Initial assessment

Discuss Rossetti's portrayal of relationships between men and women.


Rossetti uses specific language in the poem, 'No, thankyou, John!' To portray the relationship between men and women. Firstly, Rossetti instantly suggests a change in the roles of men and women from her title. The title is significant because of the fact that the speaker of the poem is rejecting male affection. This suggests that Rossetti perceives woman as strong and powerful. This is a very modern view on the roles of men and women from the 19th century; empowered women were not the 'norm'.

Rossetti's humorous style also suggests Rossetti's modern view of the roles of men and women. Rossetti's comedic undertone is suggested from the second stanza when the speaker 'jokes' about John's face as being '...as wan as an hour old ghost'. This phrase gives the impression that Rossetti thinks that women should take on a more masculine attitude. This point is further illustrated in the seventh stanza when Rossetti goes on to write, 'let us strike hands as hearty friends.' Rossetti's writing style consistently gives a masculine tone or attitude. This portrays the men and women's relationship in the poem as very one-sided and that a man should work for the woman's approval. Also, that women are powerful and outspoken.

The point that men should term for female affection is also suggested through Rossetti's use of imagery. Specifically in the second stands a where Rossetti says, 'Will you haunt me with a face as wan as an hour old ghost?'. This use of literal expression portrays an image that the male in the poem is trying to pursue the famed speaker and is reaching out for her gratitude but the speaker, being an empowered woman,isn't impressed by the efforts. This entails a complete role change between the relationship of men and women because typically in 1860's England, women didn't have a voice to speak their opinion but Rossetti is showing a different side to that. 

In addition, Rossetti's verse form is specifically important in the over all tone of the poem. Rossetti's efforts to keep the poem very comedic and light are shown through her consistent but repetitive verse form. (8 stanzas, 4 lines each) The reason for this could be to keep the poem from being too controversial because the way Rossetti has perceived the male and female roles in her poem are very different to the reality of the19th century. 

Notes on Christina Rossetti's Round Tower at Jhansi

Rossetti used an element of anxiety through the dialogue and direct speech between Skene and his wife which portrays their relationship as very equal. The question,'will it hurt much?' Is desperately posed before both characters die which suggests a very intimate and personal relationship between Skene and his wife. This open display of anxiety and vulnerability suggests a bond between between the lovers, which is contrary to the loveless, arranged Victorian marriages of the time. Many Victorian marriages were considered a business deal, not often founded on love. Therefore this description of a passionate and melodramatic story seems to be very modern yet quite controversial for Rossetti.

~Whole poem is a ballad, June 8th 1857. Indian mutany.

~Very dramatic: feeding Victorian appetite for melodrama. 'The swarming howling wretches below.' 

~Speech is ambivalent: could be masculine or feminine. (2nd stanza)

~Foreshadowing of death in the narrative/characterisation of 'Skene looked at his pale young wife:'

~Also, shows possession through infantilised description of his wife. However, he loves her enough to want to bear the pain for her.

~Contrast of anxiety and declarative. 'Is the time come?'-'The time is come!'

~Present tense continuous in 3rd stanza.

~Sensuality: 'Close her cheek to his...'

~Terse description: 'Kiss and kiss:'


The relationship between men and women.
1. Sensuality of the 3rd stanza present tense continuous, modern relationship, not just for reproduction.
2. Characterisation of women. Rossetti still remaining not too controversial by keeping the Victorian consensus of infantilisation. "his pale young wife."
3. Repetition of "gained and gained.." creates melodrama.
4. Ambivalent voices of characters, role reversal? who is in control?
5. Anxiety of the question; "will it hurt much?" Suggests a personal, intimate relationship where both lovers feel they can open up to each other and reveal their true feelings. Role reversal? No formality. 

Notes on Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market

Critical Positon

Rossetti uses the character of Lizzie and Laura to represent halves of ones self by: 

~Mirroring in the names 'L'

~'Looked together in one-nest'-this metaphor could represent a sense of self and the way multiple selves can co-exist or be 'locked' in one identity. 

 

Lizzie represents: moral authority; public self of Victorian femininity; infantilised repression

Laura represents: private transgressive self of Victorian femininity. 

Laura and Lizzie could represent the struggles that Rossetti is dealing within herself. The expectation that Rossetti should devote her life or sacrifice her freedom to be a 'modest maiden' is represented through the character of Lizzie whom has an 'open heart' to the patriarchal society of the Victorian are. Rossetti often opposes thus bland destiny of domestic duties with her description of nature throughout many of her poems. Additionally, Rossetti expresses this in Goblin Market through the character of Laura which represents Rossetti's rebellion to the patriotic society and her expected duties. Laura yearns and desires for the 'orchard fruits' that the Goblins 'cry' about. Throughout Laura's character, Rossetti could be expressing her desire for the luxuries of life which women weren't allowed in such a male-dominated society. 

