Background knowledge of Christina Rossetti
What was the Pre-Raphaelite Movement
Analysing the meanings in poetry
Discussing different poetic conventions
Nationality: British
Birth Date: December 5, 1830
Place of Birth: London, England
Place of Death: December 29, 1894
Literary Movement: Pre-Raphaelite
Christina Rossetti was a talented writer whose Victorian poetry is still remembered to this day. The Pre-Raphaelite poet was born in 1830 and raised in
London speaking both English and Italian. Some may know her by her writer name, Ellen Alleyne, which she has been using since the beginning of her poetry. Her interest in poetry was first
sparked at the age of eleven, thanks to the help of her grandma when it came to motivation and
publishing her work. Christina was raised with two parents and three talented siblings, one of
them being well-known poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Christina Rossetti normally based her poems on fantasy or religion. She was very committed to her religion, being a High Church Anglican. Her works include a lot of religious conservatism and asceticism, which come from her commitment to the Church of England as well.
Many find that her poetry resembles that of the Italian religion before the 1500s. Most of her
poems reflect her love for god and its importance to her. Poetry and religion were not here main
concentrations though; Rossetti devoted a lot of time to her parents, who lived in London with
her. After her father passed away, she then moved her attention to her mother and excelled in her
poetry. Unfortunately, the poet’s life came to a tragic end in 1894 when she passed due to fatal
cancer.
1830— Born on December 5th to Gabriele Rossetti and
Frances Polidori in London, England
1844—Suffered from a nervous breakdown and left school
which was followed by bouts of depression and related illnesses. It was also during this time that she and her
mother became deeply interested in the Anglo-Catholic
movement
Late 1840’s—Engaged to James Collinson who was a
member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
1850—Called off engagement when he converted to Roman Catholicism
1853—Her father retires, due to his failing health so Rossetti and her mother attempt to start a day school, which
they give up within a year
1857—Suffered a major religious crisis and became seriously ill again, suffering from depression
1862—Publishes “Goblin Market and Other Poems”
1866—Published “The Prince’s Progress and Other Poems”
1870-1871—Publishes “Commonplace and Other Stories”
and “A Pageant and Other Poems”
1872—Diagnosed with Graves Disease after suffering a
nearly fatal attack
1893-1894—Developed breast cancer and even though the
tumour was removed she suffered a relapse which led to
her death. She’s buried in Highgate Cemetery
Where sunless rivers weep
Their waves into the deep,
She sleeps a charmed sleep:
Awake her not.
Led by a single star,
She came from very far
To seek where shadows are
Her pleasant lot.
Rest, rest, a perfect rest
Shed over brow and breast;
Her face is toward the west,
The purple land.
She cannot see the grain
Ripening on hill and plain;
She cannot feel the rain
Upon her hand.
She left the rosy morn,
She left the fields of corn,
For twilight cold and lorn
And water springs.
Through sleep, as through a veil,
She sees the sky look pale,
And hears the nightingale
That sadly sings.
Rest, rest, for evermore
Upon a mossy shore;
Rest, rest at the heart's core
Till time shall cease:
Sleep that no pain shall wake;
Night that no morn shall break
Till joy shall overtake
Her perfect peace.
Dream land is a Victorian poem by English writer, Christina Rossetti. The poem takes on common poetry forms, which come together to add dimension to the verses. Rossetti also explores themes
within the poem, such as death and afterlife. She has perfect control over the imagery of her story, and
successfully plants the desired image into the readers’ mind.
Dreamland takes on three well known poetry forms. The first and most obvious form found in
Dreamland is an elegy. An elegy is a sad and thoughtful poem about the death of an individual. Rossetti centers the poem around the after death experience of the main female character. As most poems
are, Dreamland is also a narrative. Narrative poems are ones which tell a structured story. The story
found in Dreamland is one which is based on death and afterlife. The final and very common form of
poetry found in Rossetti’s poem is rhyme. For example, Rossetti often uses end rhymes such as “sleep”,
“weep” and “deep”.
