Carol Ann Duffy’s poem “Thetis” is based on Greek mythology, in which she is the mother of Achilles. In Duffy’s retelling, Thetis is a woman who keeps changing her form to escape from a mysterious capturer. She starts off as a Song Bird, then becomes an albatross, snake, lion, a myriad of sea creatures (Mermaid, fish, dolphin, whale), small mammals (racoon, skunk, stoat, weasel, ferret, bat, mink, rat), and then elemental (wind, gas, hot air, clouds, hurricane), until she finally turns into a mother. In the literal sense she “transforms” in order to escape the changing form of the stalker who follows her becoming a fist, hunter with a crossbow, snake charmer, hunter with a gun, fisherman, taxidermist, fighter plane, and a groom. In the metaphorical sense, it could be interpreted as Thetis trying to find her “true form, which ends up being motherhood as that is her final form. The ending of the poem is very ambiguous as Thetis’ sentiment toward the child isn’t very detailed, it can either be interpreted as a happy ending or her unwanted child resulting in possible rape. I feel Duffy was trying to explore the modern context of how women and pursued and treated. Thetis is a symbol of women all over the world who are harassed, abused, and eventually forced into a relationship (motherhood).