The Full Text of “The Dolphins”
The Full Text of “The Dolphins”
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“The Dolphins” Introduction
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"The Dolphins," by Carol Ann Duffy, is told from the perspective of dolphins living in captivity. Having once freely roamed the ocean, the dolphins lament the limitations of the artificial pool to which they've been relegated as well as having to perform mindless tricks for audiences. The poem illustrates the cruelty of confining one of nature's most intelligent creatures for the sake of human entertainment, while also more broadly critiquing humanity's domination and exploitation of nature. "The Dolphins" was published in Duffy's first full poetry collection, Standing Female Nude, in 1985.
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“The Dolphins” Summary
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The poem is spoken in the voice of a dolphin, or a group of dolphins, living in captivity. This voice says that whatever environment you're swimming or dancing in becomes your entire world, and that's all there is to it. The dolphins might be living in water, but they're still trapped. They can't breathe outside of this pool. The speaker refers to an ambiguous "other" that mirrors them and shapes their thoughts, by which they might mean other dolphins in this pool, whose movements mirror and influence each other; alternatively, this "other" refers to the ocean (as in, the dolphins' "other" world, which they keep thinking of). There's a man outside the pool and rings made for jumping through. There is also a pervasive feeling that some grave wrong has been committed.
There's nothing honest about this environment, nor has any reason been given as to why the dolphins have been put in this situation. They used to be fortunate to live freely in the ocean, and now they're not. They swam around their new environment for a few days before starting to make sense of it. Their surroundings never changed. They never change, and the same man always stands above them.
The dolphins aren't fortunate anymore because the pool is too shallow to dream in. Another dolphin (or, perhaps, the first dolphin's reflection) understands this and lovingly mirrors the speaker. The dolphins glimpse their silver reflections darting past, the sight of which reminds them of some other place. They are expected to perform tricks like holding up a colorful ball until the man leaves.
They can't see the moon anymore. They swim around the same old, monotonous paths, like a record on a turntable where the needle is stuck in a single groove that plays only a single note. Sad music always emanates from the other's heart, which makes the speaker's own heart harden. There's a synthetic toy. They've lost all hope. The dolphins descend to the bottom of the pool until they hear the whistle signaling them to perform. The man is still there, and the dolphins know that they won't make it out of this place alive.
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“The Dolphins” Themes
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Confinement, Exploitation, and Despair
“The Dolphins” critiques the exploitation of wild animals for human entertainment. Told from the perspective of dolphins living in captivity, the poem depicts the depressing reality of life inside a cage. The dolphins swim “circle[s]” around the same limited space day in and day out, jumping through “hoops” and “balanc[ing]” a “ball” for a “man” who's always hovering above. The poem concludes with the dolphins stating that “There is no hope” inside this unchanging, claustrophobic world, suggesting that confinement has robbed them of everything that makes life worth living. Although the poem is specifically describing the lives of aquarium dolphins, its concerns are broadly applicable to confinement and exploitation of any kind, suggesting that the removal of freedom and choice is soul-crushing and cruel.
The dolphins have been forced to live inside a tank in order to entertain human audiences, leaving the freedom of the ocean behind. Now, they “are no longer blessed, for the world / will not deepen to dream in.” In other words, without the dark depths of the ocean, the dolphins have nothing to look forward to, discover, or imagine. “World is what you swim in,” the dolphins say, and confinement has made their world frightfully small.
Indeed, it’s clear the dolphins’ lives inside this tank are monotonous and depressing. Their environment never changes, and they “circle” the same “well-worn grooves” over and over. Their days consist of jumping through “hoops” and balancing “a coloured ball” for a trainer. That this man is always “above” them reflects his complete power over their lives; they have to please him in order to earn food, presumably, and also because this is the only stimulation they get; dolphins are known for being one of the most intelligent species on earth, so they're undoubtedly deeply bored.
There is no “moon” in this artificial environment, signaling their complete separation from the natural world to which they belong. And while there are multiple dolphins in the tank, their companionship isn’t exactly comforting; they only reflect their own suffering back to one another.
