Poetry Advent Calendar 14: Mrs Scrooge
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We're very fond of British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy's various Christmas ventures. From her poignant account of the Christmas Truce of 1914 to her striking poem Wenceslas, wonderfully illustrated by Stuart Kolakovic, she balances poetry and prayer, allowing her readers to find something unexpected in tales we think we know by heart.
Our favourite might just be Duffy's 2008 tale Mrs Scrooge, a joyful retelling of Charles Dickens' perennial classic A Christmas Carol. 'Aglow with life and possibility,' the poem throws an unexpected light on Scrooge's austerity. Instead of reminding us to order our Christmas turkeys, Duffy wryly points to a way of life which is frugal but perhaps more fruitful, and certainly more fun, than that of Dickens' reformed protagonist.
Curious? You can read the poem on the Guardian website, or buy the book from Picador to remind yourself that 'darkness is cheap and Mrs Scrooge liked it.'