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'Havisham' by Carol Ann Duffy - how are relationships presented in the poem?

How are relationships presented in the poem and how does the poet's choice of lexicon, structure, imagery and techniques help do this?

This is the poem:

Beloved sweetheart bastard. Not a day since then
I haven't wished him dead, Prayed for it
so hard I've dark green pebbles for eyes,
ropes on the back of my hands I could strangle with.

Spinster. I stink and remember. Whole days
in bed cawing Nooooo at the wall; the dress
yellowing, trembling if I open the wardrobe;
the slewed mirror, full-length, her, myself, who did this

to me? Puce curses that are sounds not words.
Some nights better, the lost body over me,
my fluent tongue in its mouth in its ear
then down till I suddenly bite awake. Love's

hate behind a white veil; a red balloon bursting
in my face. Bang. I stabbed at a wedding-cake.
Give me a male corpse for a long slow honeymoon.
Don't think it's only the heart that b-b-b-breaks.


Also, we have to compare it to other poems, so will it be a bad choice if I compare it to Robert Browning's The Laboratory ?


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Reply 1
Contrast it with Anne Hathaway if you're using the AQA anthology.
Reply 2
Original post by Iron Lady
Contrast it with Anne Hathaway if you're using the AQA anthology.


Okay, how are relationships presented in this poem though? :/


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There is a lot of reference to colour, comment on the usual connotations of it: So usually yellow would represent sunshine/light however shes described the dress this colour as opposed to white, so its a metaphor for their r'ship: when something loses its colour its dying/crumbling away, this is what she means by their relationship.
And I love the laboratory! Its such a cooooool poem!:biggrin:
"Beloved sweetheard bastard" is worth commenting on - the antithesis of love and hate contrasted in the first sentence. The way in which relationships can contain equal measures of both without it being a direct contradiction.

I don't know for sure, but I imagine the title refers to Great Expectations? Worth involving that somewhere as context.
Reply 5
Original post by kingaaran
Okay, how are relationships presented in this poem though? :/


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Anger, resentment towards the man for jilting her at the alter (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens).

Structure/techniques: rigid, 4 lines and 4 verses (I'm not sure if there is a specific name for this though). It's like a square. Some of the sentences are cut off then continued afterwards.

Imagery: unattractive, colours like yellow to symbolise decaying/dying, green pebbles (to symbolise jealousy). When she includes the wedding imagery she is still angry. Ropes and strangles for revenge. The b-b-b-reaks bit is done for effect to show how she feels.

Relationships: she wishes him dead, she's still in her wedding dress, so still loves him but hates him for what he did (humiliation, embarrassment, being let down, etc.)

Then contrast the relationships Duffy presents in Havisham with how she presents the love in Anne Hathaway (it's been a while since I analysed these poems, but language like "spinning world" etc.) as the love is returned. I can't remember The Laboratory (but I do remember studying it) and it is probably a good poem to do if you can link them well.
Reply 6
Wow! Thanks everyone. Your help has been - well - helpful. Thanks. :smile:


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