A Birthday
,Summary:
The poem superficially articulates ecstasy of found love concerned with the joy of the presumed female
speaker and subtextually suggests that such joy comes from a divine or erotic union
Key Themes:
Joy, Love, Spiritual Fulfilment
Technique Effect
Lyrical Poem 16 line poem arranged in two octaves, each comprising two quatrains
provides sonnet-like structure thereby foregrounding harmonial
relationship explored in poem
Two octaves w/ little white space reflects increasingly intimate union b/w
presumed female speaker and lover
ABCBDECC ABCBDEFE Ballad-like rhyme scheme conveys rhythmical outpouring of joy from
Rhyme Scheme speaker
Iambic Tetramter Predominantly iambic tetrameter provides strongly accentuated syllables
which imitates speaker’s ecstacy
Regular rhythm creates sense of perfection
Each line begins w/ trochee rather than iamb which creates urgency and
confidence, through stressed syllable
Title Title figuratively suggests speaker has been brought to life due to loving
‘A Birthday’ union; Rossetti characteristically ambiguous as this may allude to
spiritual rebirth through love for Christ or romantic union
Rossetti was a devout Anglo-Catholic and rejected two prospective
spouses - James Collinson and Charles Cayley - due to divergent
religious perspectives
Refrain Layered similes in first stanza creates emotional circularity indicating
‘My heart is like’ inadequacy of language to capture speaker’s profound emotions
Enjambement and end stopped lines in descriptions create frenzied
approach revealing speaker’s urgent need to express her joy
Pathetic Fallacy Rossetti characteristically ascribes human emotion to natural world (in
‘My heart is like a singing bird what Rossetti’s contemporary, John Ruskin, would later call pathetic
whose nest is in a water'd shoot;’ fallacy) highlighting speaker’s joy
Shoot refers to young branch and nest represents domestic intimacy
therefore evoking speaker’s rebirth due to love
Symbolism Fruit imagery characteristically represents fertility and carries sexual
‘My heart is like an apple-tree undertones in Rossetti’s poems thereby strengthening interpretation of
whose boughs are bent with thick- romantic union
set fruit;’ Plosive alliteration evokes weight of branches
Apple may represent Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil therefore
alluding to Edenic covenant and foreground notion of spiritual union
Echoes Songs of Solomon 2:3 which reinforces romantic and religious
reading of poem
Simile Polysemic adjective ‘halycon’ in personified description evokes beauty
‘My heart is like a rainbow shell and transience, similar to Pre-Raphaelite imagery which Rossetti would
that paddles in a halcyon sea;‘ have been aware of as Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded in
1848 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
, Also connotes carefree nature of speaker who anticipated lover’s return
Sibilance and assonance creates euphonic sounds that mirrors
speaker’s delight
Rainbow may allude to Noahic covenant therefore representing peace
and contentment that accompanies faith
Rossetti began working w/ Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
publishing devotional books w/ them in 1880s showing her increasing
concern w/ thoughts of God and decreasing concern w/ thoughts of men
Romantic ideal of connecting love to natural world suggests speaker’s
emotions could not be suppressed but must naturally be expressed,
contravening Victorian ideal of ‘Angel in the House’, popularised by
Coventry Patmore’s poem, which encouraged women to be self-effacing,
Repetition of polysemic verb ‘come’ in final line of first octave creates
Comparative sexual innuendo therefore suggesting return of lover is partly an
‘My heart is gladder than all these, anticipation of erotic fulfilment
because my love is come to me.‘ Comparative gladder hints at inadequacy of language (such as visual,
gustatory and aural imagery used) to capture speaker’s emotions
Repeated comparisons to nature aligns w/ Rossetti’s Tractarian belief in
nature as a divine signifier enabling humans to strengthen their
relationship w/ God
Renunciation of aesthetics typically attributed to Rossetti is subverted by
suggesting humans must engage in temporal world to transcend it as it
enables individuals to understand contingency upon God
Shift from speaker’s inward-looking joy (conveyed through similes of
Imperatives natural imagery) in first stanza to public pronouncement of love
‘Raise me a dais of silk and down; (conveyed through imperatives of carved representations of natural
hang it with vair and purple dyes;’ objects) in second stanza asserts speaker’s unperishable love
