The theme of the poem "Originally' is cultural identity. Carol Ann Duffy conveys this theme to the readers by writing the poem through a girl's perspective. The girl is reluctant to deal with changes in her life that may cause her to abandon her past. She does not wish to leave her identity, her country behind, for a place of unknown.

The title `originally' implies a journey of changes. If there weren't a change in the first place, then there would not be any `originally', since there would be no past. The title also makes the readers eager to read the poem. It creates an allure for readers to ponder what exactly is the change in this poem. So the theme of changing cultural identity is somewhat hinted by the title `Originally."

The tone is sad. There is a predominant feeling of loss and despondence throughout the poem...