Daniel C's English Journal

DC Rossetti essay

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

A Dystopia.. A community…People…Terror&fright.

To the average citizen in London a dystopia would be the idea of a nightmare, the place whereby dreams and hopes are crushed.

Movies in todays society such as ‘shank’ signifies a fallen government and the impacts it bas, including how deprived London has become. A Dystopia is said to have taken the form of a ‘multitude of speculations’

Movies in todays society such as ‘shank’ signifies a fallen government and the impacts it bas, including how deprived London has become.

Now taking into account the society that the man and boy live in is considered to be in a ‘post apocalyptic world’ with these changed settings and moral attitudes of the citizens. An example of the change in setting is when the boy asks his dad what colour the sea is and his dad replies “it was once blue” signifying the dumping of litter and excess amounts of pollution have changed the colour of the water. These new towns are described to be run down and urban areas have almost converted into rural ones. When taking into account other factors aswell, people are jobless, homeless and there is a constant battle for the ‘scarce’ amount of resources available, this leads on to why issues such as cannibalism occur throughout.

Whats interesting to consider is how the man sticks by his traditional values from the ‘old’ world including avoiding cannibalism and being the ‘good guys’ and also influences his son with this decision of thinking.
It enables the reader to develop the understanding of the strong character that that the man is, as he’d rather get by and die starving than do whats considered to be normal in a dystopia.

Christina Rossetti one of the finest devotional poets in the english tradition.
She was a “Poet’s poet”, an “Artist devoted to art”.
Christina Rossetti born 1830 and died in 1894, was described by many as a ‘saint’ and it was said how strongly Christina would relate her pieces of poetry very closely to religion and being spiritual; this being due to the physical and psychological crisis which she suffered and the idea which is one of her poems called ‘Hope in Grief’:

Tell me not that death of grief
Is the only sure relief,
Tell me not that hope when dead
Leaves a void that naught can fill,
Gnawings that may not be fed

This poem was entered into her notebook after her breakdown and within the context of Christina’s life understand the ‘mindset’ of Christina, this being apparent in the use of language with words such as “grief”, “dead”, “void” presenting this very alone and sad attitude and yet the contradictory terms such as “hope”, “relief” which shows a conflict and contrast of emotions.
It is very common in alot of her poems the theme of ‘women in grief’, examples being death’s chill between where a woman’s beloved dies and the second ‘Heart’s chill between’ where a woman has to face the loss of a faithless lover; these themes discuss the ideas of relationship and enables the reader to question whether a partner or relationshop played a significant role in Christina’s life.

When looking at the structure of Christina’s poems, firstly the concept of the first and last line both discussing a natural location allows the reader to gain access to a backround meaning of the poem.
The terms used in some of the poems include “waves”, “rivers”, “springs” which presents the idea of something being out human control and in this case in ‘dream-Land’ being death.
Also the high use ‘water’ related terms could possibly present the idea of something being thin and not pure and the idea of unpredictably which can relate to all of her poems and to an extent, Christina’s own life.

What i think is interesting, is that during the 19th century Christina’s poems would’ve been seen in a normal context and through the themes like these which were normally used in the poems of these times, however as an immediate impression to a modern day audience, Christina’s poems seem very dull, depressing and shows the ideas that would’ve been displayed to context such as our attachment and judgement of words such as ‘grief’.

In the poems the main character/only character is always a female and expresses opinions from a  very feminist view, this including the equality and liberty of rights for both man and woman which relates to the idea of men and women being to write just as equally as each other as Christina showed.                                                                                                                  It is also said that at the time, Christina’s writing style was disliked and to some extent questioned because of how averse it is to the orphodox style of poetry, this led to not being able to put her poetry in newspapers or magazines for a long time, and I feel it showed a very courageous and determined individual to ‘stick by her guns’ and continue on in her own way and become highly successful from it.

Goblin market was once again a poem with the kiss of a feminist on it, whilst studying in class, I noticed how key parts of the poem explore the opinions of how women can do it just as much as men can, this being where the two sisters talk about how their light can ‘shine’ just as bright.

I think Christina would be a very strong woman, with very forward and outgoing opinions, who would stick by her point and do/write what she feel’s write.

Welcome to your student blog, where you will be able to use the power of technology to display the power of your mind. I cannot wait to read your postings and to communicate with you about your work. All the best, Ms Turner.