Written by British poet Carol Ann Duffy, "Mrs Midas" is one of the entries in her poetry anthology The World's Wife. All of the entries in The World's Wife satirize a weakness in human nature, through the means of a well-known figure in history (or mythology). “Mrs Midas” is a female reminder of the social repercussions of her husband's insolence, greed and stupidity. King Midas is one of the most (in)famous figures in Greek mythology and was best known for his "golden touch". According to popular Greek mythology, the god of wine and pleasure, Dionysus, made a wish to the king. Foolishly, a rather vain King Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold, and this wish was granted. Yet no matter how popular the myth, one perspective rarely considered is that of his wife. Therefore, Carol Ann Duffy presents Midas's plight from a completely new perspective. However, he does not simply present us with his perspective on the consequences of Midas's desire: the poet uses a wide range of poetic techniques to convey a multitude of emotions. The poem begins in a domestic setting, with a calm and serene state of mind, where the character in the poem begins to "...relax" (line 2). As soon as the poem begins, we encounter a number of poetic techniques used by the poet. The first is personification, as the poet describes the kitchen as having a "smoking breath" (line 3). Through the immediate use of poetic techniques such as personification, we are immediately helped to conjure vivid images of the setting, which help the reader understand the initial situation (and follow the poem from the beginning). However, from the beginning other poetic techniques are also employed. As a character in the poem he looks... at the center of the card... because in ancient times the harm of smoking was unknown and therefore no advantage was seen in giving it up. Furthermore, the consequences of smoking would be the least of your worries if you were in Midas' position.) The built-in comedy serves a variety of purposes: it develops the character, and perhaps allows us to sympathize with her, it tempers feelings of resentment and anger, and it reminds us that the poet's interpretation of the tale of King Midas need not follow the normal convention of myths (i.e. set in antiquity). In conclusion, Carol Ann Duffy adds an intriguing touch to one of the most famous tales of Greek mythology. The poetic techniques used allow the reader to sympathize with the eclectic range of emotions/moods presented, and the comedy used presents a completely different appeal to its reader, making "Mrs Midas" a real touch of gold..