The dolphin’s lack of freedom results in a profound loss of hope and an overwhelming sense of despair. They say, “There is a plastic toy. There is no hope.” This highlights the brutality of replacing the endless intrigues of the ocean with cheap distractions. Wild dolphins travel widely in vast schools, playing and exploring and navigating danger and the hunt for food and mates. These captive dolphins have only “the limits of this pool” and the man’s “whistle” telling them when and where to move. Their lives contain no mystery or possibility, and they understand that they “will die here.”
The poem’s devastating portrayal of captivity ultimately reflects the cruelty of confinement, oppression, and exploitation in general, suggesting that no living creature ought to be denied control over their bodies and lives.
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 2-6
- Lines 10-12
- Lines 13-14
- Lines 17-18
- Lines 19-24
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Humanity vs. Nature
In addition to commenting on the cruelty of captivity and the necessity of freedom, “The Dolphins” also presents the natural world as something worthy of deep respect and admiration. Humanity, the poem illustrates, often fails to treat nature with the reverence it deserves.
The poem presents the dolphins of the title as intelligent, emotional creatures forced to endure horrible mistreatment for human beings’ entertainment. In anthropomorphizing the dolphins, the poem pushes readers to identify with them—to see them as more than some unthinking, unfeeling toys. These dolphins are thoughtful, emotional creatures, just like people.
They experience “guilt,” “loss” of “hope,” and “love” for one another. They look for “truth” and “explanations” for the sudden shrinking of their world, suggesting that they understand what has been taken from them. They have “memor[ies]” of the vast seas they once swam through, and of the other dolphins they once swam alongside. They miss the “moon” and they conceive of the future, understanding that they “will die” in this restricted place. In other words, humans aren’t the only beings with inner worlds, desires, sadness, and so on. People aren’t as separate from—or superior to—other creatures as they may like to think.
That the dolphins were “blessed” before they were brought to the aquarium further implies that the natural world is harmonious, beautiful, and worthy of preservation. The dolphin says that “World is what you swim in, or dance, it is simple.” This highlights the hubris of people thinking they can recreate the splendor of nature in manmade pools. Humanity tries to subdue, make use of, or mimic the natural world rather than just existing in it in the “simple” way that animals do. “The Dolphins” condemns humans’ short-sighted, selfish desire to dominate and control their environments, suggesting that nature should be revered and protected.
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 5-6
- Lines 7-14
- Lines 19-24
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Dolphins”
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Lines 1-3
World is what ...
... breathe for long."The Dolphins" is told from the perspective of dolphins living in captivity. The speaker alternatives between what sounds like the individual voice of one dolphin and a collective voice for all of the dolphins living in this pool.
This voice begins the poem by pointing out that your "world" is the place where you "swim" or "dance." In other words, the environment you're in creates your reality. Notice that the speaker doesn't say "the world," perhaps hinting at the pure, "simple" way that dolphins experience things.
The mention of dancing, meanwhile, implies that these dolphins, like human beings, are capable of joy and play. This makes the following line more devastating, as it reveals that these emotional creatures feel trapped by their captivity. They might be in their "element," but they're "not free."
The word "element" here is a pun: on one level, it refers to the fact that the dolphins are in the water, one of the four classical "elements" of matter (earth, air, water, and fire). But to be "in one's element" also means to be thriving in one's conditions—which is clearly not the case for these dolphins. Their "world" has drastically shrunk now that they're confined to an extremely limited space from which they can't escape. The parallelism of "We are in our element" and "we are not free" underscores the cruel irony of the dolphins' situation: they need water to survive, but the water of this manmade habitat has become their prison.
These lines, like the rest of the poem, are written in free verse. The lack of a regular meter or rhyme scheme makes it sound more like readers are right there with the dolphins in the moment, hearing their deepest, unfiltered thoughts. Note, too, that these opening lines each end with a firm end-stop. The poem immediately sounds straightforward and to the point, as though the dolphins fully understand the dismal reality of their situation.
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Lines 4-6
The other has ...
... constant flowing guilt. -
Lines 7-12
We have found ...
... is the man. -
Lines 13-18
And now we ...
... man has disappeared. -
Lines 19-21
The moon has ...
... own to stone. -
Lines 22-24
There is a ...
... will die here.
