Anne Hathaway by Carol Anne Duffy
Background and Narrative Voice: Anne Hathaway was
Shakespeare's wife. Shakespeare left for her in his will their
second best bed. While a lot of Shakespeare scholars assume
that this was a sign that Shakespeare didn't love her, Duffy
interprets the will differently in the poem. The second best
bed in "Anne Hathaway" is a symbol of love and devotion.
Form: Duffy's Anne Hathaway is a sonnet spoken in the voice of
Anne Hathaway. Because Duffy imagines the speaker as one
distinct character, we can call this poem a dramatic monologue.
Anne Hathaway is written in the form of a sonnet. It follows the
most basic sonnet rule in that it has fourteen lines. However, it
breaks a lot of rules. It has no formal rhyme scheme and its
meter isn’t always exactly iambic pentameter.
Anne Hathaway by Carol Anne Duffy
Form (continued): Why does the speaker (Hathaway) choose to
narrate her thoughts in the form of a sonnet?
- Perhaps as a tribute to her lost husband who devoted his life
to producing sonnets and poetry?
- To represent her love for him? Remember that the sonnet is
often associated with the theme of love.
- To help create a realistic speaking voice? The rhythm involved
in iambic pentameter if often said to mimic natural speaking
voice.
- Perhaps the fact that it is not a perfect sonnet is a tribute in
itself. It is as if Hathaway is saying to her late husband that
only he is capable of creating a perfect sonnet.
Anne Hathaway by Carol Anne Duffy
Theme: The main themes/ ideas in the poem are:
- Love
- Loss/ Death
- Literature/ Writing
Duffy gets us to question
the judgements we make
on first impressions.
Past tense represents
Hathaway’s loss
This metaphor represents Hathaway and
Shakespeare’s relationship – ‘spinning’ has
connotations of dizziness and excitement while
‘world’ emphasises the idea that they meant
‘everything’ to one another. The fact that this
‘spinning world’ was their bed implies their close
intimate relationship.
‘Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed…’
The bed we loved in was a spinning world
of forests, castles, torchlight, clifftops, seas
where he would dive for pearls.
All these words have connotations which imply something about their
relationship. Be imaginative in your response: ‘forests’: something to be
explored, adventure?; ‘castles’: romance, fairytales; ‘torchlight’: idea of the
unknown – an exciting relationship?; ‘clifftops, seas’: romance and adventure/
‘dive for pearls’ again suggests the excitement in their relationship. It
suggests adventure and that their relationship was filled with treasures.
Metaphor comparing Shakespeare’s language
to stars (imagery that Shakespeare used himself
in his most famous play about love!). Suggests
that his language was heavenly, otherwordly,
celestial, beautiful – for everyone to see.
Enjambment draws out
attention to ‘lover’s words’
emphasising the importance of
Shakespeare’s language
‘…My lover's words
were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses
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.’
Extended metaphor: Closeness of physical
relationship compared with different
poetic techniques. ‘my body… to his’
suggests closeness/ mutual
understanding/ that they know each other
intimately. ‘his touch a verb dancing in the
centre of a noun’ – personification of
‘verb’ suggesting the energy/ excitement
their intimacy brought her.
Sibilance and assonance: soft
sounds throughout the sonnet
reflect the sensual nature of the
relationship. Word choice: ‘softer’
‘rhyme’ ‘echo’ add to this feeling
Metaphor comparing his words to
‘kisses’. Suggests Shakespeare spoke
affectionately/ lovingly to Hathaway.
‘…earth’ – intimate nature of his poetry.
Metaphor: Hathaway compares herself to one
of Shakespeare’s sonnets – written through
their passionate exchanges. It is almost as if she
is his inspiration. She doesn’t just inspire him to
create great literature – she actually becomes
part of it.
‘Some nights, I dreamed he’d written me, the bed
A page beneath his writer’s hands. Romance
And drama played by touch, by scent, by taste.
Word choice: Different senses
Word choice: Again, Duffy combines
appealed to indicating again the
Shakespeare’s literature with his relationship passion and sensual nature of
with Hathaway. A sense of excitement and
their relationship.
passion in their relationship is suggested.
Metaphor: Hathaway imagines the guests in the next room, “dribbling their
prose”, whilst herself and her husband create poetry and drama. There is
the sense that others’ relationships lack the passion and excitement of
Shakey and Hathaway. ‘Dribbling’ implies something dull, clumsy,
unattractive, while they enjoy a relationship filled with ‘drama’, ‘romance’
and is overwhelming in that it gives every sense pleasure.
In the other bed, the best, our guests dozed on,
dribbling their prose.
Repetition of soft ‘l’ sound: Reflects
the ‘poetic’ beauty of their
relationship (contrasts on the same
line with ‘dribbling their prose)
My living laughing loveI hold him in the casket of my widow’s head
as he held me upon that next best bed.
Imagery (metaphor): Rather than being buried or
cremated, Hathaway keeps Shakespeare alive in her
mind/ imagination. This can be seen as a further tribute
to Shakespeare’s own imagination/ creativity. It also
indicates that only Hathaway ever truly knew her
husband.