The themes explored in Dreamland are death and afterlife. Rossetti says that the female character is in a charmed sleep which she should not be awoken from. It’s also said that she is in a “sleep that
no pain shall wake” and “night that no morn shall break”. These verses talk about an eternal sleep that
cannot be broken, meaning that the female character is in a peaceful rest otherwise known as death.
Not only is death discussed, but the poet also elaborates on afterlife. The sixth and seventh verses say
that she has “come from very far to seek where shadows are”. This means that she has left earth and
gone to heaven, where the rest of the dead spirits have been sent to.
As for imagery, Dreamland does not paint a clear picture of the setting in the reader’s mind,
nor is it meant to. This is because Rossetti is talking about the character’s journey into the afterlife, and
her descriptions of the surroundings are mostly metaphorical. Rossetti says that the character’s face is
pointing west towards the purple land. Although, when she uses this description it is not meant to paint
an image in the readers’ mind of a woman lying down in purple grass with purple skies above her. It is
supposed to cause the reader to visualize a woman who has passed away and is now having to face and
live in the afterlife (that being the purple land). However, there are certain images which are painted
in the readers’ mind throughout Dreamland. The reader is able to develop a clear visualization of the
female character. Her afterlife is described as peaceful, calm and mildly grief stricken. She is also said
to be sleeping through a veil, which add to her physical appearance as a calm, upset woman who is in
the midst of drifting into the afterlife.
Christina Rossetti successfully included poetry forms, themes and imagery in her poem,
Dreamland. She managed to have control over what is going on in her readers’ mind and creates a vivid
image while including structure.
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.
I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain;
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.
Song is a beautiful poem written by Victorian author Christina Rossetti, which she
wrote in her younger life. Rossetti wrote song as method of asking her loved ones to refrain
from feeling grief when the day of her death arrives. She successfully does this, and is able
to reach the reader’s emotions in the process. Song qualifies as a lyric poem, as well as a
rhyme. The poet is able to paint a clear picture of the setting, and describes it very well as
the poem progresses.
In Song, the Pre-Raphaelite poet explains that when the day of her death arrives, she
does not want her loved ones to feel grief. She explains that she would like those to remember or forget her happily, rather than grieve over lost memories. Rossetti meant this as advice to her loved ones, because she will not be able to tell them once she is dead. Writing
this most likely gave her peace of mind and hope that those who are close to her will look
back on the poem and remember that she wants them to be happy. The poet also mentions
that she herself will not feel grief once she has passed away. She says that “[She] shall not
feel the shadows, [she] shall not feel the rain, [she] shall not hear the nightingale”. This
means that she will not be upset when she is dead, and she will not be conscious to feel any
pain.
Because of the thoughts and feelings that Rossetti expressed in Song, it would be defined as a lyric poem. A lyrics poem is defined as usually a sonnet or an ode that discusses
the thoughts and feelings of the poet. The poet shows her positive attitude and lack of fear
towards death by saying that she does not fear the factors involved with dying. She also
makes it clear that she feels as though she does not want others to be hurt or in grief because of her death. Song could also be categorized as a rhyme poem. Rossetti includes end
rhymes, which are rhymes of the final words of lines in a poem. In the verses “That doth not
rise nor set, haply I may remember, and haply may forget”, the end rhyme is found with
“set” and “forget”.
The poet successfully reaches out the reader’s emotions by using effective imagery.
Song is written in present tense and first person, which makes it seem personal and comes
across as though someone’s feelings are directly being portrayed. In the third to sixth verse,
Rossetti says “Plant thou no roses at my head, nor shady Cyprus tree, be the green grass
above me, with showers and dewdrops wet”. The poet is referring to wanting her death to
be positive rather than negative, and it makes the reader imagine a deceased woman in an
attractive surrounding. Rather than picturing a woman with a black veil over her head with
grey clouds above, the reader will imagine the dead woman in a beautiful, peaceful land. An
example of a common image which these verses generate would be a woman lying down
with her eyes closed in a white dress, on a damp day with green grass surrounding her.
Overall, the poem is based on Christina Rossetti’s wish that her loved ones will not feel
grief or pain when she passes away. The poem shows qualities of a lyric poem, as well as a
rhyme poem due to the frequent end rhymes. The imagery in Song is clear and well described throughout the verses.
