Kelso High School English Department “Havisham” by Carol Ann Duffy Set Text Powerpoint Kelso High School English Department

Monologue spoken by Miss Havisham from Dickens’ Great Expectations Background to the poem Monologue spoken by Miss Havisham from Dickens’ Great Expectations Jilted by her fiancé she continues to wear her wedding dress and sit amidst the remains of her wedding breakfast for the rest of her life, while she plots revenge on all men She hates her spinster state of which her unmarried family name constantly reminds her

Structure of the poem: Free verse – no regular pattern of metre or rhyme. This lends the poem an air of unpredictability, which reflects the unpredictable nature of Havisham’s moods. Lack of rhyme / lack of control helps create voice of Miss Havisham and complements her lack of self control. Her stilted, choppy voice reflects the sense of destruction and disorder in her life.

Structure of the poem: Four stanzas of equal length – suggestive of some order, which is perhaps a reflection of the moments when Havisham does seem more lucid and sane.

Structure of the poem: Many of the lines run on (ENJAMBMENT). Effect is like speech. Chaotic sentence structure, some short, some long, some with no verbs, some spilling over (enjambment) from one line and one verse to another represents the chaotic , destructive world of Miss Havisham. Gives reader insight into the mental and emotional state of the character.

Form of the poem Dramatic Monologue Written in the first person Duffy assumes the voice of Miss Havisham This enables the reader to understand Miss Havisham’s thoughts as she is speaking them directly There is no sense of audience – she appears to be talking to herself

Havisham is Miss Havisham’s story in her own words. Subject Matter: Havisham is Miss Havisham’s story in her own words. She reflects on her feelings for the man who left her, and the effect it has had on her. It explores how she could have come to be the woman she is. She remembers her ex in her dreams, and feels better until she wakes herself up trying to bite him. There is a sexual element to the dreams, and this is carried on into the violent end of the poem that wants him dead. The poem provides another insight into Miss Havisham, which gives the reader some empathy into her situation. It is also about obsessive love gone wrong.

Havisham 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  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.

‘Havisham’ Effective title Reveals her self-loathing and bitterness at being denied the epithet of ‘Mrs’ and being forced to live the remainder of her life as a spinster.

Beloved sweetheart bastard. Not a day since then 1. EFFECTIVE TITLE 2. OXYMORON / CONTRAST 3. FULL STOP 5/6/7 WORD CHOICE 4.ALLITERATION 8.SOUND/ IRONY 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 ENJAMBMENT 12. WORD CHOICE 13. ALLITERATION. 9. WORD CHOICE 10. METAPHOR / CONNOTATION 11. METAPHOR

SENTENCE / POSITIONING 6. ONOMATOPOEIA 1. SINGLE WORD SENTENCE / POSITIONING 2 /3 / 4 WORD CHOICE/ SENTENCE STRUCTURE 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 5. METAPHOR 7. IMAGERY 10. WORD ORDER 8 / 9 WORD CHOICE

to me? Puce curses that are sounds not words. CONNOTATION WORD CHOICE 1. ENJAMBMENT 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   4. WORD CHOICE 5. IMAGERY 6. WORD CHOICE/ CONTRAST 7. PRONOUN 8. WORD CHOICE / PRESENT TENSE

hate behind a white veil; a red balloon bursting 2. IMAGERY ENJAMBMENT / OXYMORON 3. METAPHOR 4. ALLITERATION 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. 5. SENTENCE STRUCTURE ONOMATOPOEIA 6. IMAGERY 7. WORD CHOICE 8. IMAGERY 9. ALLITERATION

THEMES Destructive power of love Emotional complexity of love Love and Hate Betrayal and revenge Violence Madness Despair

Notable Techniques Imagery Sound Sentence Structure Contrast

Notable Techniques - Imagery “I’ve dark green pebbles for eyes” – metaphor “ropes on the back of my hands” – metaphor “cawing” – metaphor “red balloon bursting in my face” – metaphor

Notable Techniques - Sound “Beloved sweetheart bastard” – alliterative plosive “b” “Spinster. I stink” – sibilance “Nooooo” – elongated vowel sound “ balloon bursting” and “Bang” – onomatopoeic, alliterative and plosive “b-b-b-breaks” – stuttering “b” sound

Notable Techniques –Sentence Structure “Beloved sweetheart bastard” – minor sentence “Spinster” – one word sentence “who did this to me?” – question “Love’s/hate behind a white veil” – enjambment “b-b-b-breaks” – stuttering “b” sound.

Notable Techniques –Contrast “Beloved sweetheart” and “bastard” “Wished him dead” and “a corpse” “Prayed” and “curses” “my fluent tongue” and “sounds not words”.

Tone, Mood, Atmosphere Stanza 1 – First sentence is both loving and hateful. Rest of stanza 1 – Spiteful, aggressive, violent, murderous. Stanza 2 – Despairing and vulnerable. Stanza 3 – vengeful, erotic and violent. Stanza 4 – Spiteful, aggressive, violent and murderous.

Tone, Mood, Atmosphere Word Choice suggests violence and aggression: bastard wished him dead prayed for it dark green pebbles for eyes Puce curses bite awake bursting Bang stabbed corpse

Tone, Mood, Atmosphere Word Choice suggests Madness: Give me a male corpse wished him dead I stink her (3rd person) bite awake stabbed at a wedding cake b-b-b-breaks

Tone, Mood, Atmosphere Word Choice suggests Vulnerability and Despair: Spinster I stink and remember Whole days in bed cawing Nooooo Trembling who did this to me?

Comparison with ‘Valentine’ ‘Havisham’ Tone is bitter and sad throughout Persona talks of how she wishes her fiance dead Persona shows mixed emotions about him Violent imagery and word choice demonstrate her hatred

Comparison with ‘Valentine’ ‘Havisham’ Persona doesn’t recognise herself and blames fiance who jilted her Image of stabbing a wedding cake – suggests that she hates weddings and the happiness of others.