Rossetti Context and Critics PDF

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All lecture notes on context and critics of poet Rossetti...

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Context- Christina Rossetti:

Born:December 1830 Died: December 1894 English poet of Italian descendent and wrote romantic, devotional and children's poems Born in London and youngest child of 4 from a very gifted family Educated at home by mother and father, both intellectuals who arrived in London as political asylum seekers from Naples. Family suffered financial difficulties in 1840s due to her father’s mental and physical health deteriorating. He was diagnosed with persistent bronchitis, he suffered from depression. Her and her mother had to look to attempt to support the family. She has an extremely close relationship with her mother. Brother of Dante Rossetti who became a well known poet and painter Rossetti had a great childhood, affectionate parental care and given the opportunity for creative exploration and support from elder siblings. Although her and Dante were described to be the “two storms” of the family opposed to the other two siblings the “two calms”. Rossetti had many tantrums and fought hard with a passionate temper which she later on learned to control. Rossetti was a firm High Church Anglican and rejected two marriages due to the fact they did not meet her religious standards. She was devout to her religion and followed it closely, much of hew work is influenced by her beliefs. Prioritised religion and the Bible and its teachings In 1871 Christina developed thyroid disorder that diminished her health as well as her social life, she was courageous and continued publishing poems. She died in 19894 after developing terminal cancer the year before. As she suffered from long and frequent periods of poor health, she begun to regard life as physically and emotionally painful and begun to look forward to death, both as a release and as the possible moment of joyful union with God and with those she had loved and lost. Rossetti was one of the most important women poets writing in the nineteenth century. Her poems were usually tightly controlled and adopted relatively accessible language. Her work may appear straight forward at first however, as you look closely they possess an intellectual depth which shows Rossetti to be an astute questioner and analyst of her contemporary world. She spent much of her life volunteering at a home for prostitutes in London. Rossetti’s life became increasingly isolated as her father begun to lose his eyesight and developed depression, her siblings, her mother and herself all had to work in order to support the family. She experienced long periods of melancholy and so expressed these thoughts as well as her religious beliefs through her writing. As a child in London she grew up around artists, scholars and intellectuals. Instead of feeling intimidated she used this to her advantage and was inspired to develop herself as an artist. She also delves into feminism in her poems and is said to have had a major impact on the 20th century.

- Believes women to be somewhat inferior to men- religion - Has emerging ideas of feminism- porto-feminism- initial feminism, becoming more aware of social imbalance between 2 genders

- Proves to be a voice for women, for the fallen women who didn’t have a voice - Didn’t support the suffragette moment - Patriarchal society

Rossetii Critics: Simon Avery: • Rossetti’s poems are ‘un-compromising in their analysis of women’s place in society • Rossetti’s poems encouraged women ‘to claim independence and agency’ • Rossetti thoughts may not always be radical, but they are challenging and potentially subversive • Rossetti’s speakers demonstrate an awareness of… social and political expectations which define acceptable roles for women Joshua Bocher: • Rossetti’s love for God always trumps that of another human • Her religious views affect everything she wrote, regardless of the topic Lars Wallner: • Rossetti spent much of her time devoted to the aspect of death Roe: • Rossetti gave God the attention other poets might lavish on a female muse • Rosetti does not shy away from collision and confrontation Gilbert and Gilbar: • She willingly accepts the state of destitution into which she is cast (argue she accepts patriarchy and so therefore is not a feminist) Lynda Palazzo: • Her poems and devotional prose can be interpreted as interpretations of the Bible Arthur Symonds: • Her poems and never didactic, never seek to instruct. She does not preach, she prays...