As children we are told fantastical stories of sweet faeries who spend their carefree days
frolicking in meadows and playing with the innocent nearby children. Likewise as we grow older
we learn of the more viscous fables that exist where the fair folk prey on and exploit that same
innocence and naivety. In Christina Rossetti’s narrative poem, Goblin Market, she goes even further and suggests that the evil that these creatures possess is only inherent because of their gender. Goblin Market is a feminist lesson on the malevolent seductions of men and the repercussions that come of them. Rossetti also explores with this ideology, female strength and empowerment creating a piece of work that’s depth defies its childlike narrative.
“MORNING and evening/ Maids heard the goblins cry: /”Come buy our orchard fruits, /
Come buy, come buy:”/Apples and quinces, /Lemons and oranges, /Plum unpecked cherries-/
Melons and raspberries, /bloom-down-cheeked peaches, /swart-headed mulberries,
[...]” (Rossetti 1-10) opens the poem with the immediate introduction of a temptation so strong
that the use of descriptions creates unwaveringly clear imagery. This temptation is only that, a
desire born from a creature of, up to this point, ambiguous gender. Rossetti could have simply
left this aspect up to the reader’s interpretation but she goes on to give this evil an identity, that
of a man. ““We must not look at goblin men, / We must not buy their fruits: / Who knows upon
what soil they fed / Their hungry thirsty roots?”” (Rossetti 42-45) These lines insinuate to the
reader that the goblins are not simply evil because they are goblins but because they are men and
that this fact could make them inherently untrustworthy. This also insinuates that men are users
and the fruit that they bear is constantly in need of sustenance that they take from others.
With the statement of these insinuations, Rossetti goes on to prove her point with the rest
of the poem. In the following scene, the first of the poem’s protagonists, Laura, is lured by the
appealing fruit but without any money can not buy any. So the goblin men demand a different
sort of payment, ““Buy from us with a golden curl.” / She clipped a precious golden lock, / She
dropped a tear more rare than pearl,” (Rossetti 125-128). Rossetti could have had it so that Laura
did pay with money but instead she pays with something that is truly a part of her. Then, for the
personal sacrifice that she makes, she is given a gift that will turn out to be anything but. ““Do you not
remember Jeanie, […] / She pined and pined away; / Sought them by night and day, / Found them no
more, but dwindled and grew gray; / Then fell with the first snow,”” (Rossetti 147, 154-157) This reference by Lizzie, Laura’s sister, to a girl from the past is a direct message to the reader that Laura is not
the first one to fall victim to the tricks of men and that she probably will not be the last. Rossetti is telling the reader that a ‘gift’ given by a man will bring nothing to the recipient except pain and their
eventual downfall.
The story that has been woven is not without hope though as Rossetti describes a place where
she believes faith and trust should be bestowed. This place is in the bond of sisters, or really in another female. After all it was Lizzie who warned her sister of the dangers of being seduced by the offerings of goblin men and who braved the tortures of these same men to save her dying sister.
“Though the goblins cuffed and caught her, / Coaxed and fought her, / Bullied and besought her, /
Scratched her, pinched her black as ink, / Kicked and knocked her, / Mauled and mocked her, / Lizzie
uttered not a word; / Would not open lip from lip” (Rossetti 425-432). This is a distinctly feminist point
as Rossetti is saying that not only does a woman not need a man to protect her but that it is the men
that are causing the harm. Then to have Lizzie endure all the goblins’ punishments for offending those
in silence would suggest that even though Rossetti lived in the Victorian era she believed that women
were as strong, if not stronger than their male counterparts.
Lizzie was the strongest of all the characters in Goblin Market for obvious reasons. Her actions
are empowering to women and show strength far greater than that associated with a woman in the
Victorian era. No matter how far you fall there is always a chance for redemption which was, once
again, somewhat of a foreign concept for women during the time. I wouldn’t go as far as to call Goblin
Market an anti masculine work but it is definitely critical of the gender and the roles it fills.
A blue eyed phantom far before
Is laughing, leaping toward the sun:
Like lead I chase it evermore,
I pant and run.
