Christina Rossetti: Song Flashcards
How does Rossetti contradict Victorian mourning customs in this poem?
The speaker essentially asks for the loved one to not mourn them- “sing no sad songs for me/plant thou no roses at my head/nor shady cypress tree”. This deviates from traditional mourning customs as grief was expected to be an exterior process in the Victorian era: there were even household manuals (such as Cassell’s Household Guide, 1869) which instructed people on mourning customs and the clothing they should traditionally wear.
Why mention the cypress tree?
Cypress trees were known as ‘the mourning tree’ by the Greeks and Romans; Christian and Islamic burial sites plant cypress trees as their height and pyramid shape point towards the heavens, connecting the mortal and immortal worlds. Some Christians also believe the cypress was the source of wood for the crucifixion.
In what year was the poem written, and what was happening in Christina Rossetti’s personal life at the time that may have influenced her to write it?
Several factors may have influenced Rossetti to write this poem: it was written in 1848, when Rossetti was 18 years old. Rossetti had suffered with depression and bouts of mental-health related illness throughout her teenage years, beginning at 14 when she was diagnosed with ‘religious mania’. Her doctor, Dr Charles Hare, observed that she continually burned her fingers in the fire- she knew it would cause pain but couldn’t seem to help herself. These suicidal tendencies could have led to a fixation on death, as seen in this poem. This obsession could have also been related to the declining health of her father, who eventually died in 1854.
Why does the speaker mention “I shall not see the shadows, I shall not feel the rain, I shall not hear the nightingale sing on, as if in pain”?
The anaphoric repetition makes it clear to the reader that the speaker believes they shall relinquish all of their earthly senses upon death; the imagery is all negative, suggesting the speaker feels relieved to not have to experience any further pain or suffering in the afterlife.
What could the phrase “dreaming through the twilight” symbolise?
The “twilight” could be a reference to Rossetti’s belief in the Anglican notion of soul sleep: the belief that upon death, the mortal soul will enter into a period of ‘suspended animation’ where it has no consciousness and just seems to rest, not in a heaven in any physical or metaphorical way. Anglicans believe the soul will ‘sleep’ until the end of days, when it will awaken and take its place in heaven.
If the speaker was female, why would their tone be considered unusual?
Victorian women were expected to be subordinate and submissive, particularly in their relationships with men. In the poem, the speaker is assertive, using imperatives to instruct their loved one about their wishes.
What is significant about the rhyme scheme of the poem?
The poem has an ABCB rhyme scheme- a break from a traditional ABAB rhyme scheme, which could be directly related to the message of the poem which deviates from traditional mourning expectations.
Which word ends both stanzas of the poem? What is the significance of this?
Forget.
In the final line of the first stanza, the speaker offers her loved one a choice: to remember her “if thou wilt”, or to forget her. In the final lines of the poem, she offers an explanation as to why she offers this choice: due to her belief in soul sleep, the speaker seems uncertain about how much consciousness they will have of the earthly world. Therefore she may “haply” remember her loved one, or may “haply forget”.
Some critics believe that Rossetti, when writing this poem, may have been influenced by a lament from Shakespeare that begins “fear no more the heat o’ the sun, nor the furious winter’s rages”. Which of Shakespeare’s plays does this lament feature in?
A. Romeo and Juliet B. Cymbeline C. Macbeth D. The Winter’s Tale
Cymbeline.
This lament essentially observes that once dead, one has no need to concern themselves with the trials and tribulations of the mortal world. The dead no longer feel earthly emotions, and are rewarded with undisturbed rest- very similar to the message of ‘Song’!
Rossetti ends the poem with the line: “haply I may remember, and haply may forget”. What does the term “haply” mean?
Haply means ‘possibly’. The term conveys a sense of uncertainty about life after death, and summarises exactly why the speaker does not want their loved one to waste time mourning them: if they have no earthly senses, they will have no idea their loved one mourns for them, making the process seem futile.
