Overview
In this poem, Lochhead considers the interesting dynamic of specific female relationships.
As the central concerns of the poem are gradually revealed, the 'rival' of the poem’s title turns out to have a much closer relationship with the speaker than we first thought.
In the poem the speaker describes a visit to the home of her lover’s mother for tea.
The atmosphere is immediately loaded with tension. Both women implicitly understand the competitive nature of their relationships as they battle for the affection of the son.
The forced civility and politeness of the visit only serves to emphasise the strain between the two women.
The object of their competitive affection, meanwhile, seems utterly oblivious to the underlying tension.