Notes on Christina Rossetti's 'Winter: My Secret'

~'Winter' is the secret. An invitation to 'guess' the secret.

~'Winter' is a pathetic fallacy for the mood of the poem.

~The list of unreal, utopian and utimatly impossible descriptions in Rossetti's final stanza also suggests that the persona is setting up a series of impossible-to-fill criteria in order to avoid revealing her secret.

'I tell me secret? No indeed, not I;' 

~Defensive rhetorical question, challenges the prospect of the secret being revealed. 

~'No' and 'Not' are double negatives, implies further that the speaker is determined to keep themselves private.

'But not today; it froze, and blows and snows,' 

~Humerous sarcasm suggests a childlike, patronising tone and confirms the control of the speaker.

~Riddle like qualities 

~Symplistic rhyming 

'But only just my fun.' 

~Intellectual game.

~Victorian women not aloud a sense of self.

~Similar to the humour of 'No, thankyou, John'.

'Nipping and clipping thro' my wraps and all.' 

~People trying to see/understand her hidden self. 

~Similar endings of 'nipping and clipping'.

'Golden fruit'

~Unreal, utopian and ultimately never to occur.

Inital assessment

Nature through poetry.


Christina Rossetti, a Victorian poet and High Anglican often expresses her views on 'Religion and spirituality' and 'Life and death' through her naturalistic imagery. This is evident in the cleansing of the soul through baptism in, 'A Birthday' and the question of life after death in the poem, 'Song'. Rossetti uses the theme of nature to represent the fact that Rossetti does not express her faith though tradition and rituals but finds her spirituaolity through the sensuality of nature and is not inluenced by contemporary religion.
Firstly, religion and spirtuality is a key topic for Rossetti, being a devout Anglican herself. She expresses her ideas and beliefs about her very personal relationship with God through her metaphoric description of nature, For example, the third simile, 'My heart is like a rainbow shell that paddles in a hacylon sea'' could be a link to baptism and the purity and cleansing of ones soul. This could infer that the title, 'A Birthday' could be a metaphor for the fact that through baptism, she feels born again in Christ and therefore has a new 'Birthday'. Another key reference to baptism is predominant in Rossetti's other poem, 'Paradise; In a dream' in which Rossetti uses the phrase, 'the fourfold river flow'.This depiction of an abundant river flowing could be a reference to the Bible where it states that God will "Repay devoted tithes fourfold for what they give onto God." The fact that Rossetti doesn't directly refer to baptism or tithing could suggest the influence of Keats. The Romantic period of which Keats was alive was a time of disbelief or doubt in God and Religion, especially the religous rituals of the church, therefore, people found their spirituality through other things, and for Rossetti this was nature which is similar to Keats. Rossetti was heavily influenced by Keats' litrature and could therefore be the reason why Rossetti despises rituals but finds her spirituality through nature and uses metaphors of naturalistic depictions to represent her deeper beliefs. This can be also suggested from Rossetti's other poem; Song, when in the third line of the first stanza, "Plant thou no roses at my head." A "rose" normally represents death and because the speaker is telling their loved one not to use rituals and traditions to cope with their death. Victorian attitudes to death were very much representational and ritualistic as religion was a big influence into the Victorian era. This further illustrates the fact that Rossetti shows her views on religion through a metaphor of nature and not the normalities of Victorian religion.
Secondly, Rossetti also uses the theme of nature to represent life and death. This is more prominant in the poem; "Song", when in the last coupke of verses of the first stanza it says, "And if thou wilt, remember, And if thou wilt, forget." This poses the question that, is one really dead if theyre still remebered in peoples mind and souls? Rossetti also uses nature as a link to death in the second stanza when it says, "I shall not hear the nightingale." This line doesn't fit with the rhythm of iambic trimeter that Rossetti is following. This represents how spontanious nature is but how death is also. Another poem where life and detah is expressed through nature us in the poem, "Paradise; In A Dream". Rossetti uses the words, "bud and bloom", this alliteration emphasizes Rossetti's representaion of nature being a metaphor, in this line, for youth and a promise of life.

Notes on death and the afterlife in Rossetti's Song and Remember

Compare and contrast how Rossetti shows her views on death and the after life in the poems, 'Song' and 'Remember'.


Both poems, 'Song' and 'Remember' are themed around the prospect of death and how the speaker wants their loved ones to manage their death once the speaker has passed. This gives us an in-sight to Rossetti's views and opinions on death and the afterlife. 