Consonance provides rich, lyrical sounds which evokes ornate and
luxurious altar showing speaker relishes coming consummation of her
love
Sensuous imagery and colours associated w/ royalty elevates status of
speaker's lover which befits religious interpretation due to Jesus’
portrayal as a King and romantic interpretation due to patriarchal
Victorian authority (evidenced by doctrine of coverture in common law
which meant married women lost distinct legal identity and were
considered single legal entity w/ husband)
May communicate Rossetti’s conflicting ambitions to be be a famous
poet and modest, religious woman
Christian symbols of pomegranate (which was a symbol of fertility
Biblical Imagery associated w/ Virgin Mary), dove (which was a postdiluvian symbol of
‘Carve it in doves and peace), peacocks (which were a symbol of eternal life) and altar (which
pomegranates, and peacocks with represented consecration) invites dual interpretation of romantic and
a hundred eyes;’ religious relationship thereby encouraging reader to explore
interconnectedness of human and divine love
Rossetti characteristically ambiguous in presenting holy or human love
Sight rhyme complicates structure suggesting richness and depth in
Sight Rhyme speaker’s emotions
‘Work it in gold and silver grapes, Coupling through sound creates sense of union
in leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;’ Constructed ornaments, which are long-lasting, rather than natural
images, which are transient, reflect speaker’s desire to eternally capture
joy of loving union
, Decorations symbolise regality showing love elevates speaker
‘Fleurs-de-lys’ used in medieval heraldic designs suggesting chivalry and
mythical lover
Parallelism equates speaker’s life and love showing birthday is
Enjambement metaphorical
‘Because the birthday of my life is Only enjambed line in poem contrasted w/ caesura which creates climax
come, my love is come to me.’ anticipating speaker’s lover
Double entendre created through anaphoric verb ‘come’ in refrain
suggests emotional and erotic anticipation, adding layers of meaning to
speaker's delight
Poems on either side of Rossetti’s manuscript notebook (‘Memory’ and
‘Apple Gathering’ portray thwarted fulfilment hence lover in ‘A Birthday’
may be imagined rather than genuine romantic relationship)
,Summary:
The poem superficially articulates ecstasy of found love concerned with the joy of the presumed female
speaker and subtextually suggests that such joy comes from a divine or erotic union
Key Themes:
Joy, Love, Spiritual Fulfilment
Technique Effect
Lyrical Poem 16 line poem arranged in two octaves, each comprising two quatrains
provides sonnet-like structure thereby foregrounding harmonial
relationship explored in poem
Two octaves w/ little white space reflects increasingly intimate union b/w
presumed female speaker and lover
ABCBDECC ABCBDEFE Ballad-like rhyme scheme conveys rhythmical outpouring of joy from
Rhyme Scheme speaker
Iambic Tetramter Predominantly iambic tetrameter provides strongly accentuated syllables
which imitates speaker’s ecstacy
Regular rhythm creates sense of perfection
Each line begins w/ trochee rather than iamb which creates urgency and
confidence, through stressed syllable
Title Title figuratively suggests speaker has been brought to life due to loving
‘A Birthday’ union; Rossetti characteristically ambiguous as this may allude to
spiritual rebirth through love for Christ or romantic union
Rossetti was a devout Anglo-Catholic and rejected two prospective
spouses - James Collinson and Charles Cayley - due to divergent
religious perspectives
Refrain Layered similes in first stanza creates emotional circularity indicating
‘My heart is like’ inadequacy of language to capture speaker’s profound emotions
Enjambement and end stopped lines in descriptions create frenzied
approach revealing speaker’s urgent need to express her joy
Pathetic Fallacy Rossetti characteristically ascribes human emotion to natural world (in
‘My heart is like a singing bird what Rossetti’s contemporary, John Ruskin, would later call pathetic
whose nest is in a water'd shoot;’ fallacy) highlighting speaker’s joy
Shoot refers to young branch and nest represents domestic intimacy
therefore evoking speaker’s rebirth due to love
Symbolism Fruit imagery characteristically represents fertility and carries sexual
‘My heart is like an apple-tree undertones in Rossetti’s poems thereby strengthening interpretation of
whose boughs are bent with thick- romantic union
set fruit;’ Plosive alliteration evokes weight of branches
Apple may represent Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil therefore