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“The Dolphins” Symbols
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The Disappearing Moon
The disappearance of the moon in the poem's final stanza symbolizes the loss of the dolphins' connection to the natural world that was once their home. They can no longer see the moon that shines over the ocean each night. Held captive in an artificial pool, they've been completely cut off from their natural habitat and others of their kind.
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Line 19: “The moon has disappeared.”
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The Man
The poem repeatedly mentions a man who looms over the dolphins' pool. This is presumably the dolphins' trainer, someone who works at this park and makes the dolphins perform for audiences. His constant presence "above" the pool symbolizes humanity's domination of the natural world—the way human beings so often seek to control and exploit their environments. The poem links this man directly with the dolphins' knowledge that they will die in the pool, symbolically suggesting that humankind's desire to use nature for its own ends leads only to devastation.
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 5-6: “There is a man / and there are hoops.”
- Lines 11-12: “It is / the same space always and above it is the man.”
- Lines 17-18: “There is a coloured ball / we have to balance till the man has disappeared.”
- Line 24: “There is a man and our mind knows we will die here.”
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“The Dolphins” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Anthropomorphism
The poem anthropomorphizes the dolphins from the poem's title, granting the reader an intimate glimpse into their lives in captivity Giving the dolphins the ability to speak for themselves and express their feelings makes their suffering more immediate and tangible. It invites the reader to see the dolphins as being not all that different from human beings, thereby making their exploitation all the more deplorable.
The poem presents the dolphins as being able to conceptualize the future—which, in the absence of freedom, is devoid of "hope." They can also remember the past, which took place "somewhere else." In the present, they're aware of their misfortune ("And now we are no longer blessed"). They feel "love" for one another and recognize that they've lost the space "to dream in."
All this anthropomorphizing emphasizes that the dolphins are thoughtful, sensitive creatures—not toys built for human entertainment. It's an effective rhetorical device in that it creates pathos, appealing to readers' emotions.
In reality, of course, human beings can't know exactly what dolphins are thinking. But by imagining what goes on in their heads, the poem prompts the reader to be more curious and empathic towards these (and any other) captive animals.
Where anthropomorphism appears in the poem:- Line 2
- Lines 4-18
- Lines 19-21
- Lines 22-24
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Anaphora
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Repetition
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Simile
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Alliteration
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"The Dolphins" 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.
- Element
- Translate
- Well-worn
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(Location in poem: Line 2: “We are in our element but we are not free.”)
This is a pun playing on two meanings of the word "element." On the one hand, the speaker is referring to one of the four elements that make up the world: earth, fire, air, and in this case, water. The dolphins are literally in their element in the sense that they are surrounded by water, which they need to survive.
On the other hand, to "be in one's element" means to be in an environment one likes and thrives in. The dolphins might be in water, but they're defintely not happy or thriving.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Dolphins”
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Form
"The Dolphins" can be considered a kind of dramatic monologue, a poem it is told from the point of view of a particular character who is not the poet: in this case, a dolphin (and, at times, a group of dolphins). The poem contains 24 lines of free verse arranged in four sestets, or six-line stanzas. Free verse allows the poet to create an intimate and direct tone, as if the reader is listening in on the dolphins' innermost thoughts. Since these captive dolphins are unhappy in their manmade environment, it also makes sense that the poem isn't overly musical; its short, bare sentences and predictable stanza length help to evoke the monotony of the dolphins' suffocating world.
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Meter
As a free verse poem, "The Dolphins" doesn't follow a set meter. The absence of meter adds to the poem's intimacy and directness, helping to eliminate the distance between the reader and the dolphin; it sounds like readers are listening to the dolphins' thoughts in real-time.
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Rhyme Scheme
As a free verse poem, "The Dolphins" doesn't follow a rhyme scheme. As with the lack of meter, the absence of a steady rhyme scheme creates a more natural and conversational-sounding poem. Given that these dolphins are forced to perform for a human audience, the fact that their thoughts don't feel performative seems important. The disconnect between their non-rhyming, non-performative thoughts and the "balanc[ing]" act they have to put on for "the man" highlights how unnatural and insulting their captivity is.
