Christina Rossetti: Poem #14: Soeur Louise de la Misericorde

Not much to say for this poem:

- Strongly influenced by William Blake, as Rossetti was.
- Title translates as Louise, sister of mercy. Who was the mistress of Louis XIV in the 17th century who entered a convent.
- Themes of reminisce (Like in 'Echo' + 'Shut Out').
- 1st person narrative stance.
- Repetition in every stanza of 'Oh vanity of vanities, desire!'.
- Hyperbolic, strange, conflicted, bitter voice who is struggling with religion?
- Selfish love, vanity, thinking of yourself.
- Impurities: 'dross'
- 'perished pleasure' alliteration, highlighting how desire fades and you are essentially left with nothing.
- Interrogative in 3rd line, again showing how obsession and desire fade.
- 1st stanza has a certain pace, caesuras.

Christina Rossetti: Poem #6: 'In the Round Tower at Jhansi':

GENERAL CONTENT, FORM, RHYME ETC.

- About Captain Skene and his wife in the Indian Mutany (1887), he committed suicide and killed his wife to escape the Indian soldiers.

- Regular rhyme: ABAB 

- Narrative stance = 3rd person but in 3rd stanza seems almost 1st person.

- Narrative poem -> different to most of her poems, lots of dialogue

STANZA 1 & TITLE:

- TITLE: suggests content, Victorian audience would have understood the reference.

- 'thousand to one' hyperbole 

- 'swarming howling wretches' imagery, the soldiers aren't given human characteristics they are described as disgusting and animalistic (swarm= not individualised) 

- 'gained and gained and gained' repetition of this triplet builds tension

STANZA 2:

- 'Skene looked at his pale young wife' Skene is given a name whereas she isn't, he has the power (Victorian traditions of gender roles), pale also is quite pitying

- Lots of unattributed dialogue and ambiguous dialogue 

- 'The time is come!' exclamatory tone, declarative statement - assume it's Skene replying, the man has the power and is deciding on their future

- 'Young, strong, and so full of life' another triplet shows the narrator's attitudes of sympathy etc.

STANZA 3:

- 1st three lines are trochaic feet, the 1st syllables are stressed which emphasise the tension. 

- 'close his... close her... close the' not only does this show their desperation not to let each other go but the parallelism also is a triplet once again.

- Exclamatory statement: 'God forgive them this!' shows pathos as well as narrator's attitudes of sorrow/pitying/sympathy also this shows the religious aspect of the poem (Victorian era, suicide and murder were considered sins) it also suggests a 1st person narrator

STANZA 4:

- Very reassuring dialogue from Skene (Again he has the power), parallelism again in 2nd and 3rd lines which present the character as selfless and caring. Regretful and desperate tone.

- 'loth' = he's able to do it

STANZA 5:

- 'kiss' repetition shows desperation, sibilance and alliteration are present in this repetition 

- repetition of compound words 'good-bye' show the disjointed nature.

Christina Rossetti: Poem #5: 'Shut Out'

Okay, so the last post was actually a lot less time consuming because I did it stanza by stanza rather than in CATSDRIFT MMVV form. Although the catsdrift would eventually make it easier to write essays because I essentially have plans already laid out, i'll save myself some of my weekend hours and write it stanza by stanza.

GENERAL FORM, TONE, CONTENT, METRE, RHYME ETC.

- The narrator has been 'shut out' of a garden and is desperate to be back in it, this could be an extended metaphor (narrative is a vehicle) for a termination of a relationship or it could also be referring to Eve being shut out of the garden of Eden.

- The rhyme scheme is: ABBA

- Metre = iambic tetrameter all the way through, the regularity of both the rhythm and rhyme conveys a mournful tone.

- Lots of sentence variety, the first sentence is simple whereas the second stanza is complex in form which represents the complexity of the ideas being discussed.

TONE: 

-Grievous, lost, mournful: 'shadowless...silent...tears'

-Isolated

-Regretful: 'lost'

-Desperate/hurt: 'grieve...blinded...'

-Possessive

-Abandoned: 'blank...unchanging'

-Terse: 'shut out'

-Desolate

-Begging/pleading: imperative sentence: 'let me have...'

STANZA 1 & TITLE:

- The title is a sentence fragment which perhaps gives a terse tone 

- The personal pronoun 'I' in the first sentence shows that the narrative stance of the poem is 1st person

- The first sentence is a short, simple sentence which again adds to this terse and defensive atmosphere/voice

-'My garden, mine' the use of personal pronouns again here reinforces the possessive tone

-'bedewed and green' this has positive connotations due to the natural imagery (?) This is juxtaposed with the 'iron bars' which are man-made.

STANZA 2:

- Again a great deal of natural imagery: 'bough to bough...song-birds...flower to flower the moths and bees... nests... stately trees' parallelism can also be seen here.