alluding to Edenic covenant and foreground notion of spiritual union
Echoes Songs of Solomon 2:3 which reinforces romantic and religious
reading of poem
Simile Polysemic adjective ‘halycon’ in personified description evokes beauty
‘My heart is like a rainbow shell and transience, similar to Pre-Raphaelite imagery which Rossetti would
that paddles in a halcyon sea;‘ have been aware of as Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded in
1848 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
, Also connotes carefree nature of speaker who anticipated lover’s return
Sibilance and assonance creates euphonic sounds that mirrors
speaker’s delight
Rainbow may allude to Noahic covenant therefore representing peace
and contentment that accompanies faith
Rossetti began working w/ Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
publishing devotional books w/ them in 1880s showing her increasing
concern w/ thoughts of God and decreasing concern w/ thoughts of men
Romantic ideal of connecting love to natural world suggests speaker’s
emotions could not be suppressed but must naturally be expressed,
contravening Victorian ideal of ‘Angel in the House’, popularised by
Coventry Patmore’s poem, which encouraged women to be self-effacing,
Repetition of polysemic verb ‘come’ in final line of first octave creates
Comparative sexual innuendo therefore suggesting return of lover is partly an
‘My heart is gladder than all these, anticipation of erotic fulfilment
because my love is come to me.‘ Comparative gladder hints at inadequacy of language (such as visual,
gustatory and aural imagery used) to capture speaker’s emotions
Repeated comparisons to nature aligns w/ Rossetti’s Tractarian belief in
nature as a divine signifier enabling humans to strengthen their
relationship w/ God
Renunciation of aesthetics typically attributed to Rossetti is subverted by
suggesting humans must engage in temporal world to transcend it as it
enables individuals to understand contingency upon God
Shift from speaker’s inward-looking joy (conveyed through similes of
Imperatives natural imagery) in first stanza to public pronouncement of love
‘Raise me a dais of silk and down; (conveyed through imperatives of carved representations of natural
hang it with vair and purple dyes;’ objects) in second stanza asserts speaker’s unperishable love
Consonance provides rich, lyrical sounds which evokes ornate and
luxurious altar showing speaker relishes coming consummation of her
love
Sensuous imagery and colours associated w/ royalty elevates status of
speaker's lover which befits religious interpretation due to Jesus’
portrayal as a King and romantic interpretation due to patriarchal
Victorian authority (evidenced by doctrine of coverture in common law
which meant married women lost distinct legal identity and were
considered single legal entity w/ husband)
May communicate Rossetti’s conflicting ambitions to be be a famous
poet and modest, religious woman
Christian symbols of pomegranate (which was a symbol of fertility
Biblical Imagery associated w/ Virgin Mary), dove (which was a postdiluvian symbol of
‘Carve it in doves and peace), peacocks (which were a symbol of eternal life) and altar (which
pomegranates, and peacocks with represented consecration) invites dual interpretation of romantic and
a hundred eyes;’ religious relationship thereby encouraging reader to explore
interconnectedness of human and divine love
Rossetti characteristically ambiguous in presenting holy or human love
Sight rhyme complicates structure suggesting richness and depth in
Sight Rhyme speaker’s emotions
‘Work it in gold and silver grapes, Coupling through sound creates sense of union
in leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;’ Constructed ornaments, which are long-lasting, rather than natural
images, which are transient, reflect speaker’s desire to eternally capture
joy of loving union
, Decorations symbolise regality showing love elevates speaker
‘Fleurs-de-lys’ used in medieval heraldic designs suggesting chivalry and
mythical lover
Parallelism equates speaker’s life and love showing birthday is
Enjambement metaphorical
‘Because the birthday of my life is Only enjambed line in poem contrasted w/ caesura which creates climax
come, my love is come to me.’ anticipating speaker’s lover
Double entendre created through anaphoric verb ‘come’ in refrain
suggests emotional and erotic anticipation, adding layers of meaning to
speaker's delight
Poems on either side of Rossetti’s manuscript notebook (‘Memory’ and
‘Apple Gathering’ portray thwarted fulfilment hence lover in ‘A Birthday’
may be imagined rather than genuine romantic relationship)
