Remember by Rossetti Essay - 496 Words

Remember by Rossetti The opening two lines of Rossetti’s sonnet Remember introduce the idea of separation, but whether the speaker’s eminent departure is because she has chosen to leave her lover or because she is dying is not immediately clear. As the poem unfolds, the reader understands that death will divide the couple, and the initial hint of that is the phrase silent land to describe the place the speaker is going. The words seem to define a cemetery or individual grave more than heaven, and silent, in particular, implies a dormant state—an existence and a place that are neither joyous nor painful, pleasant nor sad. The opening lines also portray the speaker’s desire to be remembered, and she requests her lover to†¦show more content†¦Themes Imperfect Love The theme of imperfect love in Rossetti’s Remember is an idea based on the more obvious and often used theme of religion in her work. To a poet so devoutly centered on her Christian faith and love of God, the love of a man must seem second-rate, at best. A question, therefore, arises about her sincerity in the relationship she has with her lover— on one hand, she seems honestly to love him and begs him to remember her when she is dead; on the other hand, she appears a bit nonchalant in her willingness to tell him to forget her just the same. In the beginning of the poem, the love between the couple seems strong, and the overtone of sadness and grief stems from the notion that death is about to tear them apart. But is this notion a fact? Is the woman really dying and, if so, how much time does she have left—a few hours, a few weeks, a year? There is no indication of a time limit, nor is there any reference to what she Style The Sonnet In Victorian England and centuries prior, writing poetry meant writing with formality, adhering to a specific line length, rhyme scheme, meter, and so forth. The sonnet is one of the most popular styles of formal verse, and there are two main types of sonnets—the Shakespearean (English) and the Petrarchan (Italian). In its structure, Remember most closely follows the Petrarchan style, named for the Italian poet Petrarch Francesco (1307–1374) who made it popular. This type ofShow MoreRelatedRemember by Christina Rossetti847 Words   |  4 Pagessquarely into the category of lyric poetry. Lyric expresses the emotions of the poet as well as their thoughts and feelings. The poet is asking their significant other to remember them when they go away, which I interpret as dying. Through the first eight lines of the poem the writer is firm on the wish that their lover remember them, seemingly wishing for them to not move forward, but to keep up a vigil of remembrance of the other. In lines nine through fourteen the writer has a change of heart,Read More Compare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti1914 Words   |  8 PagesCompare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti Christina Rossetti was born in Victorian England and grew up in the pre-Raphaelite era. Coming from a well educated family she drew influence for her poems from her surroundings and experiences. In ‘A Birthday’, she looks at the celebration of finding new love. She is overjoyed because her love is reciprocated and wants to make a new beginning with this man spending the rest of her life with him raising a family. A BirthdayRead MoreThe Works of Christina Rossetti677 Words   |  3 Pagesimportant thing in life. However, that is not the case for Christina Rossetti. Her views on life are very realistic and matter of fact. She believes earthly gifts and human emotions are not important because none of it is permanent. She does not need money or love, and she does not care if she is remembered. Rossetti reveals what is most important to her—her relationship with God, not her relationship with humanity. Rossetti displays what is important to her through her humble plea in â€Å"Song’.Read MoreRemember and Refugee Mother and Child820 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish Literature: Poetry Introduction and analysis to the two poems ‘Remember’: This is a beautiful poem written by the poet Christina Rossetti. Rossetti is known for her contrasting themes of love and death she puts into her poems, ‘Remember’ is no exception. It is quite obvious that Rossetti is talking to a loved one in the poem, most likely a lover. From researching, I have found that Rossetti wrote this poem when she was still in love with Charles Cayley, and also the fact that thereRead MoreChristina Rossettis : Song Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pagesand grief. Love and tragic loss are key themes of the Pre-Raphaelite Art and Literature movement, and ‘Song’ combines the two beautifully in a way that neither glorifies nor portrays a detrimental idea of death and the outcomes it brings. Rossetti uses a variety of natural imagery to beautify the idea of life. She tells the reader to ‘plant no roses at my head’ where the symbol of the ‘rose’ embodies the theme of love, which was key in such a Romantic Era of poetry. Further use of the ideaRead More I have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is824 Words   |  4 PagesI have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is based on the theme of afterlife. Rossetti was always known to have a strong belief in the afterlife, I have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is based on the theme of afterlife. Rossetti was always known to have a strong belief in the afterlife, and symbolises this in Uphill. The poem itself is written in a unique style. A style which I feel interacts the poet and the reader. The poem is an exchangeRead MoreAp English Lit and Comp759 Words   |  4 PagesSahira Younas In the two sonnets, â€Å"Remember† by Christina Rossetti and â€Å"The Cross of Snow† by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the authors address death and remembrance indicating similarities when exploring grieving process but also demonstrate its differences through literary techniques. They both utilized symbolism, imagery, and metaphorical language but showed differences in tone. Christina Rossetti and Henry Longfellow utilized symbolism to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolicRead More Comparison Of Love Poetry: Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesComparison Of Love Poetry: Rememberby Christina Rossetti, How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron The three poems, Remember by Christina Rossetti; How Do I love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron, each explore love and loss in their own unique ways. Remember is, as expected from the title, a solemn lament which is a farewell sonnet to her treasured one. How Do I Love Thee? is again a sonnet of love but Read MoreAnalysis Of Remember And War Photographer 1226 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish Literature: Analysis of the portrayal of death in, â€Å"Remember† and â€Å"War Photographer†: The two poems I am writing about today, â€Å"Remember† by Christina Rossetti and, â€Å"War Photographer† by Carol Anne Duffy are both poetical works associated with dying and also within â€Å"Remember† the apprehensiveness of the afterlife. â€Å"Remember† is written in first person, the poet is the speaker, and is contemplating various events which will happen after one has died or a loved one. â€Å"War Photographer† is inRead More‚Äà ²the Poems ‚Äà ²Remember‚Äà ´, ‚Äà ²Piano‚Äà ´ and ‚Äà ²Poem at Thirty-Nine‚Äà ´ All Explore Melancholy Emotions.‚Äà ´ How Far Do You Agree with This Statement?1178 Words   |  5 Pages‘The poems ‘Remember’, ‘Piano’ and ‘Poem at Thirty-nine’ all explore melancholy emotions.’ How far do you agree with this statement? ‘Poem at Thirty-nine’ and ‘Piano’ explore melancholy emotions while ‘Remember’ does not in my opinion. The reasons I do no completely agree is because the three poems all have hidden feelings and meanings. ‘Poem at Thirty-nine’ shows melancholy emotions because it presents the loss of the persona’s father and ‘Piano’ portrays how D.H. Lawrence misses his childhood