cousin kate Flashcards
Who was Christina Rossetti?
(1830-1894) was an English poet who mainly wrote
romantic and children’s poems. She was born into
a gifted family.
In her lifetime, opinion was divided over whether she
or Elizabeth Barrett Browning was the best female poet of all
time. Rossetti’s poetry is famed for having an exceptional
lyrical quality, diction and tone, using simple forms.
how was poem’s form written?
The poem is written as a dramatic monologue, from
the viewpoint of the rejected former lover of the lord. She
directs the poem directly to Cousin Kate. There are six
stanzas, each of which rhyme A-B-C-B-D-E-D-F. It is written
in 3 and 4 foot iambic trimeters and tetrameters, which gives
the poem a pronounced rhythm.The narrative is revealed almost chronologically.
how is the structure shown in this poem?
In the opening stanza, the speaker recalls the lord picking her
out, whilst the second details their relationship. The third
stanza is the point at which the lord first sees Kate, and in the
fourth he weds her. In the fifth and sixth stanzas, the speaker
reveals her feelings, and hers and Kate’s differing lives now.
what were the themes shown in cousin kate?
Class – The Victorian class system, and its effects on love and marriage, is evident through the behaviour and
attitudes of the characters in the poem.
Alienation – The pain felt by the speaker at being shunned in favour of Cousin Kate is compounded by the fact
that she is outcast by society for indulging in a premarital relationship. Despite being no more guilty than the lord,
what language device is used to highlight the differences between the speaker and Cousin Kate?
Repeated phrases
how is alliteration used throughout the poem?
Alliteration is used frequently throughout the
poem, for a range of effects. In stanza 1 for example, the
repetition of the soft ‘m’ sound (maiden, mates, mindful) is
used to reflect the beauty and innocence of the girls at work.
9
