Sadness – Christina Rossetti
How far do you agree an overwhelming sadness hangs over Rossetti’s poems
Throughout Rossetti’s poems a sense of ‘sadness’ is presented, this accomplished through an insight into the language used, literary techniques, the structure of the sentences and its relevance and meaning when fixed into a sentence/paragraph.
Whilst reading Rossetti’s ‘The Convent Threshold’ the idea of sadness was fairly apparent from line 60-64.
“I turn from you my cheek and eyes,
My hair which you shall see no more –
Alas for joy that went before,
For joy that dies, for love that dies!”
My personal summary, hints to the fact that these four lines signify an ‘ending’ on some form of relationship. The idea that they will not see each other no more and “love that dies” shows quite a depressed state from Rossetti.
Another possible idea is how Rossetti may have linked this concept of ‘breaking up’ or an end to something may just have been a contextual factor in her life.
This idea of a breaking up or ending is backed up when Rossetti makes a use of of repetition.
Rossetti says “For joy that dies, for love that dies!”, the use of the word ‘dies’ is repeated, this to make it stand out amongst all others in the same paragraph, also it can be taken into consideration how the word ‘dies’ is the last word used out of the four lines. This backs up the fact that Rossetti would have maybe made these words and ideas deliberately stick out, so readers could have understood her mindset at this specific point in time and the also the relevance of how an ‘end’ to something occurs.
When looking at another poem, Rossetti’s ‘A Royal Princess’ shows on a more drastic measure a depressed society.
“Men are clamouring, women, children, clamouring to be fed;
Men like famished dogs are howling in the streets for bred”
These two lines in the stanza discuss how in this specific society Rossetti is discussing how deprived this place is through families are hungry and need to be fed and the men are begging for bread which signifies begging for both food or money.
Rossetti once again brings up this idea of a place which to some extent is a dystopia, where there are lots of poor people, high rates of crime like shows in goblin market with the idea of the sister being ‘sexually abused’, and in this case the other feature of a dystopia ‘cannibalism’ which can be linked to the idea of being extremely hungry and Rossetti tries to provoke the idea to what extent humans can go on till they would eat there own.
The metaphor “Men are like famished dogs” allows Rossetti to target her readers imagination of these animal like humans who are starving and becoming savages.
The horrible concept within these lines contribute to the sad theme which hangs over Rossetti’s poems.
Rossetti’s poems propose a social factor through out and the interaction between people this normally including relationships.
Through the direct use if specific words and use if literary techniques Rossetti is able to apply a sad feeling on her readers through the ideas such as an ‘ending’ or ‘depression’
It is crucial to consistently question whether these themes are just mirrored events in her life