Explain how the theme of rejection is portrayed in Havisham, Hitcher, The Laboratory and one other pre-1914 poem
             Rejection is most commonly associated as being a consequence of a plethora of extreme feelings. These intense emotions can be converted into concentrated feelings of venom, isolation and hatred. The palpable reality of the pain involved with unsuccessful relationships is particularly emphasized in 'Havisham', 'The Laboratory' and 'My Last Duchess'. Furthermore, these three poems, in addition, conjure tangible images of violence and animosity, which suggest that the characters are still in denial. Ultimately, they cannot move on; or possibly, as reflected in 'Hitcher', could find their release of violence to be a therapeutic and mundane experience.
             Many parallels can be drawn between 'Havisham' and 'The Laboratory' because both female characters have been betrayed by men and are seeking revenge. Both poems are in the form of a dramatic monologue, which is a key literary device expertly utilised to convey a vivid picture of the harsh reality that they are experiencing. Their 'personal accounts' urge the reader to engage with the sadistic women. Miss Havisham (from Dickens 'Great Expectations') was jilted by her conniving fiancé; she 'curses' him, wishing 'him dead'. She is constantly reminded of her very much hated spinster state, by her 'yellowing' dress. She is murderous, wishing for revenge on men. She 'stabbed at the wedding cake'; this is intensely visual embodying an attack full of venom, violence and vitriol - accompanied by 'ropes on the back of my hand I could strangle with', suggests an extremely brutal and passionate representation of her deathly plans.
             Robert Browning (the Poet in 'The Laboratory') adopts a female persona to communicate a cheated, cy...