CHRISTINA ROSSETTI CONTEXT Flashcards
She was a devout and pious angelican who wrote over ____ religious poems…
500.
William Michael Rossetti described her to be ‘she consented to seem…’
‘The most mediocre as the most unobtrusive of all’.
She published her first poem when she was…
17.
- First of the writers associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement to achieve critical attention.
Katherine McGowran described Rossetti’s poems as ‘rarely as straight…’
‘forward as their simple surfaces might suggest and her use of traditional literary forms is frequently challenging and innovative’.
Rossetti’s Father :
Gabriele Rossetti, patriotic poet and Professor of Italian.
- Escaped Naples in 1821 following the failure of a political uprising.
Rosetti’s Mother :
Frances Rossetti, a governess and the sister of Byron’s physician-companion.
Rossetti’s Sibilings :
- Youngest of four.
- William Michael Rossetti & Dante Gabriel Rossetti were a famous poet and painter.
- Maria, entered the All Saints Sisterhood in 1873.
Rossetti as a child :
Warm-hearted & outgoing, somewhat temperamental.
- Once had a argument with her mother which resulted in her ripping up her arm with scissors out of anger.
During her teens she…
Suffered an emotional or spiritual trauma that resulted in a permanent change in her character.
- Decided to give up her favourite pastimes (e.g. chess) because she got too competitive and delighted in them too much.
After her trauma, her personality went from… to…
From vivacious, volatile and headstrong to passive, demure and restrained.
William Michael Rossetti described her change as…
‘Her temperament and character, naturally warm and free, became a fountain sealed’.
Rossetti belonged to the ‘__________ club’…
Portfolio Club, a group of women writers, included suffragist Barbara Bodichon, also an unofficial member of Pre-Raphaelites.
Christina worked as a volunteer at… for ____ years…
Highgate Penitentiary for 11 years, aimed to rescue fallen women, trained them for ‘fitter’ employment in the outside world.
18___, Christina accepted a proposal from James Collinson…
1848, a painter with connections to PR.
- However, when he converted to Roman Catholicism she broke off the engagement, saying religious differences were the cause.
During 18___’s, she turned down another engagement…
1860’s, Charles Cayley, an ex-student of her father.
- However, they remained close friends.
- Motives remained obscure as WMR was convinced she had a permanent affection for him.
Goblin Market, her first volume, was published when?
1862, brought her to the attention of a number of writers and reviewers e.g. Literary Gazzette.
- Considered only possible successor to EBB.
What did Christina say about the lack of politics in her work?
’ It is not in me, and therefore it will never come out of me, to turn to politics… I leave to greater than I’.
She campaigned vigorously for…
The Protection of Minors Bill, sought to end exploitation of child prostitutes by raising the age of consent from 13-16.
- Also, Anti-Vivisection Movement (cruelty of animals).
When Augusta Webster, solicited support for the 18___ Suffrage Bill…
1878 Suffrage Bill, Rossetti was reluctant to offer it, replying with terms which revealed a conflict between her religious beliefs and her recognition of the restrictive ‘barrier of sex’.
In 18___, Christina Rossetti was diagnosed with…
1872, Graves Disease, a thyroid disorder, suffered from this for the rest of her life.
While Christina Rossetti was suffering from Graves disease…
DGR health began to deteriorate, died 10 years later.
- Charles Cayley also died, and then Frances Rossetti, who she’d spent her whole life with.
Combination of deaths + her own ill health made her even more reluctant to seek society.
Rossetti’s looks were considerable altered by Grave’s disease :
- Discoloured skin.
- Prominent eyes.
