Christina Rossetti
At Home
Meaning:
Looking first at the title of this poem, the initial connotations we receive
from ‘At Home’ are that of warmth, comfort and protection. However,
many of the themes explored throughout the poem contrast this concept.
Indeed, Rossetti touches on the theme of death, which is contrasted with
that of earthly pleasures and enjoyments. In many ways this poem takes
on a sombre tone as the speaker who is ‘dead’ in some sense of the word,
watches over her friends in their joyous behaviour. Thereby the poet to
some extent looks at the human fear of being forgotten after death, just
as the speaker is left behind in ‘yesterday’ while her friends move on to
tomorrow.
Contextually speaking, the poem was written in 1858, published in ‘Goblin
Market and other poems’. Rossetti to some extent also explores her own
internal debate between the temptations of earth and the religious ideals
of heaven. She also makes certain comment on the importance of
salvation, perhaps in order to connote the importance of god in people’s
lives; that people who do not put their faith and worship in god will live
lives that lack substance and value. The ‘friends’ referred to in the poem
could be a reflection of Rossetti’s small friendship group, such as her
brother and the other members of the Pre-Raphaelite movement; hence
this could explain the conflicts between dedication friends and religious
devotion.
Structure/form:
The poem itself is structured in four regular octaves, with a complete
regular rhyme scheme and mostly even lines which creates this very
harmonious and musical tone to the poem, which perhaps reflects the
joviality of the friends enjoying them. And yet there is an interjection of
short lines such as ‘ I was of yesterday’ which could suggest that such
merriment is not right , that something is wrong about the whole
situation. Perhaps it is that the friends have completely neglected to
remember the speaker’s existence, or perhaps it is the fact that they sin
with such hedonistic feasting and celebration whilst neglecting their
duties to god which is the issue. This could reflect the idea that this
celebration is artificial and should be saved for life in heaven.
The poet’s use of the speaker, who is dead, either literally or
metaphorically to her friends, allows Rossetti to construct this melancholy
At Home
Meaning:
Looking first at the title of this poem, the initial connotations we receive
from ‘At Home’ are that of warmth, comfort and protection. However,
many of the themes explored throughout the poem contrast this concept.
Indeed, Rossetti touches on the theme of death, which is contrasted with
that of earthly pleasures and enjoyments. In many ways this poem takes
on a sombre tone as the speaker who is ‘dead’ in some sense of the word,
watches over her friends in their joyous behaviour. Thereby the poet to
some extent looks at the human fear of being forgotten after death, just
as the speaker is left behind in ‘yesterday’ while her friends move on to
tomorrow.
Contextually speaking, the poem was written in 1858, published in ‘Goblin
Market and other poems’. Rossetti to some extent also explores her own
internal debate between the temptations of earth and the religious ideals
of heaven. She also makes certain comment on the importance of
salvation, perhaps in order to connote the importance of god in people’s
lives; that people who do not put their faith and worship in god will live
lives that lack substance and value. The ‘friends’ referred to in the poem
could be a reflection of Rossetti’s small friendship group, such as her
brother and the other members of the Pre-Raphaelite movement; hence
this could explain the conflicts between dedication friends and religious
devotion.
Structure/form:
The poem itself is structured in four regular octaves, with a complete
regular rhyme scheme and mostly even lines which creates this very
harmonious and musical tone to the poem, which perhaps reflects the
joviality of the friends enjoying them. And yet there is an interjection of
short lines such as ‘ I was of yesterday’ which could suggest that such
merriment is not right , that something is wrong about the whole
situation. Perhaps it is that the friends have completely neglected to
remember the speaker’s existence, or perhaps it is the fact that they sin
with such hedonistic feasting and celebration whilst neglecting their
duties to god which is the issue. This could reflect the idea that this
celebration is artificial and should be saved for life in heaven.
The poet’s use of the speaker, who is dead, either literally or
metaphorically to her friends, allows Rossetti to construct this melancholy
