Christina Rossetti
After a lengthy read of a section written by Linda H. Peterson for ‘The Cambridge Companion to English Poets’ book about the poet Christina Rossetti, I can actually say I found myself scurrying to the end of each page – not because I wanted the read over as quickly as possible but because I was thoroughly engaged with Rossetti’s life. A real page turner! Even at the tender age of seventeen Rossetti was having her poems published, and this was just the start of the legacy she would leave behind.
The first striking fixation that poured out through the pages was that Rossetti relied heavily on her ‘religious inspiration’ throughout her writing years. Although I did pick up on this while reading Goblin Market in lessons, it didn’t occur to me just how devoted she was to her faith. For example many critics view the poem as very sexual including me, but now I’ve seen another perspective to the poem. The critic Linda H. Peterson shines light on the religious side of the poem; of how it portrays ‘temptation, fall and redemption’ which link to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Another religious linked elements that I did not pick up on is that the ‘eats’ and ‘drinks’ words relate to the Eucharist. I particularly like the idea that the poem is relating to the sacrifice of oneself in aid of the less fortunate e.g. charitable work; which Rossetti was rather fond of. This relates back to Lizzie helping her sister to live by surrendering herself to the goblins.
I think the concept that Rossetti suffered with hysteria and depression somewhat gave her writing a deeper meaning, allowing her to pour more emotion into the poems which is why they are still popular to a vast modern audience. The poems gave women a voice which is mainly expressed through the feminism aspect of her work.
I think I can honestly say on behalf of many that Rossetti devoted her whole life to poetry. For one, not many women would starve themselves of love by turning down a wedding proposal, but it was a wise choice because perhaps her work would have been truly different if she was writing about the soppy aspect of love.
Overall, the piece of writing I read has made Rossetti’s writing style clearer to me and made me understand why she writes the way she does. It will be extremely helpful to relate this knowledge to future poems I will read of hers.
React!