maude claire Flashcards
written?
1857
link to highgate penitentary
criticises the fallen women and those who induldge in immoral things
structure
12 quatrains
narrative form
metre
roughly equal metre
monosyllabic word choice effect
angel in the house significance
coventry patmore 1854 (close to time period) draws on ideal qualitiues of a women and desirability
significance of maid reference
maude claire less desireable as a bride, not a maid but a queen.
a maid connotes purity suggestively increasing desirability
significance of inconsistent rhyme second stanza
not wanting to conform to tradition of marriage
pale implication
unsure about emotions, nervous?
significance of ‘my lord’
-conforms to hierarchy og gender
-posessive pronoun suggests maude Claire lasting impact on him despite constrainsts of marriage
pastoral imagery
purity of their relationship before it went downhill- signifies ‘plucking’ of innocence
feminist perspective
subverts expectations of women at the time
suggestive of rossettis conflicting views on women
summary
Narrative poem which pits two women against each other. Maude Clare is attractive, but fallen, whereas Nell is plain but virtuous.
what does the ‘gold chain’ symbolise
demonstrates the end of the unity they once had
the fact is was worn around his neck suggests social heirarchy of gender and symbolic of control/possession
significajce of Maude claires speech
declaration of her presence, rare for female to assert herself
significance of ‘we waded ankle deep for lilies ‘
waded ankle deep- shows insincerity and lack of intention of commitment
lilies- signifies death (death of unity) or innocence (took innocence)
‘budding bough’ significance
premature nature of sexual relathionship (alliteration draws attention to it)
significance of marriage vows
suggests nell is trapped in this cycle of husband wife hierarchy cultivated by society
