Christina Rossetti: In the Round Tower of Jhansi Flashcards
Which conflict was this poem based on?
The poem is a fictional retelling of events that took place during the Indian Mutiny, a conflict lasting from 1857-1859. The rebellion was a major uprising in India against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown.
Who was the Skene mentioned in the poem?
Captain Alexander Skene of the 68th Bengal Native Infantry, and his wife Margaret, were killed at Jhansi Fort on 8 June 1857 during the Indian Mutiny. Captain Skene was British superintendent at Jhansi. At the first sign of unrest, he had ordered all Christians in Jhansi to take refuge in the fort (the round tower mentioned in the poem’s title). They remained under siege there until the rebels offered to spare their lives if they surrendered the fort. Skene agreed, believing that the Rani of Jhansi had guaranteed their safety, but the 56 Christians were all hacked to death with swords.
What was the final straw which caused the mutiny of Indian soldiers?
All of the Indian soldiers were either practised Islam or Hinduism, and their faith dictated that they could not consume any food from either a cow (Hinduism) or a pig (Islam). The British had ordered the soldiers to use Enfield rifles, and the cartridges for this rifles were laced with pig and cow fat and grease and the ends had to be bitten off for the cartridges to be used. The soldiers refused which was the beginning of the uprising.
Complete the quotation: “the swarming, ______, ______ below, _____ and _____ and _____”. Why might a post-colonialist criticise Rossetti’s presentation of the Indian soldiers here?
“The swarming, howling wretches below, gained and gained and gained”
A post-colonialist would criticise Rossetti’s presentation of the Indian soldiers as she has dehumanised them, presenting them in an animal-like way. She has also vilified them: they have become the barbaric, merciless enemy who have cornered the story’s protagonists, Skene and his wife.
How would a feminist interpret Rossetti’s presentation of Skene’s wife?
A feminist would argue that Skene’s wife is totally subordinate to her husband and reliant on him; she seeks reassurance from him, asking questions throughout the narrative such as “will it hurt much?” and “is the time come”? She is not even given a name, exemplifying her lack of significance and identity outside of her marriage.
What aspect of the story does Rossetti admit is not an accurate depiction of events, in a footnote amendment from 1887 which says “I retain this little poem, not as historically accurate, but as written and published before I heard the supposed facts of its first verse contradicted”?
Rossetti had, like many others, originally believed that Skene had been forced to commit suicide after shooting his wife, in order to escape the Indian rebels. This was later proved to be untrue when it was discovered that Skene, his wife and the 56 Christians seeking refuge in the Jhansi fort were killed by soldiers who’d agreed with Skene to let them go.
When published in Once a Week magazine, the third stanza of the poem was omitted. Why was this?
The third stanza of the poem contains the most explicit references to suicide (“close the pistol to her brow- God forgive them this!”). Suicide was illegal in Britain until the 1961 Suicide Act was passed; it was also seen as a sin, and victims of suicide were not granted a Christian burial for that reason. Once a Week magazine most likely would not have printed such explicit references for these reasons.
What do the individual descriptions of Skene, his wife and the rebels establish within the poem?
A. a social hierarchy B. a social democracy C. a totalitarian structure
A. a hierarchy
Rossetti establishes a hierarchy through her presentation of these individual groups: Skene is named as though Rossetti expects contemporary readers to be familiar with his character already, due to the extensive news reports about him; his wife is simply attached to him without an individual identity, and the colonised Indian mutineers are animalised, considered “wretches” who “swarm” around the couple, ready to attack.
What is the form of the poem?
Rossetti writes the poem as a ballad, often used by poets as a mournful stanza structure. It conveys the tragedy and sadness behind this event, romanticising the suicide of the couple who feel they have no other escape.
Why is “agony” the word with the most emphasis placed on it in the second stanza?
Agony is the only three-syllable word in that stanza; the emphasis on this highlights the pain that the couple are going through in this situation, influencing readers to empathise with them.
