Duffy – Higher Scottish Texts

Anne Hathaway

Born 1555/56 – Died 6 August 1623Married William Shakespeare in November

1582. She was already pregnant with their first

child.She was 7 years older than Shakespeare who

was 18 when they married.

Who is Anne Hathaway?

“Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed…”

How would you feel if you were Anne?

Shakespeare’s Will

Is that it???

Thank you. I’m very grateful!

At that time it would have been expected that their children would look after Anne after Shakespeare’s death.

Also, beds were much more extravagant and often cost the equivalent of a house.

The best beds were reserved for guests suggesting that their second best bed was their marital bed.

An insult or a last romantic gesture from the playwright?

Historical Context

Who is the narrator? Summarise, in detail, what you think the

poem is about.What themes are conveyed in this poem?

Read the Poem

14 linesOften associated with theme of love.Was regularly used by Shakespeare.Usually consists of 3 quatrains (a group of 4

lines with a set rhyming scheme eg ABCA, ABBA etc) and a rhyming couplet at the end.

Identify the rhyming scheme of this poem. Does it follow this pattern?

Sonnet

Now look back through the poem highlighting and labelling any of the following techniques that you can identify.MetaphorSimileAlliterationAssonanceEnjambmentRhyme

As you are identifying these techniques, or once you have finished, annotate what effect these techniques have.

Annotating the poem

MetaphorThe full poem is a metaphor for their love and

passion. The narrator compares their love and love-making to poetry and the art of writing suggesting that their love is deeper and more meaningful than just basic human urges.

Enjambment and unusual rhyming schemeVery few of these lines end with a full stop and the

rhyme of this sonnet is not as restricted as a traditional sonnet. This is to mirror the sensuality, fluidity and freedom of their love. The lines tend to end mid sentence but on the most seductive and passionate words. Make a list of these words. These embody the message that she is trying to convey.

Techniques which are used throughout …

The bed we loved in was a spinning world

of forests, castles, torchlight, clifftops, seas

where we would dive for pearls. My lover’s words

were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses

Quatrain 1Past tense – reminiscing after his death. Love = passion and affection in

their relationship.

Metaphor. Their love was consuming

and dizzying. It threw her off

balance and made her view the world

differently. Alludes to some of her husband’s famous settings.

Connotations of romance and love

Pearls = precious and valuable like their love

and marriage.

Assonance. Shakespeare’s words seduced

her.

Sibilant. The ‘s’ sound is soft and seductive just like Shakespeare and his writing. Could

also represent fireworks to

suggest the passion in their marriage.

His work, creativity and language were all gifts

from God “fell from earth” which impassioned her.

Enjambment

on these lips; my body now a softer rhyme

to his, now echo, assonance; his touch

a verb dancing in the centre of a noun.

Some nights, I dreamed he’d written me, the bed

Quatrain 2

Continuing the language metaphor. Suggesting that she is feminine while Shakespeare

was masculine. She was powerless to his touch.

Enjambment. She finds his touch

exciting and erotic. “dancing” = his touch

– moving, unpredictable,

exciting.

Shakespeare created her like one of his characters.

His love brought her alive.

Enjambment. See next slide.

a page beneath his writer’s hands. Romance

and drama played by touch, by scent, by taste.

In the other bed, the best, our guests dozed on,

dribbling their prose. My living laughing love -

Quatrain 3

Metaphor. Comparing the bed to the writer’s page.

Where creativity is actualised and brought to

existence.

Enjambment. Romance is what

she associates more with their

relationship.The genres that Shakespeare is

famous for. Suggests that his work mirrored their life.

Use of senses -she can very vividly recall their love and

passion.

Critical of others – not as passionate as them. She sees prose as being boring, not as exciting or

as passionate.

“dozed and dribbling” – word choice and

alliteration. – boring, not exciting, passionate or

seductive

Alliteration – “l” seductive and soft. She recalls vividly

their passion and love. Dash used to suggest her

own private reflection as she recalls.

I hold him in the casket of my widow’s head

as he held me upon that next best bed.

CoupletMetaphor – She keeps him and their love safe in her memory, “casket”, and keeps

him alive through her memories.

Simile – She felt secure in his hold and he held her

tightly as she promises to do to his memory now.

Final rhyme is plosive and harsh and definite just like the end of their

marriage, through his death, and now to the end of the poem.

Havisham - both tell the story of a woman’s life after love.

Mrs Midas – Both have a famous spouse – the woman’s perspective.

Valentine – Unusual perspective of poet – Love.

Use your grid to track the similarities and differences of the poems we have already studied.

Links with other poems