-This beautiful imagery is again contrasted with 'lost' which stands alone, draws our attention to it; juxtaposed with the pronoun: 'mine'

-This stanza represents the past which was beautiful, whereas Stanza 3 represents the present which is negative

STANZA 3:

- 'shadowless' and 'outcast' display desperate tone as well as fear, not casting a shadow is unnerving and is also a simile.

-features the imperative sentence discussed in 'tone' (see above)

- a nostalgic tone is represented by repetition and listing

STANZA 4:

-'He answered not.' this simple sentence again conveys the narrator's fear of the spirit.

STANZA 5:

-This stanza is different to the others as it lacks natural imagery, it is discussing 'mortar'  and walls which not only develop and caged and claustrophobic atmosphere but also are discussing man-made things, an interpretation of this could be that it's subtly referring to the industrial revolution?

STANZA 6:

-'nought' archaic diction

- more complex sentence

-'land' hyperbole

-Hopeless and resigned voice

STANZA 7:

-Parallelism and repetition are used again

Topic Sentences

'Discuss how Rossetti writes about nature'

Topic sentence ideas to begin paragraph for this example essay:

- Rossetti's narrator refers to nature in order to...
- Aspects of nature such as... seems to be used symbolically...
- There is a... tone to the narrator's voice when focusing on nature.
- The narrator refers to nature in order to...

Essay Tips: 25 Steps To A Good Essay

English Lit Essay Writing Tips

1. Use Succinct Point In Topic Sentence: Don't confuse the point or ramble, keep it short, concise and use your strongest point in the topic sentence. See if it makes sense on its own, outside of the essay.

2. Refer to 'Narrator' not Rossetti: Or use 'Rossetti's 1^st person persona'.

3. Integrate Quotes: Integrate them into your sentences then link to language analysis and EFFECTS!

E.g: '...her secret “today” because “it froze”...'

4. Always Prove Your Interpretation: Back up your personal interpretation with examples and quotes for every point. Don't make a point you cannot back-up.

5. Use Specifics! When referring to any poem.

6. Refer To 'Narrator's Attitudes': How does the narrator feel?

7. Show Understanding Of Narrative/Plot.

8. Exploratory Language, Not Explanatory: E.g: 'Possibly', 'perhaps'.

9. CONTEXT!!!!!

10. Don't Use Brackets.

11. Write Poem's Title Exactly How It's Written In The Poem.

12. Use Complex Interpretation & Vocabulary.

13. Don't Use Colloquial Language.

14. Use sets of 2 or 3 Descriptive/Similar Words In Topic Sentence.

15. Don't Define Words.

16. Don't Patronise.

17. Connotations: If all else fails for language analysis, refer to connotations.

18. Don't Generalise Context: E.g: Instead of saying 'not likely for a woman of the Victorian era' use 'not the stereotype' etc.
19. Don't Make Too Many Different Points In The Same Paragraph.

20. Don't Use Very Long Quotes.

21. Avoid 'Positive' and 'Negative'.

22. Avoid Repetition.

23. Write About Complex Poetic Issues: Such as metre, rhyme and explain their effects. Why has the poet used them, link rhyme/metre to context and the question.

24. Explore Both The Literal & Allegorical Meanings.

25. ANSWER THE ESSAY QUESTION!!!!!!!

Essay Tips: Linking Form To Effect

LINKING FORM TO EFFECT:

FORM:

-How the writer writes.

-How the reader may respond, reasons behind why the poet wrote this way.

-Term of address - refers to something.

-Firstly address form, then use synonyms then effect this = ANALYSIS.

KEY WORDS FOR LINKING:

-Highlights

-Foregrounds

-Draws attention to

-Suggests

-Emphasises

-Implies

-Conveys

-Portrays

-Instills X emotion

Initial Assessment Essay

So, after a few lessons of grappling with the musings of the great poets; we had to write an essay on Christina Rossetti's poem: 'No, Thank You, John' in one hour for our initial assessment.

"Discuss Rossetti's Portrayal of Relationships Between Men and Women. In Your Answer Explore The Author's Use of Language, Imagery and Verse Form". (500-800 Words).

PLAN:

INTRO: - Overview of Rossetti's views of feminism. 

               - Techniques: rhyme, structure is organised.

PARA 1: - Content, aim, theme. Like to relationship views.

                - Balanced by...

PARA 2: - Syntax, diction, rhyme + rhythm.

                 - Tie them all in with relationships theme and conventions of Victorian era (context).

PARA 3: - Imagery, form, tone, metre, mood, voice, viewpoint.

                 - Link to concepts, era, relationships!

CONC: - Overview: opinion on her portrayal of relationships. 

