Havisham - Carol Ann Duffy

Breaking down each poem into bite sized chunks to jog your memory :)

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  • Created by: Emma
  • Created on: 21-05-11 11:43

Havisham

Havisham is about a woman who was going to get married but got left at the alter. The poem shows her desperation and anger. It describes how it keeps coming back to her.

An oxymoron - 'sweetheart *******' - is used in the first line to emphasise the difference in how it is to be loved and dumped. It shows her anger to the man.

The poem also says 'I've dark green pebbles for eyes' saying that she's jealous of people in love. The way she has used the word 'dark' shows her anger, and she wants revenge!

The word 'Nooooo' is used to show that she's desperate and mourning for him. It is also Melodramatic.

'Who did this, to me?' is also used. 'to me?' is on a different line, so this emphasises it and shows her desperation. It also asks the reader why?

In the last stanza it says 'red balloon bursting'. This is a metaphor for her heart breaking.

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Comments

Virginia Robinson

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Hi

Don't want ot be rude however, I think some of your points are valid, but theres also other things you could say about them, for example you point about it saying the 'red balloon bursting' is another metaphor for the man who jilted her at the altar taking her virginity.

As well the quotation 'nooooo' also represents the fact that yes as you said she is mourning him etc. but it also another metaphor for what she would have been shouting on her wedding night during the act of marital sex. 

Also the poem is actually based on the character of Miss Havisham from great expectations, who was jilted at the altar.

Sorry for being irritating I hate it when people correct me!

Virginia

Emma

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Sorry to correct you too, but he left her at the alter, so the wedding night thing wouldn't be true!!!! :P

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