The persona may be the poet, but more likely this is an imagery protagonist.Ī powerful feature is the rhythm, the use of syntactic parallels to establish the positive mood of acceptance. The voice is that of the first person singular ‘I’ addressing her lover. The mainly end-stopped lines suggest the emphatic nature of the speaker’s wishes. The rhyme scheme is a regular ABCB DEFE in both stanzas. There is a jaunty rhythm which ensures the mood is more hopeful than sombre. The structure is regular, with the first, third, fifth and seventh lines having seven syllables and the alternating lines six. The poem comprises two stanzas of eight lines each. Instead she creates a mood of acceptance and peace. These remain unresolved, yet despite this there is no tension in the poem. She also conveys the importance of the connection between the living and the dead, how the wishes of the one who has passed away impacts on the lives of those left mourning them.Īn important feature is the trope of binary opposites, where the speaker and her lover are suspended between alternatives. Rossetti weaves in a range of ideas memory, after-life, the human spirit, hope, patience and reassurance. It mirrors Rossetti’s Remember, which also deals with comforting a bereaved lover. That doth not rise or set' (line 15) The notion of resting in a place where the rising and setting of the sun is not necessary comes from the New Testament book, Revelation.In this poem the speaker tries to comfort and reassure their lover after the s/he has died. The first verse of 'When I am dead my dearest is written in iambic tetrameter repetition, sibilance and alliteration "i shall not see the shadows/ i shall not feel the rain/ i shall not hear the nightingale." 2.1,2,3 - heaven does not contain the harshities of nature- The repetition of "i shall not" emphasises her surity that she will live a better life.- The nightingale was a common symbol in Romantic poetry "Haply I may remember,Īnd haply may forget" By prefacing the words 'remember' and 'forget' in the same way in both instances, there is a blurring of the distinction between memory and forgetfulness 'dreaming through the twilight By prefacing the words 'remember' and 'forget' in the same way in both instances, there is a blurring of the distinction between memory and forgetfulness Structure Contains enjambment and metre- builds upon spontaneous feeling. And if thou wilt ,remember/ And if thou wilt, forget. In Genesis 6:14, the story of Noah and the Ark, God commands Noah, "So make yourself an ark of cypress wood make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out."- By declaring that s/he has no need of these things, the speaker reassures the lover that s/he will not be jealous or resentful if the lover continues living his/her life rather than to mourn for the speaker. The soft 'sh' sounds in the words 'shady' and 'showers' reinforce his/her weary tone "shady cypress tree/be the green grass above me/ with showers and dewdrops wet" 1.4,5,6 - juxtaposes death with the ongoing life of nature- Alliteration of "green grass" is sensuous and offers a comforting promise.- the cypress was associated with death and the underworld because it failed to regenerate when cut back too severely.- Yet, the cypress is also considered a sign of life. What did Rossetti believe happened after death? You fall into 'soul sleep' What does 'dearest' suggest? They have a close relationship What does the cypress tree symbolise? Mourning and everlasting love What do nightingales symbolise? The natural world is not a place of pure joy What does 'the twilight that doth not rise nor set' show? Death is never ending What is significant about the phrase 'when I am dead'? Death is inevitable What does 'sing no sad songs for me plant thou no roses at my head, nor shady cypress tree' show? Rejection of conventional mourning What does 'thou' suggest? a personal relationship between the speaker and the person they are addressing What does 'if thou wilt, remember, and if thou wilt, forget' show? The speaker is indifferent as to what happens after they die What disease did Christina Rossetti suffer from? Graves disease What is the realtionship between the words 'remember' and 'forget'? They are opposites, create contrast What does the word 'dearest' suggest? The speaker is addressing someone they are close to, possible affection What does the theme of forgetting show in this poem? Forgetting is inevitable with the passing of time What do the phrases 'not see', 'not feel', and 'not hear' show? All senses are lost after death, impact "sing no sad songs" 1.2 - This is ironic as the poem is a song often sung in funerals.-Throughout Song Rossetti uses sibilance to create a song-like tone: highlight the melancholy voice of the speaker.
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