ESSAY:

Victorian England held various norms regarding the relationships between men and women. These deep-rooted ideals vastly affected Rossetti's poetry as her views varied from biblical principles to supporting feminism. 'No, Thank You, John' displays Rossetti rebelling against the traditional acceptance of marriage and oppression of women. These themes are elegantly portrayed through various poetic techniques such as organised stanza and rhyme structure to repetition and assonance; the poem is one of both personal and national change, as women received the right to vote; Rossetti became firm in her opinions regarding 'John'.

Content wise, the poem is simplistic; a spirited and feisty narrator turns down a suitor despite the Victorian conventions. However, the allegorical interpretation could be said to be exploring female identity and the power-play between men and women; as the narrator believes 'No fault of mine made me your toast' the use of both a strong 'No' and alliteration in this sentence convey the narrator's anger and sense of oppression from him persisting to 'haunt her'. A predominantly narrative genre assists this sense of female uprising, by liberating herself from 'John' the narrator is thus commenting on the empowerment of women in general during this time period: 'In open treaty. Rise above', Rossetti perhaps is addressing all women in this line. 

As a whole, 'No, Thank You, John' is a strikingly structured and organised poem in its punctuation, rhyme and form. Grammatically, a pattern can be seen; with colons and semi-colons in each stance, promoting a consistent tone: 'I never said I loved you, John:' not only does this introductory sentence introduce the reader, voice, viewpoint and characters, it also portrays the narrator's strength of will and assurity in her own opinions through this consistency. Rhyme is intelligently employed by Rossetti to further create this sense of structure, the rhyme scheme follows an ABAB pattern: 'John... day... upon ... pray' this could be seen to be almost belittling John's character through the repetitive rhythm, highlighting the narrator's spite. This conveys and imperative motif of immaturity within relationships. Lastly, form plays an integral role in Rossetti's character development as it once again shows the organised structure and the power of women, each stanza being 4 lines long and mostly consisting of one, fluid sentence created by enjambment: 'And wax a weariness to think upon/ with always...'. This technique instills a calm sensation in the reader, juxtaposing the narrator's initial anger; perhaps portraying how relationships are rife with confusion and dichotomies. 

Rossetti does not employ much imagery in 'No, Thank You, John' as the narrator's opinions stand firm on their own, the lack of imagery in fact amplifies these opinions. Diction, however, is utilised effectively to develop a mood of anger and frustration which then shifts to acceptance and strength in the final stanza. Vocabulary is an integral aspect of this poem, with the use of imperatives and the repetition of negative words: 'never... No... Haunt... don't... mar... strike...' these almost sinister words gradually transition into a more aloof tone: 'Quibbles and shuffling' showing the narrator's change in attitude. The diction also demonstrates the struggle - under male oppression - of women in the Victorian times as well as perhaps highlighting the intensity of emotions in relationships. Finally, the metre of the poem continues the theme of structure and organisation as each stanza follows the same syllabic pattern; this being that the first and second lines consist of four syllables followed by one line of iambic pentameter, then finally culminating in a line of three syllables. Not only does this create a pace and rhythm, it also once again displays the empowerment of women through the use of feminine syllable stresses.

Overall, Rossetti portrays her opinions of male-female relationships through subtle motifs of identity and power as well as exploring both Victorian marriage conventions and the right to female and male equality through structural verse forms and intense language choices. Just as relationships, 'No, Thank You, John' initially appears simplistic and mundane but, when analysed, is brimming with sinister undertones and powerful emotions. Rossetti doesn't hide behind pretension in this poem, she strips relationships bare and shows them for what they are. 

TEACHER'S FEEDBACK:

I received a C for this essay (16-20 marks out of 30), but it being an initial assessment of a poet we'd never studied I was pretty pleased. 

1. The context needs to be more specific.

2. Develop specific language analysis e.g: explore the feminine syllable stressed mentioned.

3. Plan it more, it was too chaotic when written.

4. Don't judge the poem e.g: 'Intelligently written'.

Poetry Induction

First lessons of English Literature AS level

After discussing what defines a poem and thinking about why people write and read poetry, we moved on to read several poems (Predominantly about childhood):

- 'I Come From' by Robert Seatter

- 'Blackberry-Picking' by Philip Hobsbaum

- 'Balloons' by Sylvia Plath 

- 'War Photographer' by Carol Ann Duffy

- 'I Am Very Bothered' by Simon Armitage

- 'I Am' by John Clare

- 'Brand New Ancients: a poem for London' by Kate Tempest

- 'In the Small Hours' by Wole Soyinka

- 'No, Thank You, John' by Christina Rossetti

As this was induction, exploring and analysing these poems was the perfect opportunity to get started on some basic terminology and thematic techniques, personally when working my way through these poems I used CATSDRIFT as we were taught to in iGCSE English. 

We were also taught basic tips for the exams as a way of starting us thinking about the end point of this year *Screams inwardly*.

1.Interpretation: 'Could/Perhaps/Seems to suggest'.

2.Evidence: (Use quotes and language analysis).

3.Attitudes/Emotions/Feelings.

4.Explorations: More than one.