Maude Clare Flashcards
who/what do the characters in this poem represent?
Nell represents the ideal Victorian woman—loving, virtuous, and wholesome, though less beautiful and sophisticated. In contrast, Maude Clare is the archetype of the scorned woman, angry and rejected. Thomas is weak in comparison. Despite Maude Clare’s bold behavior, she is the real victim—a woman with a ruined reputation. Rossetti doesn’t explicitly favor either woman but was critical of the unfair position of women in society.
what is the from/rhyme of the poem?
12 quatrains (4-line stanzas)
Typical ballad structure: iambic tetrameter with an ABCB rhyme scheme.
Awkward rhythm: Creates tension and reflects the emotions in the poem.
who is the speaker? what is the langauge used/like?
Third-person omniscient narrator gives insight into all characters.
Simple language contrasts with the dramatic themes.
“Maude” in German means “powerful warrior”, hinting at her strength.
Rossetti’s stance on marriage is unclear—her personal romantic history suggests a critical view.
what is the context for this poem?
The poem follows the traditional ballad theme of a love triangle, but its sympathy for a “fallen woman” makes it unconventional.
Highlights the hypocrisy of Victorian gender roles, where women were judged harshly for behavior that men could get away with.
Victorian society emphasized female chastity and virtue, but the reality of human behavior clashed with these ideals.
All characters are shaped by strict societal expectations—Thomas conforms, while Maude Clare defies them.
what are the themes of this poem?
Love, marriage, and social expectations
Hypocrisy and sexism in Victorian England
Anti- or pro-marriage? Left ambiguous.
what poems could this be compared to?
goblin market, apple gathering, the world, ladies dress in muslin full and white,
“Out of the church she followed them / with a lofty step and mien:”
Maude Clare appears regal and proud, but her entrance is abrupt, throwing us into the middle of the story (in medias res).
The wedding is over, where a typical love story would end, yet here it is where the drama begins.
Trochaic meter (stressed-unstressed) disrupts the typical rhythm of a ballad, showing this is not a simple love story.
“Lofty” suggests superiority, but also defiance—Maude Clare knows she has been wronged.
“Mien” (archaic for facial expression) suggests confidence, masking her humiliation.
“His bride was like a village maid, / Maude Clare was like a queen.”
Direct comparison between the two women, highlighted by the syntactic parallelism in the line structure.
Ironic—Maude Clare, despite being lower-class, is described as a “queen,” implying Thomas once idolized her.
“His” pronoun reinforces male ownership of women—marriage is a form of control.
“Maid” (unrhymed) disrupts the flow, making it stand out as “ugly”—suggesting Nell’s lower status.
“‘Son Thomas,’ his lady mother said, / with smiles, almost with tears:”
Hints at a past love triangle—perhaps Sir Thomas’ father also married someone he didn’t truly love.
Rossetti criticizes Victorian marriages, which were often about convenience rather than love.
“May Nell and you but live as true / as we have done for years;”
The “oo” sound creates an artificially sweet tone, hinting at insincerity.
Irony—Nell and Thomas’ marriage is built on a lie, so it’s unlikely to be “true.”
Hints that the mother’s marriage was also troubled, questioning whether marriage is ever truly happy.
“Your father thirty years ago / had just your tale to tell; / but he was not so pale as you, / Nor I so pale as Nell.”
History repeats itself—Sir Thomas’ father also had a past love before his marriage.
“Pale” suggests distress—Thomas is guilty, and Nell is nervous about Maude Clare’s presence.
“Blushing bride” stereotype is reversed—Nell is pale, suggesting she’s not happily in love.
“My lord gazed long on pale Maude Clare / or ever he kissed the bride.”
“Pale” repeated three times, linking Maude Clare, Nell, and Thomas in different emotional states.
Thomas hesitates before kissing Nell, showing he’s still conflicted.
Unclear why Thomas chose Nell over Maude Clare—perhaps he thought Maude Clare was unsuitable.
Possibility of pregnancy—”lilies are budding now” suggests new life.
“Lo, I have brought my gift, my lord, / have brought my gift,” she said:
“Lo” is formal and sarcastic, respecting Thomas’ title but mocking him.
Repetition of “my gift” emphasizes her presence—she was once part of this relationship.
Gifts symbolize her past with Thomas, making her disruption even more personal.
“To bless the hearth, to bless the board, / to bless the marriage-bed.”
Symbols of marriage (hearth = home, board = meals, bed = sex).
Sarcastic tone—she’s not blessing their union, but taunting them.
“Bless” has religious connotations, but Maude Clare’s actions are anything but holy.
“Here’s my half of the golden chain / you wore about your neck,”
Gold = love, value, permanence, but the chain is now broken.
Symbol of their past love—now worthless to Thomas.
“Neck” is vulnerable, evoking the image of a hangman’s noose—perhaps Maude Clare wishes Thomas would suffer.
“The lilies are budding now.”
Implies pregnancy, which would socially ruin Maude Clare.
Victorian women who lost their virginity before marriage were seen as “fallen” and had no redemption.
Adds deeper tragedy—Thomas has moved on, while Maude Clare is left to deal with the consequences.
“He strove to match her scorn with scorn, / he faltered in his place:”
Thomas is weak—he tries to stand up to Maude Clare but fails.
“Strove” vs. “faltered” highlights his inferiority to her strength.
“‘And what you leave,’ said Nell, ‘I’ll take, / and what you spurn, I’ll wear;’”
Nell passively accepts what remains of Thomas’ love, suggesting quiet strength or desperation.
“Take” and “wear” suggest Nell is absorbing Maude Clare’s presence into her marriage.
“‘I’ll love him till he loves me best, / Me best of all, Maude Clare.’”
Nell has the last word, showing her determination to keep Thomas.
Repetition of “Maude Clare” suggests her presence will haunt their marriage forever.
Rossetti leaves the ending ambiguous—was Nell’s acceptance a sign of strength or submission?
who does rossetti criticise in this poem?
Victorian hypocrisy, leaving readers to decide who, if anyone, deserves sympathy.
who wins?
society. No one truly wins—everyone suffers under societal constraints.
