cooper Clarke’s poem is an interpretation of obsessive love, while Carol Ann Duffy’s poem is a pragmatic warning. 

Similarities:

 Differences: