Song Flashcards
What is the tone and mood introduced in the lines ‘When I am dead, my dearest, / Sing no sad songs for me;’?
The tone is one of finality and an imperative mood, emphasizing the speaker’s desire for control over their posthumous memory. The term ‘dearest’ adds intimacy and affection.
What does the phrase ‘When I am dead’ imply?
It introduces a temporal transition, suggesting an inevitability beyond the speaker’s control, marking a Gothic, meditative approach to mortality.
What do the lines ‘Plant thou no roses at my head, / Nor shady cypress tree:’ symbolize?
The ‘roses’ symbolize love and beauty, while the ‘cypress tree’ symbolizes mourning. The speaker rejects these traditional symbols of grief, seeking to disrupt conventional funeral rituals.
What is the significance of the imperative verbs in ‘Plant thou no roses’?
They show a rejection of traditional mourning practices, asserting that death should not be marked by sentimental gestures.
What imagery is evoked in the lines ‘Be the green grass above me / With showers and dewdrops wet;’?
Nature imagery suggests a cycle of life and renewal, linking death with nature’s regenerative power.
What does the metaphor of ‘showers and dewdrops wet’ convey?
It conveys life-sustaining moisture, countering the sterility of traditional grave markers, suggesting the speaker desires their death to be part of life’s eternal flow.
What does the repetition of ‘if thou wilt’ indicate?
It reinforces the conditionality of the speaker’s desire, leaving the decision to remember or forget in the listener’s hands.
What does the binary opposition between remembering and forgetting highlight?
It highlights the speaker’s complex relationship with memory, reflecting the impermanence of both life and memory.
What sensory experiences are emphasized in ‘I shall not see the shadows, / I shall not feel the rain;’?
These lines emphasize sensory absence and the finality of death, suggesting a complete separation from the living realm.
What does the absence of shadows and rain signify?
It underscores the disconnection from pain, offering peaceful imagery of eternal rest and release from life’s hardships.
What does the nightingale symbolize in ‘I shall not hear the nightingale / Sing on, as if in pain:’?
The nightingale symbolizes melancholy or love’s lament, and the speaker does not wish to be affected by such sounds in death.
What does the repetition of ‘haply may’ in ‘Haply I may remember, / And haply may forget’ suggest?
It reinforces the uncertainty of what will remain after death, emphasizing the fluidity of memory in life and death.
What philosophical ambiguity is presented by the use of ‘haply’?
It implies uncertainty about the afterlife, acknowledging that memory may fade without demanding a definitive outcome.
What were the Victorian gender expectations for women?
Women were expected to embody traits of purity, selflessness, and submission, idealized as the ‘Angel in the House.’
How does Rossetti’s life reflect Victorian gender expectations?
Rossetti’s life, marked by religious devotion and retreat from societal expectations, reflects the notion of women being defined by their impact on others.
What does the speaker’s request to be forgotten after death signify?
It could be viewed as a rejection of the expectation that women’s lives should be defined by others’ needs.
What social reforms were emerging during the mid-Victorian period?
The women’s suffrage movement and efforts for labor rights were beginning to emerge.
How does the poem ‘Song’ relate to the theme of individual rights?
The theme of release from suffering can be seen as part of the broader call for personal autonomy, especially for women.
What was the economic position of women in the Victorian era?
Women had limited economic independence and were often dependent on family or marriage for support.
How did Rossetti’s personal financial situation influence her writing?
After her father’s death, Rossetti faced financial difficulties and turned to writing for support.
What critique does the speaker’s desire to be forgotten after death represent?
It critiques the emotional labor expected of women, especially in caregiving roles.
What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on women?
It brought about alienation and disconnection, leading to feelings of despair among women and the working class.
How does Rossetti’s Christian faith influence her poetry?
Her poetry reflects her Christian values, particularly her exploration of death and the afterlife.
What does the speaker’s wish for no mourning signify?
It reflects the Christian ideal of accepting death as a transition rather than clinging to the dead.
How does Rossetti challenge Victorian mourning conventions?
She rejects the public performance of grief, calling for private peace instead.
What role were women expected to play in mourning?
Women were seen as emotional caretakers, expected to bear the weight of loss and grief.
How did Rossetti’s personal experiences with death influence her work?
The deaths of close family members deeply influenced her contemplation of death and the afterlife.
What does Rossetti’s desire for peace after death reflect?
It reflects her spiritual longing for respite from emotional and physical suffering.
How did the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood influence Rossetti’s poetry?
The Brotherhood’s aestheticism and symbolism influenced her portrayal of beauty and emotional intensity.
What is the significance of the poem’s structure in ‘Song’?
The simple and direct structure mirrors the speaker’s straightforward desire for release and peace.
What themes does the Victorian lyric poem tradition emphasize?
It emphasizes personal emotion and introspection, allowing for expressions of longing and spiritual reflection.
