Compare the Poems “Havisham” and “The Laboratory”.

In the poem “Havisham”, Carol Ann Duffy presents the

subject of this poem as an old, embittered woman with “ropes
on the back of her hands”, while Browning presents the subject
of his poem as a strong and determined but very jealous and
embittered young woman. The poem is written in the first
person in the form of a dramatic monologue, “The Laboratory”
by Robert Browning is also written in this form.

Carol Ann Duffy writes about the feelings of rejection,

isolation and desolation that a woman who has been jilted at
the alter by her husband might feel. I think that feelings
such as this in both of the poems have been based on either
literature or historical events, for example “Havisham” was
most likely based on Miss Havisham, a rich lady in the novel
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and “The Laboratory” was
probably influenced by the celebrated French murderess (who
has been said to have poisoned her family).

Oxymoronic phrases are used throughout the poem “Havisham”

such as “Beloved Sweetheart Bastard” and “Love’s/hate” to
express the ambivalence that this woman feels towards her ex-
lover. It also symbolises the unstable combination of desire
and hatred which Duffy has tried to use to move away from the
mindless hatred and revenge portrayed in Miss Havisham in
Dickens’ novel.

Colour plays a considerable role in both of the poems. In

“Havisham” Carol Ann Duffy describes her subject’s eyes as
being “dark green pebbles” and her “puce curses”, these dark
colours emphasise the lady’s violent, raging jealousy. In “The
Laboratory” the lady enjoys the colours, saying “And yonder
soft phial, the exquisite blue,” the lady’s unhealthy
obsession with the poisons exposes her true, insane, twisted,
fanatical nature.

Alliteration is used in both the poems “Havisham” and “The

Laboratory”. In “Havisham” the last word is “b-b-b-breaks”, I
think that this suggests that the subject of the poem is about
to break down or cry. “Moisten and mash up thy paste” and
“Pound at thy powder” are examples of alliteration in “The
Laboratory”. These are used to suggest the woman’s angry rage.
Although both of the poems are written in, more or less, equal
stanzas, there is no real rhythm or rhyme scheme to either of
them. In “The Laboratory”, however, there are a few feminine
rhymes where the stress is on the first syllable, such as
“smithy” and “whitely”. This lack of rhyme and the use of
enjambant and caesura emphasises even more that these women
are thinking, interacting or reminiscing.

The two women’s desires are exposes in both of the poems. In

“The Laboratory” her obsession with the colours and the
different kinds of poison has a slight undercurrent of sexual
pleasure. She clearly derives sexual satisfaction from the
prospect of killing. In “Havisham”, in the verse: “Some nights
better…” in dream, Havisham can momentarily enact her desire.
Even in this verse expressing desire, it ends however on a
moment of hate and revenge – “I suddenly bite awake”.

“A red balloon bursting in my face” - like the wedding cake

suggests the celebrations which did not take place for
Havisham. The Red balloon symbolises passion, which then
bursts, symbolising hate, and the intolerable emotional
pressure which the poem expresses. In “The Laboratory” the
woman finds the idea of “pure death in an earring’” intriguing
and gives her a god like feeling of power, hence the religious
references, such as “…to pray God in, for them!” and “this
devil’s smithy”.

Both of the poets Carol Ann Duffy and Robert Browning present
embittered women in similar ways. I think this because both of
the women in the poems blame other people for their
misfortunes and dream of revenge.