It breaks the sunlight bound on bound:
Goes singing as it leaps along
To sheep-bells with a dreamy sound
A dreamy song.
I laugh, it is so brisk and gay;
It is so far before, I weep:
I hope I shall lie down some day,
Lie down and sleep.
Longing, an emotion we all feel at some point in our lives. It is inescapable no matter how much we try and
shake the feeling it is always just around the corner until we are able to satisfy it. Longing is ambition’s melancholic
brother but can be just as all consuming. In Christina Rossetti’s poem, Fata Morgana, she tells of a longing so persistent and unreachable that the thought of it is tiring. It is not an ordinary longing; it is one that has worn down the
bearer till all that remains is a need that is no longer clearly defined.
Before the poem even begins the title reveals so much about the nature of the content. Fata Morgana, an
unusual and complex form of mirage, an Italian phrase derived from the Latin for “fairy”. The title isn’t just mirage
even though they are generally the same thing and this in itself is significant. Rossetti is telling the reader that the
story being told contain elements that are not in the commonly accepted realm of normal. What is this allusive thing
that she is talking about is the next logical question. “A blue-eyed phantom far before / Is laughing, leaping toward
the sun:” (Rossetti 1-2). As first glance it would appear as though she is speaking of a person who is getting further
and further away but when looked at through the idea of a mirage these blue eyes could simply be the sky or perhaps more likely would be a body of water. When in the desert dehydrated you see water in the distance because
that will be your salvation. Whatever ‘phantom’ is eluding the narrator they believe it will be their salvation. No matter how much they pursue the object of their desire though it’s always just out of reach.
“Goes singing as it leaps along / To sheep-bells with a dreamy sound / A dreamy song.” (Rossetti 6-8). Sheepbells let you know at all times where they are and that way they never get lost. This metaphor makes the mysterious
longing begin to feel almost like a ball and chain except to the narrator. It seems as though the narrator is so used to
the constancy of the desire that even though they know it is self destructive they find it appealing anyway. The desire
doesn’t play just any song though, it plays a dreamy song with brings possibly the only use of positive description to
the poem. Dreaming is peaceful and serene; an activity to take pleasure in and the narrator believes that the attainment of their hearts desire will offer them that liberty.
Whatever hope was received from this belief is quickly overshadowed by inevitable realization that they are
no closer and that satisfying that longing is near impossible. “I laugh, it is so brisk and gay; / It is so far before, I
weep:” (Rossetti 9-10) Sometimes though even dreadful realization isn’t enough to deter someone from their goal.
When you’ve known a longing so long you no longer know how to live without it and therefore the concept of letting
go is terrifying. So in the end you can do nothing but continue on the path you are on, constantly hopping that something will happen to end this tiring journey. “I hope I shall lie down some day, / Lie down and sleep.”
Fata Morgana is truly a perfect description of what eclipsing longing really is. Perpetual longing will consume
you until all you know is the feeling and not what it was you originally desired. Then you end up chasing faerie tales
trying to find that elusive thing that will satisfy the need inside of you.
Beaman, Edward. (2009). Christina Georgina Rossetti: Biography and Analysis of her Poems. Squidoo. Retrieved February 16th, 2012, from http://www.squidoo.com/christina-rossetti-biography-analysis-poems
This text includes three useful sections for research on Christina Rossetti. The first section is a brief
introduction and explanation to her overall life. She first sparked an interest in poetry at the age of
eleven, where she began to write poems with the support of her grandmother. Her grandmother published those poems soon after, which eventually led to her success in Victorian English Literature. The
second section is based on her early life, religion and family connections. Rossetti spent most of her
time in London, and spent it concentrating on her parents, religion and poetry. Her devotion to religion
comes through in her poetry, considering that most of her poems reflect her love for god and its importance to her. The final and most important section of the text is concentrated on the analysis of her poetry. It’s said that Rossetti has a rare talent of giving readers real life sense of feeling and seeing what
she is writing about. Other than religion, Rossetti bases many poems on the pointlessness of life and her
positive outlook on death.