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“The Dolphins” Speaker
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The speaker of the poem is a dolphin, or a voice for a group of dolphins, living in a "pool." By telling the poem from the dolphins' point of view, Duffy draws attention to the cruelty of the animals' captivity. The dolphins of the poem are clearly capable of deep thought and complex emotion. They sense "guilt," recognize "truth" (or its absence), express "love" for other dolphins in the pool, remember their lives before captivity, and experience "loss."
Note, too, that the poem's voice never uses the word "I" but rather bounces between singular and plural pronouns and possessive adjectives: "our mind knows we will die here," "reflects my for myself," "We see our silver skin," and so on. Lines 4 and 5 might also suggest two different dolphin voices:
The other has my shape. The other's movement
forms my thoughts. And also mine. [...]That "And also mine" might come from the first speaker (the one who says "my shape" in line 4) or it might come from a different dolphin joining in the conversation. The ambiguity throughout the poem reflects just how connected and communal the dolphins, in turn highlighting the cruelty of cutting them off from the rest of their kind for human entertainment.
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“The Dolphins” Setting
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The poem takes place inside a "pool," presumably in a marine mammal park, where captive dolphins live and perform for a human audience. The poem explores what such a setting feels like entirely from the dolphins' perspective. The dolphins weren't born in captivity, but once were "blessed" to swim the open seas. Compared to the ocean, with its seemingly endless depths, the shallow pool feels intensely claustrophobic. They can no longer see the "moon," a fact that represents just how cut off they are from the mystery, wonder, and freedom of the natural world.
When the dolphins were first brought to this pool, it took them a few days to realize that there was nowhere to go. Now, they understand that no matter how much they "travel[]," the "space" around them never changes; they can only swim in monotonous "circles" and "sink" to the bottom of the tank until they "die." They might be in their "element" in the sense that they're living in water, but they're definitely not thriving. On the contrary, they feel their loss of freedom acutely and mourn the "memory" of the other world they once roamed. They're not entirely alone, but all they can really do is "reflect[]" one another's misery.
The pool isn't just small, either: it's also controlled by human beings. The dolphins must respond to a "whistle," jump through "hoops," and balance a big, colorful "ball" on their noses to entertain onlookers. There is also a "man" who presides over the pool and tells the dolphins what to do. The man's constant, looming presence above the dolphins represents humanity's cruel domination of the natural world.
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Literary and Historical Context of “The Dolphins”
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Literary Context
Carol Ann Duffy is one of the most famous contemporary poets in the United Kingdom. Having served as the UK's Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2019 (as both the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold the position), she has had a remarkable impact on contemporary poetry. She writes in accessible language while tackling a wide range of topics, often using deceptively casual free verse to make scathing political and social critiques.
"The Dolphins" was published in Duffy's first full-length poetry collection, Standing Female Nude, in 1985. The poems in this collection range from intimate portraits of childhood to overtly political poems about gender and class. Other well-known poems from this collection include "Education for Leisure," "Head of English," and "War Photographer."
Historical Context
"The Dolphins" implicitly criticizes the existence of marine mammal parks (think: Sea World) and dolphinariums, spaces where dolphins are kept and trained to entertain audiences. Research has shown that dolphins (and whales) are deeply traumatized by captivity; boredom and anxiety lead to neurotic behavior, depression, and dramatic decreases in longevity.
While the first commercial dolphinarium was opened in the United States in 1938, they soon exploded in popularity; by the 1960s there were hundreds of these aquariums across the world, including a large number in Britain. Their number had dwindled by the time Duffy wrote this poem due to extensive research and increased pressure from animal rights groups, and the last UK dolphinarium closed down in 1991. Elsewhere around the world, however, dolphins remain subjected to these cruel conditions.
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More “The Dolphins” Resources
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External Resources
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The Poem Aloud — Watch a short, animated reading of "The Dolphins."
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Learn More About Carol Ann Duffy — A biography of the poet from the Poetry Foundation.
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"How Dolphinariums, Marine Parks, and Aquariums Shows Are Deeply Cruel" — Read an article which explains why dolphins and other big, intelligent marine animals don't belong in captivity.
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A Short Documentary on Dolphins — A National Geographic feature exploring the intelligence of dolphins.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Carol Ann Duffy
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