Song when I am dead
hat
W he speaker urges a loved one not to waste too much time grieving for her
T
happened when she dies. Instead, the speaker tells this person to move on with life:
while the speaker isn't exactly sure what happens after death
Themes Death and Mourning, Love, Hopelessness
Important ‘Sing no sad songs for me’
Quotes ‘A
nd if thou wilt, remember, and if thou wilt, forget’
‘I shall not see the shadows,I shall not feel the rain’
Context rote ‘Remember’ a year later
W
Suffered from Grave’s disease
Many of Rossetti's poems focus on mortality and religious devotion
Pre-Raphaelite influence from her brother - appears simple and on the
surface, but is effective and nuanced when analysing.
Critics eorge P. Landow - 'stereotypical view of female selflessness'.
G
Griffths - ‘poet of disappointment’
Remember
hat
W he speaker begs a loved one to remember her after her death—but also
T
happened not to feel guilty if he forgets her
Themes Death and Mourning, Love, Control?
Important ‘Remember me when I am gone away’
Quotes ‘You tell me of our future that you plann'd’
‘Better by far you should forget and smile, than that you should remember
and be sad’
Context uffered from Grave’s disease - physical, long term symptoms
S
Many of Rossetti's poems focus on mortality and religious devotion
Pre-Raphaelite influence.
Victorian culture: women were expected to adhere to a strict code of sexual
and social morals - unable to buy property/ be involved in finance.
Critics Landow - 'stereotypical view of female selflessness'.
‘The speaker longs for death because she cannot reject her suitor outright’ -
Mayberry
, From the Antique - ‘It’s a weary life’
hat
W he unhappy speaker laments that life as a woman is blank and
T
happened empty—and declares that, if one can't be a man, it might be better to be
nothing at all.
Themes Women’s Oppression, World Weariness, Despair
Important ‘Doubly blank in a woman's lot’
Quotes ‘I wish I were a man: Or, better than any being, were not’
‘None would miss me in all the world’
Context any of Rossetti’s work deal with the complexities of women's lives in a
M
restrictive society
Influenced byElizabeth Barrett Browningand her feministtexts.
Patriarchal Victorian society - women expected to be submissive to their
husbands, domestic sphere.
Critics very: ‘uncompromising in their analysis of a women’s place in society’
A
Griffeth: ‘poet of disappointment’
Echo
hat
W he speaker of Christina Rossetti's "Echo" begs their departed lover to visit
T
happened them in dreams, where they can see their lover's face again and relive all
their past happiness. But while dreaming about this person gives the
speaker much-needed relief from the pain of loss, their insistence on living
in dreams and memories causes them to feel as if they don't really exist in
the present at all.
Themes Love, Loss, Memory. Dreaming as a respite from Grief
Important ‘Come in the speaking silence of a dream’
Quotes ‘Oh dream how sweet, too sweet’
‘Come to me in dreams, that I may live my very life again’
Context - Had romantic relationships but did not marry due to differences in
religion/belief.
- English women of the "Victorian age" were expected to conform to strict
expectations regarding everything from education to sexuality and marriage.
Christian piety was the norm in public life
- In reaction to thisRossetti began to write abouther own personal
romantic lifeusing simple, plainspoken language
Critics urran: ‘Rossetti is just a simple pious woman’
C
Avery: ‘uncompromising in their analysis of a women’s place in society’
hat
W he speaker urges a loved one not to waste too much time grieving for her
T
happened when she dies. Instead, the speaker tells this person to move on with life:
while the speaker isn't exactly sure what happens after death
Themes Death and Mourning, Love, Hopelessness
Important ‘Sing no sad songs for me’
Quotes ‘A
nd if thou wilt, remember, and if thou wilt, forget’
‘I shall not see the shadows,I shall not feel the rain’
Context rote ‘Remember’ a year later
W
Suffered from Grave’s disease
Many of Rossetti's poems focus on mortality and religious devotion
Pre-Raphaelite influence from her brother - appears simple and on the
surface, but is effective and nuanced when analysing.
Critics eorge P. Landow - 'stereotypical view of female selflessness'.
G
Griffths - ‘poet of disappointment’
Remember
hat
W he speaker begs a loved one to remember her after her death—but also
T
happened not to feel guilty if he forgets her
Themes Death and Mourning, Love, Control?
Important ‘Remember me when I am gone away’
Quotes ‘You tell me of our future that you plann'd’
‘Better by far you should forget and smile, than that you should remember
and be sad’
Context uffered from Grave’s disease - physical, long term symptoms
S
Many of Rossetti's poems focus on mortality and religious devotion
Pre-Raphaelite influence.
Victorian culture: women were expected to adhere to a strict code of sexual
and social morals - unable to buy property/ be involved in finance.
Critics Landow - 'stereotypical view of female selflessness'.
‘The speaker longs for death because she cannot reject her suitor outright’ -
Mayberry
, From the Antique - ‘It’s a weary life’
hat
W he unhappy speaker laments that life as a woman is blank and
T
happened empty—and declares that, if one can't be a man, it might be better to be
nothing at all.
Themes Women’s Oppression, World Weariness, Despair
Important ‘Doubly blank in a woman's lot’
Quotes ‘I wish I were a man: Or, better than any being, were not’
‘None would miss me in all the world’
Context any of Rossetti’s work deal with the complexities of women's lives in a
M
restrictive society
Influenced byElizabeth Barrett Browningand her feministtexts.
Patriarchal Victorian society - women expected to be submissive to their
husbands, domestic sphere.
Critics very: ‘uncompromising in their analysis of a women’s place in society’
A
Griffeth: ‘poet of disappointment’
Echo
hat
W he speaker of Christina Rossetti's "Echo" begs their departed lover to visit
T
happened them in dreams, where they can see their lover's face again and relive all
their past happiness. But while dreaming about this person gives the
speaker much-needed relief from the pain of loss, their insistence on living
in dreams and memories causes them to feel as if they don't really exist in
the present at all.
Themes Love, Loss, Memory. Dreaming as a respite from Grief
Important ‘Come in the speaking silence of a dream’
Quotes ‘Oh dream how sweet, too sweet’
‘Come to me in dreams, that I may live my very life again’
Context - Had romantic relationships but did not marry due to differences in
religion/belief.
- English women of the "Victorian age" were expected to conform to strict
expectations regarding everything from education to sexuality and marriage.
Christian piety was the norm in public life
- In reaction to thisRossetti began to write abouther own personal
romantic lifeusing simple, plainspoken language
Critics urran: ‘Rossetti is just a simple pious woman’
C
Avery: ‘uncompromising in their analysis of a women’s place in society’