Firstly, the poem 'Song' suggests a more naturalist theme toward death and the after life with the reference to a 'nightingale' which is a link towards Rossetti's poetic influence; Keats. A nightingale is a symbol of beauty, immortality and freedom from the worlds troubles, this is a further illustration of death being close to nature and for the speaker, being an escape from the troubles in their life. Also, it could give the impression that there is no afterlife, through nature, you can never really die but solely exist through the beauty of nature and therefore be immortal. This theme of a naturalist death is further illustrated through the referral to 'grass' in the first stanza; 'Be the green grass above me.' This line infers that the speaker desires to be close to their lover through nature. Therefore this could be a representation on Rossetti's perspective of death as being linked to nature and that even though you can be physically dead, through nature you can still live on. Rossetti explains this further in the poem when she writes, 'And dreaming through the twilght.' This explores the question of after life that Rossetti poses being that the 'twilight' is the limbo of life between heaven and hell. Therefore expressing her thoughts on life and death. It is interesting that Rossetti gives the impression of her belief in immortality and a world of liminality as she expresses a very religious belief or mindset in her other poems. She was remembered as a very religious woman, however, this poem questions that as Catholisism didnt have the belief of a limbo world. This doubt in religion was a popular belief in the time of Keats (The Romantic period) who was a role model of Rossetti's. Yet again, Rossetti is very contradictive of herself and her beliefs. For example, she is an icon for femanism but however, she published some of her poems under a male name.
However, the poem 'Remember' doesnt follow a naturalistic theme but explores femininity and power through death.The speaker of the poem seems to be finding her voice and power through each verse of this sonnet but through this array of femininity we frequently remeber that the speakers authority is only obtainable through death. This is illustrated firstly with the title of the poem; 'Remember'. This short statement suggests a demanding but assertive tone in which is ordering the speakers loved one to remember. Through this very line, Christina challenges the norms of the Victorian patriarchal society. In which the women would be seen and not heard and made to be infantalised towards men and most importantly, their husbands. The way in which the poem is structured through iambic pentamenter further suggests an authoritative tone towards the male loved one but this power is only given through death. However in the seventh line, the iambic pentamenter structure is broken with the use of a ceasura but this empashises the demand of the speaker; 'Only remember me; you understand'. Yet again. Rossetti pushes the boundaries of Victorian society by speaking out and expressing her needs and desires demandingly. The words 'you understand' suggest a change in roles in which the speaker is making the loved on infantalised by speaking to them condesendingly. This also ephasises the power and authority of the feminine speaker through death; in which is the only way of escaping an infantlie and powerless future and finding peace within. Rossetti, known for her feminist beliefs, could be using this poem as a way of speaking out and protesting against partiarchal expectations of the Victorian society but yet again remains not too controversial by desguising these beliefs through the theme of death.
Overall, both poems follow similar structures with the use of iambic pentameter and other poetic thechniques. However, the poem 'Song' uses nature and religion to express her beliefs of death yet in 'Remeber', Rossetti questions Victorian expectations through the key theme of death.

Notes on Christina Rossetti's Maude Clare

The poem Maude Clare is all about love being constricted by the Victorian class system which is represented  through a married aristocratic couple called Lady Nell and Lord Thomas. A seemingly perfect relationship from class system point of view however, they are quite the opposite. Additionally, a lower class woman; Maude Clare loves Lord Thomas and we can only suggest that the feelings are mutual due to his lack of speech in the poem.  Maude Clare respectfully fights for her relationship with Lord Thomas even though she is fully aware that someone from her class would never have a chance with an aristocrat, especially a married one. Thomas' mother supports the loveless marriage and even refers to her own passionless marriage to persuade Thomas that he is doing the right thing in his position.


What point do you think Rossetti is making about the Victorian class system in this poem?


Rossetti is trying to break away from male dominance of the Victorian times throughout ‘Maude Clare’ and her other poems. Particularly in this poem however, Rossetti uses the theme of social hierarchy using three strong female characters and only one ‘fickle man. Rossetti uses the character of an aristocrat called ‘Lord Thomas’ but portrays him as a feeble man as he only has a few lines of speech in the poem where he cannot speak anything apart from ‘Lady’ and ‘Maude Clare’. This is a complete change from the social norm of the Victorian era. In addition, Rossetti further alliterates this theme using Maude Clare’s character, which is portrayed to be a lower class citizen but is described as a ‘Queen’. Maude Clare’s character speaks for nearly half of the poem which represents a role change in society over the powerful aristocrats whom she is standing up against. Rossetti’s style of poems represent feminism in a very male dominant world but Rossetti ensures that her writing is never too controversial, hence why the aristocratic ‘Lady Nell’ gets the last say in the poem over the whole situation.

Christina Rossetti