No, Thank You, John

Question 1

“And wax a weariness to think upon
With always “do” and “pray”?”

Answer 1

No, Thank You, John:
- rhetoric, renders his voice from the poem
- Displays a facade of emotionless, metaphor for his pursuit of the speaker
- She is growing tired of his pleading, emphasised by the alliteration

Question 2

“You know I never loved you, John;
No fault of mine made me your toast:”

Answer 2

No, Thank You, John:
- The repeated “you” indicates that she is placing the blame upon him
- Powerful female figure, rejects all sense of accountability
- Direct address, “You”, speaking to John directly, asserting her point
- Rossetti presents the speaker as kicking against the convention that assumed it is women who entrap men within marriage
- Depicts John as a worthless, pathetic figure, although it is human to desire love, it is true that over-dependence can insight disgust

Question 3

“I have no heart?-Perhaps I have not;
But then you’re mad to take offence”

Answer 3

No, Thank You, John:
- Seemingly an attack on her femininity
- She subverts her insult, adopting a powerful tone, claiming that it would then be his fault for taking offence at her rejection
- Echos Johns accusation that John has no heart
- Adopts the alias of the new woman by rejecting her femininity, embracing his claim that she is heartless

Question 4

“I’d rather answer “No” to fifty Johns
Than answer “Yes” to you.”

Answer 4

No, Thank You, John:
- Hyperbolic, stark image of joy as a single independent women
- Consistent harsh, cutting tone
- She is clear in her assertion that she has made no promises, therefore she cannot be held accountable for breaking them
- Reinforces her own freedom by claiming in 50 other situations, she would react in the same way

Question 5

“Here’s friendship for you if you like; but love,-
No, thank you, John”

Answer 5

No, Thank You, John:
- Ultimately presents friendship as if it were a gift/favour
- Cyclical, reiterates her consistent argument that she is not interested in love
- The poem ends with the title, reflects Rossetti choosing to move on in life and rid herself of this friendship where John to lose interest