Christina Rossetti's Poetry: Controlled and Passionate
Rossetti's poetry has been described as both controlled and
passionate. Making clear what you understand by the terms discuss
which of these two views you have more sympathy with and why. Refer
closely to at least three of the set poems.
Christina Rossetti poetry uses concise structures but through these
she expresses immense emotion; in this respect her poetry can
accurately described as "both controlled and passionate" yet the two
words are almost a paradox as passion is frequently seen to be at odds
with controlled tight structures. Other poets have also followed in
Rossetti's footsteps by combining tight structured poetic forms with
emotion e.g. Dylan Thomas.
L.E.L is a prime example of Rossetti's technique; it combines a
complex structure with a very emotive outcry. The structure is very
precise with each verse not only rhyming within itself, in an A, B, A,
B, C, C, C pattern, but also within pairs of stanzas containing a
pattern between them on the 5th to 8th lines. The 2nd and fourth lines
provide visually rhyming lines throughout the poem connecting each
verse although when the poem is read aloud the lines do not rhyme
verbally. Rossetti also plays with structures in the poem, beginning
with an elegiac stanza form ("a Quatrain of four iambic pentameters
rhyming A, B, A, B" - Pears Cyclopaedia) before diversifying into her
own version ending with C, C, C. The elegiac stanza form helps
contribute to the passion by setting the tone for the poem while at
the same time Rossetti alters the form to suit her needs showing
creativity within her "control". The latter section of each stanza is
in a different tone relating and contrasting the emot...
... middle of paper ...
... with more flair in
her earlier poetry, with later works settling into more conventional
forms. Thus it is difficult to decide which argument to have more
sympathy with as both control and passion are constantly intertwined
and also changed as Rossetti grew older.
Work Cited
Rossetti, Christina. The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti. With Memoir and Notes &c. Ed. William Michael Rossetti. London; New York: Macmillan, 1904.
Works Consulted
Armstrong, Isobel. 'A Music of Thine Own': Women's Poetry. in: Joseph Bristow, Victorian Women Poets. Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Christina Rossetti. Basingstoke and London: Macmillan Press Limited, 1995, 32-63.
Harrison, Antony H. Christina Rossetti in Context. Brighton: The Harvester Press, 1988.
Marsh, Jan. Christina Rossetti. A Literary Biography. London and Sydney: Pimlico, 1995.
In the eighteenth century, the process of choosing a husband and marrying was not always beneficial to the woman. A myriad of factors prevented women from marrying a man that she herself loved. Additionally, the man that women in the eighteenth century did end up with certainly had the potential to be abusive. The attitudes of Charlotte Lennox and Anna Williams toward women’s desire for male companionship, as well as the politics of sexuality are very different. Although both Charlotte Lennox and Anna Williams express a desire for men in their poetry, Charlotte Lennox views the implications of this desire differently than Anna Williams. While Anna Williams views escaping the confines of marriage as a desirable thing, Charlotte Lennox’s greatest lament, as expressed by her poem “A Song,” is merely to have the freedom to love who she pleases. Although Charlotte Lennox has a more romantic view of men and love than Anna Williams, neither woman denies that need for companionship.
“Victorian poets illustrated the changeable nature of attitudes and values within their world and explored the experiences of humanity through these shifts.”
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Barnstone, Aliki, and Willis Barnstone. A book of women poets. New York: Schocken Books, 1980. Print.
Leonard, K. D. (2009). African American women poets and the power of the word. The Cambridge Companion to African American Women's Literature, 168-187.
In this paper, I plan to explore and gain some insight on Audre Lorde’s personal background and what motivated her to compose a number of empowering and highly respected literary works such as “Poetry is Not a Luxury”. In “Poetry is Not a Luxury”, Lorde not only gives voice to people especially women who are underrepresented, but also strongly encourages one to step out of their comfort zone and utilize writing or poetry to express and free oneself of repressed emotions. I am greatly interested in broadening my knowledge and understanding of the themes that are most prominent in Lorde’s works such as feminism, sexism and racism. It is my hope that after knowing more about her that I would also be inspired to translate my thoughts and feelings
Moore, Marianne. “Poetry” 1921. Approaching Literature: Reading + Thinking + Writing. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 843-844. Print.
Marianne Moore ranked with Emily Dickinson among America’s finest woman poets. Moore crafted her poems superbly. She generally used poetic forms in which the controlling element is the number and arrangement of syllables rather than c...
Famous poets and poems. “Emily Bronte Poems” famouspoetsandpoems.com. Famous Poets and Poems. 2006-2010. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.
Society has redefined the role of woman by their works thru poetry that has changed their life
In an essay on feminist criticism, Linda Peterson of Yale University explains how literature can "reflect and shape the attitudes that have held women back" (330). From the viewpoint of a feminist critic, "The Lady of Shalott" provides its reader with an analysis of the Victorian woman's conflict between her place in the interior, domestic role of society and her desire to break into the exterior, public sphere which generally had been the domain of men. Read as a commentary on women's roles in Victorian society, "The Lady of Shalott" may be interpreted in different ways. Thus, the speaker's commentary is ambiguous: Does he seek to reinforce the institution of patriarchal society as he "punishes" the Lady with her death for her venture into the public world of men, or does he sympathize with her yearnings for a more colorful, active life? Close reading reveals more than one possible answer to this question, but the overriding theme seems sympathetic to the Lady. By applying "the feminist critique" (Peterson 333-334) to Tennyson's famous poem, one may begin to understand how "The Lady of Shalott" not only analyzes, but actually critiques the attitudes that held women back and, in the end, makes a hopeful, less patriarchal statement about the place of women in Victorian society.
Rundle, Thomas J. Collins & Vivenne J. The Broadview Anthology of Victorian Poetry ad Poetic Theory. Concise. Toronto: Broadview Press Limited, 2005.
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Christina Rossetti's poem, “In An Artist’s Studio”, explores how men foster a need for control by creating unrealistic expectations for women through their fantasies. Through the use of repetition, contrast of imagery, and symbolism, Rossetti guides us through the gallery inside of an artist’s mind, portraying the fantasies that give him a sense of control over the women he creates.
Several people regard women as inferior figures in this global world. Women have challenged the traditional female roles and have gradually climbed up the ladder of equality. They portray a distinct perspective that proves that womanhood can accomplish anything they set their mind to and search for equal gender status. The poems celebrate femininity and highlights the traits necessary for a women to be successful. The ladies in the poems are female-figures that carry themselves with high self-esteem and fearlessness. This essay identifies various literary techniques that describe feminine strength in Angelou and Clifton.