'IMaude Clare' :A complete set of notes for OCR Paper 1 A Level Comparative Essay
- The essay tests AO1,AO3, AO4 and AO5
1. Summary, Analysis and Key Themes
● Rossetti’s Maude Clare was first published on 5 November 1859, alongside In the
Round Tower at Jhansi, in a magazine called Once a Week.
● Using a ballad form, this narrative poem tells the story of newlyweds Nell and
Thomas, who are accosted (approached aggressively) by Maude Clare as they
leave church.
● It seems that Maude Clare had a prior romantic relationship with Thomas. She is
his ex-girlfriend, and her reputation is ruined given her previous intimacy with him.
● Maude Clare disrupts the wedding ceremony by giving back the gifts Lord Thomas
gave her, asserting her presence and past connection with him.
● To this, Thomas is speechless, but Nell, though socially inferior, reacts
confidently, asserting her determination to love her husband. This creates the
impression that Nell is the ideal Victorian wife, despite her lower status. A clear
antithesis is built between Maude Clare and Nell, creating a classic Victorian
love triangle.
● Maude Clare functions as a kind of femme fatale, going against Victorian
standards of femininity—being bold, assertive, and attractive to Lord Thomas. Yet,
Nell is "better" according to society's ideals.
● The use of a traditional ballad form plays a critical role in shaping the poem’s
themes. The form is typically associated with oral storytelling and folk tales, giving
Rossetti’s message a sense of universality and timelessness.
, ● Here, Nell subtly wrestles power back from Maude Clare and asserts her centrality
in relation to her husband. Though Maude Clare dominates the poem’s dramatic
tension, it is Nell’s final defiance and resolve that strikes home at the end.
● By depicting the spurned Maude Clare with sympathy—and turning an unflinching
gaze on the callous, consequence-free actions of Lord Thomas—Rossetti
reveals the misogynistic double standards at the heart of Victorian society.
● Rossetti titling the poem Maude Clare immediately centralises the importance of this
female persona. This itself challenges Victorian gender stereotypes, where
women’s presence was traditionally invisible in public affairs.
● The Pre-Raphaelite imagery of the “lilies budding” suggests that Maude Clare has
been left with an unwanted pregnancy (Alice Kirby), while Lord Thomas escapes
unscathed—contrasting the theme of sensual consequences also seen between Dr
Rank and Nora in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.
1. Disruption to the Marriage
Quotes Analysis
“Out of the The poem begins in media res, immediately showing how Maude Clare
church she disrupts the marriage just as the ceremony has ended, stepping into the
followed private space of the couple. This echoes A Doll’s House (AO4), where
them” Kristine Linde disrupts the false security of Nora and Helmer’s marriage by
revealing the truth of Krogstad’s letter. Both texts expose how underlying
secrets destabilise apparently stable unions.
“May you live Maude Clare’s parting words are layered with irony—she seems to bless
as true...” the marriage but is simultaneously undermining it by recalling her own
relationship with Thomas. This duplicitous farewell mirrors (AO4) the
destructive consequences of hidden truths in A Doll’s House, where false
appearances lead to crisis.
“I have The repetition of "my lord" underlines Maude Clare’s attempt to maintain
brought my surface politeness, while actually laying claim to Thomas and their past.
This reflects (AO4) Torvald’s obsession with appearances—he treats Nora
- The essay tests AO1,AO3, AO4 and AO5
1. Summary, Analysis and Key Themes
● Rossetti’s Maude Clare was first published on 5 November 1859, alongside In the
Round Tower at Jhansi, in a magazine called Once a Week.
● Using a ballad form, this narrative poem tells the story of newlyweds Nell and
Thomas, who are accosted (approached aggressively) by Maude Clare as they
leave church.
● It seems that Maude Clare had a prior romantic relationship with Thomas. She is
his ex-girlfriend, and her reputation is ruined given her previous intimacy with him.
● Maude Clare disrupts the wedding ceremony by giving back the gifts Lord Thomas
gave her, asserting her presence and past connection with him.
● To this, Thomas is speechless, but Nell, though socially inferior, reacts
confidently, asserting her determination to love her husband. This creates the
impression that Nell is the ideal Victorian wife, despite her lower status. A clear
antithesis is built between Maude Clare and Nell, creating a classic Victorian
love triangle.
● Maude Clare functions as a kind of femme fatale, going against Victorian
standards of femininity—being bold, assertive, and attractive to Lord Thomas. Yet,
Nell is "better" according to society's ideals.
● The use of a traditional ballad form plays a critical role in shaping the poem’s
themes. The form is typically associated with oral storytelling and folk tales, giving
Rossetti’s message a sense of universality and timelessness.
, ● Here, Nell subtly wrestles power back from Maude Clare and asserts her centrality
in relation to her husband. Though Maude Clare dominates the poem’s dramatic
tension, it is Nell’s final defiance and resolve that strikes home at the end.
● By depicting the spurned Maude Clare with sympathy—and turning an unflinching
gaze on the callous, consequence-free actions of Lord Thomas—Rossetti
reveals the misogynistic double standards at the heart of Victorian society.
● Rossetti titling the poem Maude Clare immediately centralises the importance of this
female persona. This itself challenges Victorian gender stereotypes, where
women’s presence was traditionally invisible in public affairs.
● The Pre-Raphaelite imagery of the “lilies budding” suggests that Maude Clare has
been left with an unwanted pregnancy (Alice Kirby), while Lord Thomas escapes
unscathed—contrasting the theme of sensual consequences also seen between Dr
Rank and Nora in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.
1. Disruption to the Marriage
Quotes Analysis
“Out of the The poem begins in media res, immediately showing how Maude Clare
church she disrupts the marriage just as the ceremony has ended, stepping into the
followed private space of the couple. This echoes A Doll’s House (AO4), where
them” Kristine Linde disrupts the false security of Nora and Helmer’s marriage by
revealing the truth of Krogstad’s letter. Both texts expose how underlying
secrets destabilise apparently stable unions.
“May you live Maude Clare’s parting words are layered with irony—she seems to bless
as true...” the marriage but is simultaneously undermining it by recalling her own
relationship with Thomas. This duplicitous farewell mirrors (AO4) the
destructive consequences of hidden truths in A Doll’s House, where false
appearances lead to crisis.
“I have The repetition of "my lord" underlines Maude Clare’s attempt to maintain
brought my surface politeness, while actually laying claim to Thomas and their past.
This reflects (AO4) Torvald’s obsession with appearances—he treats Nora
