Poem Analysis for Christina Rossetti’s An Apple Gathering
Themes:
Women and fertility
Societal judgement
Missed opportunities Fruit imagery
Fallen woman
Summary:
In Rossetti’s ‘An Apple Gathering’ she explores, with a somewhat didactic tone, the
consequences of young girls who sin through their sexual promiscuity and thus are
outcast by society. The title, if apples relate to virginity and the female body, suggest
plentiful innocence, yet this is not the case for the fallen woman in the poem.
Structure:
Rossetti has structured her poem into 7 equal quatrains, perhaps to signify the 7
deadly sins, and the repetitive nature to show the strict lives young women have to
face to appear credible and marriageable.
More A* analysis on page 2!
Imagery:
The first line “I plucked pink blossoms from mine apple tree” uses the metaphor to
describe the young girl giving away her virginity too soon. This is suggested through
the word “pink” not only to suggest innocence, yet also something that has not
reached its full ripeness yet, in this case- only having matrimonial sex. Furthermore,
Themes:
Women and fertility
Societal judgement
Missed opportunities Fruit imagery
Fallen woman
Summary:
In Rossetti’s ‘An Apple Gathering’ she explores, with a somewhat didactic tone, the
consequences of young girls who sin through their sexual promiscuity and thus are
outcast by society. The title, if apples relate to virginity and the female body, suggest
plentiful innocence, yet this is not the case for the fallen woman in the poem.
Structure:
Rossetti has structured her poem into 7 equal quatrains, perhaps to signify the 7
deadly sins, and the repetitive nature to show the strict lives young women have to
face to appear credible and marriageable.
More A* analysis on page 2!
Imagery:
The first line “I plucked pink blossoms from mine apple tree” uses the metaphor to
describe the young girl giving away her virginity too soon. This is suggested through
the word “pink” not only to suggest innocence, yet also something that has not
reached its full ripeness yet, in this case- only having matrimonial sex. Furthermore,