Anonymous. (n.d.) Christina Rossetti Biography. Famous Poets and Poems. Retrieved February 9th, 2012,
from http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/christina_rossetti
Famous Poets and Poems included a lot of useful information in this online article. A list of Rossetti’s
poems was included, along with a link to each full poem. This is useful for students or those researching the poet because her content can be found easily and is conveniently available. Other works of
Christina Rossetti are included in subsections of the text, such as the books she has published and
quotes. A brief biography of Rossetti’s childhood, family and history is also found in the text. The biography discusses all the factors in her childhood which contributed to her success as a poet. She was
raised catholic, which motivated her spiritually and gave her imagination which comes across in her
writing.
Harrison, Anthony H. (June 24, 2006) Christina Rossetti in Context. Victorian Web. Retrieved February 9th,
2012, from http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/crossetti/harrison2/1.html
In this article, Anthony Harrison criticized and put the work of Christina Rossetti in comparison with
that of other poets. Harrison states that Rossetti’s style resembles poets from her time such as Swinburne, Morris and her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Rossetti was connected to the pre-Raphaelite
circle, which was started up in the mid-1800s. Rossetti writes Victorian style poetry, and uses her con
temporary style to convey her moral arguments. Although her confidence is said to have grown, she
described herself as an “unknown and unpublished” writer and a “nameless rhymester” in her early
years. Her critics are said to have believed the same, considering they have only recently began to
take her work seriously. In the past Rossetti was accused of lacking devotion to her craft of poetry. Al
though she became very sure of her potential and talent, Harrison says that critics continued to accuse
her work of lacking beauty and drive.
Lancashire, Ian. (2011). Selected Poetry of Christina Rossetti (1830-1894). Representative Poetry Online. Retrieved February 10th, 2012, from http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/716
This source was published by Ian Lancashire, of the Department of English at the University of Toronto. Before listing basic biographical information on Christina Rossetti, he included an index of her
poems. Sixteen of her more recognized poems are listed, with links leading to the poem itself. Other
than her poetry, information such as Rossetti’s birth date, nationality, family relations and languages are
briefly mentioned. The poet was born in 1830 and raised in London speaking both English and Italian.
She was also buried in London in 1894 after falling sick with exophthalmia bronchiole and dying from
cancer. She was raised with two parents and three siblings, one of them also becoming a well-known
poet (Dante Gabriel Rossetti). Christina’s poetry was written in the Victorian literary period, and she
was part of the pre-Raphaelite literary movement.
Bryson, John. (2012). Christina Rossetti. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 12th, 2012,
from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/510180/Christina-Rossetti
This article in the Encyclopedia Britannica includes basic information on Christina Rossetti as a
writer. Otherwise referred to by her pseudonym, Ellen Alleyne, Rossetti is said to be one of the most
important women poets when it comes to range and quality. Her poems were Victorian style, and normally based on fantasy or religion. Before Christina became a poet, she had taken part in other jobs
such as helping her mother maintain a school in her youth, which didn’t turn out to be a success. Christina excelled in writing poetry after her father had passed away, which occupied her days along with her
devotion to her mother and her religion. Rossetti was very committed to her religion as a High Church
Anglican, and went so far as to call off an engagement in 1850 because her fiancée had decided to be
come a Roman Catholic. Unfortunately, the poet’s interesting life came to an end in 1894 when she
passed away from a fatal cancer.
Person, James E. (1996). Rossetti, Christina – Introduction. Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism. Retrieved
February 10, 2012, from http://www.enotes.com/christina-rossetti-criticism/rossetti-christina/introduction
According to this text by James Pearson, Christina Rossetti has earned herself a name as one of the finest poets of the nineteenth century. Because of her involvement with Pre-Raphaelitism, her poetry had a
background of Italian religion before the 1500s. As a committed member of the Church of England, her
works include a lot of religious conservatism and asceticism. She grew up exercising her talents as a
poet because of the common interest that her and her family shared. Her brothers William Michael and
Dante Gabriel are said to have spent their youth competing with Christina when it came to poetry. Rossetti has also published a collection of poems for children, called Speaking Likenesses. With the support
of her family and religious background, Christina Rossetti made her name as a talented and devoted
poet.