Stanza 1

Question 1

‘Beloved Sweetheart Bastard’

Answer 1

This is a minor sentence and an oxymoron. ‘Beloved sweetheart’ suggests affection and adoration for her lover however ‘bastard’ suggests she also despises him for betraying her. The contrast emphasises her twisted, conflicted feelings because she loves and hates him at the same time. Short sentence creates dramatic opening and shows the intensity of her confused feelings.

Question 2

‘Prayed for it’

Answer 2

Praying requires serious commitment, respect and devotion so Duffy is suggesting that Havisham is desperate to kill him and she seriously wants him dead.

Question 3

‘Green pebbles for eyes’

Answer 3

Just as pebbles are cold and hard, so the writer is suggesting there is no affection or love in her eyes. They are dull and lifeless because she is so depressed and sad.
Just as pebbles are shiny, so the writer is suggesting her eyes are shiny with tears from constantly crying. She is emotionally unstable.
Just as pebbles are small, so the writer is suggesting she has a narrow vision and can not move on from what happened because she is so obsessed.
Her eyes are green with envy because she is jealous of other women who are happier than her and still have a partner

Question 4

‘Ropes on the back of my hands I could strangle with’

Answer 4

Just as a rope is thick, long, rough and you can see the individual threads, so the writer is suggesting the veins on her hands are very prominent because she is so old.
Strangling is an intimate, close and personal way to kill someone, which suggests she wants to be there to watch him die, right beside him.