Havisham Notes and Quotes

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The title, gives the suggestion that the poem is going to be about a single unmarried women, as it is just her Maiden name.
"Havisham"
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Duffy emphasizes that Havisham is alone and all the love has gone from her life, therefore she want revenge.
"Not a day since then I haven't wished him dead" = "dead" is a harsh statement suggesting death and violence.
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There is a complex idea contrasting Love and Hate (gentle/harsh), which show that Miss Havisham has contradictory feelings and how unstable she is = complications in relationships
" Beloved Sweetheart *******" = oxymoron/contrast/juxtaposition. Positives from past = "sweetheart". Negatives from present = "*******".
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There is a suggestion that Miss Havisham is jealous and evil. She is the green eyed monster.
"I've dark green pebbles for eyes" = metaphor. "dark" = evil. "pebbles" show how her eyes hardened. "green" = jealousy and evil/ green eyed monster.
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Carol Ann Duffy convey the theme of Violence, Revenge and Anger throughout the poem, which help to reveal the deeper message of her experience OR Havishams rage and hatred towards her past lover is evident throughout from her desire of revenge.
"ropes on the back of my hands I could strangle" = symbolizes death and violence. "strangle" suggests revenge
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Havisham gives an animalistic image, which suggests the tone of denial and pain.
"cawing Nooooo at the wall" = lack of humanity. "wall" emphasizes her isolation and reinforces the idea of suffering.
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Miss Havisham is slowly aging and changing (slow death) and is surrounded by symbols of the wedding which never happened.
" the dress yellowing, trembling" = Dress symbolises her changing, in the shadow of the experience she faced.
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The use of enjambment is used as a change in structure and time. 1st half = close to the event. 2nd half = the now and how its killing her.
"her, myself, who did this to me?" coveys the deeper message of how Miss Havishams relationship has changed her and has had a huge impact. She doesn't recognize herself, showing shes changed by rejection.
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The use of adjectives of colours, help to convey Miss Havishams' experience.
"Puce" = Dark red symbolising dried blood linking to death and violence.
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Duffy emphasizes the lust of revenge on the male sex for her enjoyment.
"Give me a male corpse for a long slow honeymoon" - " long slow" = torture and enjoyment. "corpse" symbolizing death = she would rather he was dead than to reject her, shows shes twisted and crazy.
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Havisham is not only broken hearted but it has physically and mental changed her life as the love is drained from her life by the pain
"Dont think it's only the heart" suggests that her mind has been damaged and scarred for life, explaining how shes crazy and insane.
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Throughout the poem there is repetition of the letter "b" symbolising the length of her pain, anger, suffering and heartbreak.
"b-b-b-breaks" shows how fragile she is, sound like she is sobbing with the use of repetition.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

"Not a day since then I haven't wished him dead" = "dead" is a harsh statement suggesting death and violence.

Back

Duffy emphasizes that Havisham is alone and all the love has gone from her life, therefore she want revenge.

Card 3

Front

" Beloved Sweetheart *******" = oxymoron/contrast/juxtaposition. Positives from past = "sweetheart". Negatives from present = "*******".

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

"I've dark green pebbles for eyes" = metaphor. "dark" = evil. "pebbles" show how her eyes hardened. "green" = jealousy and evil/ green eyed monster.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

"ropes on the back of my hands I could strangle" = symbolizes death and violence. "strangle" suggests revenge

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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