"Elvis's Twin Sister" appears in Carol Ann Duffy's The World's Wife (1999). This celebrated collection features dramatic monologues from the perspectives of female relatives—real or invented—of famous men from literature, history, and myth. The speaker of this monologue is the imaginary twin sister of rock star Elvis Presley: a woman who resembles Elvis in looks, personality, talents, etc., but whose life has turned out very differently. Rather than becoming a global icon, she's become an anonymous nun in a convent—yet she still celebrates and even "pray[s] for" her brother's music. The poem draws parallels between rock and religion, art and spirituality, while contrasting the opportunities available to talented men and women of Elvis's era.
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The Full Text of “Elvis's Twin Sister”
The Full Text of “Elvis's Twin Sister”
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“Elvis's Twin Sister” Summary
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“Elvis's Twin Sister” Themes
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Music, Art, and Spirituality
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Before Line 1
- Lines 1-30
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Love, Gender, and Sexuality
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Before Line 1
- Lines 1-3
- Lines 6-10
- Lines 24-30
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Elvis's Twin Sister”
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Before Line 1
Are you lonesome ...
... Madonna -
Lines 1-5
In the convent, ...
... rock 'n' roll. -
Lines 6-10
They call me ...
... like my brother. -
Lines 11-15
Gregorian chant ...
... darkish hues, -
Lines 16-20
a wimple with ...
... blue suede shoes. -
Lines 21-25
I think of ...
... on my face. -
Lines 26-30
Lawdy. ...
... towards Heartbreak Hotel.
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“Elvis's Twin Sister” Symbols
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The Garden
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 1-3: “In the convent, y'all, / I tend the gardens, / watch things grow,”
- Lines 11-12: “Gregorian chant / drifts out across the herbs,”
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“Elvis's Twin Sister” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Allusion
Where allusion appears in the poem:- Before Line 1: “Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight?”
- Before Line 1: “Elvis is alive and she's female / . / — / Madonna”
- Lines 4-5: “pray for the immortal soul / of rock 'n' roll.”
- Line 13: “Pascha nostrum immolatus est...”
- Line 20: “blue suede shoes.”
- Lines 21-22: “I think of it / as Graceland here,”
- Line 26: “Lawdy.”
- Lines 28-30: “Long time since I walked / down Lonely Street / towards Heartbreak Hotel.”
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Irony
Where irony appears in the poem:- Before Line 1: “Elvis is alive and she's female / . / — / Madonna”
- Lines 4-5: “pray for the immortal soul / of rock 'n' roll.”
- Lines 8-10: “The Reverend Mother / digs the way I move my hips / just like my brother.”
- Lines 19-20: “a pair of good and sturdy / blue suede shoes.”
- Line 27: “I'm alive and well.”
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Pun
Where pun appears in the poem:- Lines 4-5: “pray for the immortal soul / of rock 'n' roll.”
- Line 18: “a chain of keys,”
- Lines 21-23: “I think of it / as Graceland here, / a land of grace.”
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Repetition
Where repetition appears in the poem:- Line 14: “I”
- Line 16: “a”
- Line 17: “a”
- Line 18: “a”
- Line 19: “a”
- Line 21: “I”
- Line 22: “Graceland”
- Line 23: “land,” “grace”
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Assonance
Where assonance appears in the poem:- Line 4: “immortal soul”
- Line 7: “Presley”
- Line 8: “Reverend”
- Line 9: “digs,” “I,” “my,” “hips”
- Line 10: “just,” “like my,” “brother”
- Line 14: “simple”
- Line 16: “wimple”
- Line 17: “lace band”
- Line 20: “blue,” “shoes”
- Line 21: “think,” “it”
- Line 22: “Graceland”
- Line 23: “land,” “grace”
- Line 24: “lopsided smile”
- Line 27: “I'm alive”
- Line 28: “time,” “I”
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“Elvis's Twin Sister” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight?
- Madonna
- Elvis
- Y'all
- Convent
- Sister Presley
- The Reverend Mother
- The way I move my hips
- Gregorian chant
- Pascha nostrum immolatus est
- Habit
- Novice-sewn
- Wimple
- Rosary
- Graceland
- Lopsided
- Lawdy
- Lonely Street / Heartbreak Hotel
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(Location in poem: Before Line 1: “Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight?”)
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Elvis's Twin Sister”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Elvis's Twin Sister” Speaker
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“Elvis's Twin Sister” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Elvis's Twin Sister”
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More “Elvis's Twin Sister” Resources
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External Resources
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The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of "Elvis's Twin Sister."
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Interview with the Poet — Watch a short interview with Carol Ann Duffy, the UK's first female Poet Laureate from 2009-2019.
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The Poet's Life and Work — A short biography of Duffy at the Poetry Foundation.
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More About Elvis — A summary of Elvis Presley's life and career at Britannica.com.
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The First Female Laureate — A 2009 New York Times article on Duffy's appointment as the first-ever female Poet Laureate of the UK.
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Elvis and Graceland — Learn all about Elvis at the official website of Graceland Mansion.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Carol Ann Duffy
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