Page 2: "From the Antique" Analysis

"From the Antique" presents a stark contrast to "A Birthday," showcasing Christina Rossetti's range as a poet. This poem explores themes of weariness, gender, and existential despair.

The poem consists of four stanzas with an ABCB rhyme scheme. The repetitive structure emphasizes the cyclical nature of life and the speaker's sense of hopelessness:

Quote: "It's a weary life, it is, she said: / Doubly blank in a woman's lot"

Rossetti employs several literary devices to convey the speaker's anguish:

1. Alliteration and sibilance to suggest fragility
2. Oxymorons to highlight contradictions
3. Anaphora to reinforce the speaker's wishes

Example: The line "Not a body and not a soul" uses an oxymoron to express the desire for non-existence.

The poem's nihilistic tone is particularly evident in the final stanza, where the speaker suggests that her absence would have no impact on the world:

Quote: "None would miss me in all the world, / How much less would weep"

This bleak outlook reflects the limited options available to women in Victorian society, a recurring theme in Rossetti's poems.

Highlight: The poem's title, "From the Antique," suggests that these feelings of despair and worthlessness in women's lives are long-standing and deeply rooted in society.

Page 3: "Shut Out" Analysis

"Shut Out" is another poem by Christina Rossetti that explores themes of exclusion and frustration. The poem uses a first-person narrative to create an emotional connection with the reader.

The poem begins with a powerful image of exclusion:

Quote: "The door was shut. I looked between / The iron bars; and saw it lie"

This opening sets the tone for the entire poem, emphasizing the narrator's sense of being barred from happiness or fulfillment.

Key features of the poem include:

1. ABBA rhyme scheme
2. Tetrameter rhythm (four beats per line)
3. Symbolic imagery of gates and barriers

Highlight: The poem can be interpreted as a commentary on the limitations placed on women in Victorian society, a common theme in Rossetti's writing.

The frustration and longing expressed in "Shut Out" contrast sharply with the joy of "A Birthday," demonstrating Rossetti's ability to capture a wide range of human emotions in her poetry.

Definition: Tetrameter - A line of verse consisting of four metrical feet

This poem, like many of Rossetti's works, invites multiple interpretations. It could be read as a commentary on social exclusion, spiritual longing, or the human condition in general.

Page 1: "A Birthday" Analysis

"A Birthday" by Christina Rossetti is a joyous celebration of love, utilizing vivid imagery and a carefully structured form. The poem consists of two stanzas, each containing eight lines with a regular rhyme scheme.

The first stanza employs natural imagery to describe the speaker's elation:

Quote: "My heart is like a singing bird / Whose nest is in a water'd shoot"

This simile sets the tone for the poem's exuberant atmosphere. Rossetti uses anaphora, repeating "My heart is like" at the beginning of multiple lines, to emphasize the intensity of the speaker's emotions.

The second stanza shifts to man-made imagery, with references to luxurious materials and mythological symbols:

Quote: "Raise me a dais of silk and down; / Hang it with vair and purple dyes"

This transition suggests a desire to honor and elevate the love being celebrated.

Highlight: The poem's ambiguity allows for multiple interpretations - it could be about romantic love or religious devotion.

The regular iambic tetrameter rhythm mimics a heartbeat, reinforcing the poem's theme of passionate love. The use of end-stopped lines and caesuras creates a sense of completeness and finality.

Vocabulary: Caesura - A pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry