Remember
, Christina Rosetti
- 1830-1894
- Children, religion, fantasy
- Father poet, siblings: poets & painter
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day (5)
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve: (10)
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Themes
Love, memory & Grief
● "Remember" by Christina Rosetti explores the speaker's desire for her beloved to remember her
after her death, yet also acknowledges the pain of such remembrance.
● The poem highlights the tension between the speaker's wish for eternal connection and her
concern for her beloved's happiness.
● While initially emphasizing the importance of memory, the speaker later suggests that as long as
she remains a subtle influence in her beloved's life, it's better for him to be happy with her
forgotten presence than sad about her remembered absence.
● Ultimately, the poem portrays the speaker's hope for a lasting connection beyond death.
, Christina Rosetti
- 1830-1894
- Children, religion, fantasy
- Father poet, siblings: poets & painter
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day (5)
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve: (10)
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Themes
Love, memory & Grief
● "Remember" by Christina Rosetti explores the speaker's desire for her beloved to remember her
after her death, yet also acknowledges the pain of such remembrance.
● The poem highlights the tension between the speaker's wish for eternal connection and her
concern for her beloved's happiness.
● While initially emphasizing the importance of memory, the speaker later suggests that as long as
she remains a subtle influence in her beloved's life, it's better for him to be happy with her
forgotten presence than sad about her remembered absence.
● Ultimately, the poem portrays the speaker's hope for a lasting connection beyond death.
