1. What is going on
in these pictures?

2. Objectives
By the end of today’s lesson you will be able to:
Complete a TSLAP analysis of the poem Havisham by Carol Ann Duffy.

3. Who is Havisham?
Miss Havisham is character from Charles Dickens “Great Expectations.”
She was jilted at the altar in the book.
This poem is an outpouring of her bitterness and resentment.
Why do you think Duffy dropped the ‘Miss’?

4. 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.

5. Oxymoron: suggests love/hate
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.
Expressing her violent emotions
Metaphor
Reference to age, but not having lived
Her Victorian label, suggesting she will never marry
Reference to the wedding dress and to her own sense of decay
Bird imagery
Onomatopoeia
Red is a passionate colour
Enjambment links stanzas 2/3 3/4
The reflection shows a devastated state
So emotional she emits only sound
Sexual fantasy
Violent & disturbing images
Oxymoron
Her language echoes her pain

6. Beloved sweetheart bastard. Not a day since then
Alliteration of `b’ and `p’ sound
suggests ANGER
I.E. the wedding
day
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
Image suggests
hard and cruel
Enjambment: lines run over
Green for jealousy
Indicating her
Bitterness “the
Green-eyed monster –
Green like a monster.
Theme of violence
in poem – (compare with
Stealing/
Education for Leisure/
Hitcher)
Veins –
a metaphor

7. Spinster. I stink and remember. Whole days
Single word
Sentence – denotes
Her bitterness
WORD EMPHASISES HER
GRIEF AND DESPAIR
i.e. because she has never
washed since her wedding
day
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
Image of a crow
“CAWING”
WITH AGE
AS THOUGH IT IS SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAS
DONE THIS. SHE CANT BELIEVE THAT THE
WOMAN IN THE MIRROR WOULD DO THIS.
SPLIT PERSONALITY? DISTURBED?
BROKEN/DESTROYED
(VIOLENCE?)

8. to me? Puce curses that are sounds not words.
Enjambment: lines run over
She cannot express her anger and
bitterness in proper words
(compare line 6)
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 bit awake. Love`s
Sexual references to
their relationship
VIOLENCE

9. hate behind a white veil; a red balloon bursting
oxymoron
Wedding dress/white
For virginity
VIOLENCE
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.
Alliteration of `b’ and `p’ sound
suggests ANGER
She would rather have him dead than
have him reject her – shows how bitter
and twisted she is
Sobbing and suggests violence –
a veiled threat

10. Structure
The poem consists of four, four line stanzas or quatrains which are unrhymed. Many of the lines run on, and the effect is like normal speech.
The first provides the reader with the theme of revenge: ‘Not a day since then / I haven’t wished him dead’. (lines 1-2)
Verses two and three develop a description of her life and state of mind.
The final verse returns to the ideas of death, violent hatred and marriage: ‘Give me a male corpse for a long slow honeymoon’ (line 15)

11. Why the enjambment?

12. TSLAP Themes, Structure, Language, Attitude, Personal Response
what is the poem about?
who is the speaker? - are they dramatized (a character)
who is being spoken to or addressed?
what is being spoken about?
Theme(s) of the poem - what is it really about?
Setting/culture - where’s the poem set? Culture it is from/about?
where does the poem “get to” from start to end?
TSLAP Themes, Structure, Language, Attitude, Personal Response
Always link everything to meaning. Ask yourself how does this contributes to the meaning? Why has the poet used this technique?
Attitudes
How would the poem be spoken? (angry, sad, nostalgic, bitter, humorous etc)
Structure
Rhyme - is there a rhyme scheme? Couplets? Internal rhyme?
Rhythm - how many syllables per line? Is it regular or free verse? Why are some different lengths?
Stanzas - How many? How do they change? Is there a narrative?
Lines - how many are their in each verse? Do some stand out?
Enjambment - do the lines “run on” to the next line or stanza?
End stopping - does each line finish at the end of a sentence?
Form - does the poem have a shape to it?
Language
What kinds of words are used?
Puns - a pun is a play on words - “Shear Class!” if Shearer scores.
Connotation - associations that words have (as "stallion" connotes a certain kind of horse with certain sorts of uses)?
Double meanings - “butts in” - putting bottoms in or interrupting.
Ambiguity - is the word or phrase deliberately unclear? Could it mean opposite things or many different things?.
Word order - are the words in an unusual order – why?
Adjectives - what are the key describing words?
Key words and phrases - do any of the words or phrases stand out? Do they shock? Are the words “violent” or “sad” etc?
Slang or unusual words and misspellings - Does the poet use slang or informal language? Are American words used?
Intertextuality - does the poem reference another text?
Style - does the poet copy another style? (Newspaper, play etc)
Characters - if there are characters how do they speak?
Language techniques
Alliteration - the repeating of initial sounds.
Assonance - is the term used for the repetition of vowel sounds within consecutive words as in, 'rags of green weed hung down...'.
Metaphor - comparing two things by saying one is the other.
Simile - comparing two things saying one is like or as the other.
Personification - giving something non-human human qualities.
Onomatopoeia - words that sound like the thing they describe.
Repetition - does the poet repeat words or phrases?