CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

(1830-1894)
Presented by:
Aidah Nurafiqah Binti Rosli (1417478)
Amira Binti Roslan (1318360)
Nur Fadzilah Binti Mohd. Hashim (1410118)
Nasibah Binti Abdul Rahman (0917436)

BIOGRAPHY
Christina Georgina Rossetti

One of the most important

women poets writing in
nineteenth-century England.

 1830: Christina Rossetti was born in

London on December 5.
One of the most important of English women
poets both in range and quality.
Excelled in works of fantasy, in poems for
children (nursery rhymes), and in religious
poetry.
The youngest child among four siblings of
poet Gabriele Rossetti and was the sister of
the painter-poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

 1847: Her grandfather, Gaetano Polidori,

printed on his private press a volume of her

Verses.
1850: Under the pseudonym Ellen Alleyne, she
contributed seven poems to the Pre-Raphaelite
journal The Germ.
Christina Rossetti was a firm High Church
Anglican. She broke her engagement to the artist
James Collinson, an original member of the PreRaphaelite Brotherhood, because he
had become a Roman Catholic.

 1853: When the Rossetti family was in

financial difficulties, Christina helped her
mother keep a school at Frome, Somerset, but it
was not a success.
1854: The pair returned to London, where
Christinas father died. In straitened
circumstances, Christina entered on her life work
of companionship to her mother, devotion to her
religion, and the writing of her poetry.
1864: She rejected Charles Bagot Cayley (similar
reason as James Collinson), though a warm
friendship remained between them.

WORKS BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

1862: Christina published Goblin Market and
Other Poems. The collection established
Rossetti as a significant voice in Victorian poetry.
1866: The Princes Progress and Other Poems,
both with frontispiece and decorations by her
brother Dante Gabriel.
These two collections, which contain most of
her finest work, established her among the
poets of her day.

 1870: The stories in her first prose work,

Commonplace and Other Short Stories (1870),
are of no great merit, but
1872: Sing-Song: a Nursery Rhyme Book (1872;
enlarged 1893), with illustrations by Arthur
Hughes, takes a high place among childrens
books of the 19th century.

FINAL MOMENTS OF
CHRISTINA
ROSSETTI
1871: Christina was stricken by Graves disease, a
thyroid disorder that marred her appearance and
left her life in danger.
1875: She accepted her affliction with courage
and resignation, sustained by religious faith, and
she continued to publish, issuing one collection
of poems.

 1881: A Pageant and Other Poems was

published. But after the onset of her illness she
mostly concentrated on devotional prose writings.
1885: Time Flies, a reading diary of mixed verse
and prose, is the most personal of these works.
Christina was considered a possible successor to
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, as poet laureate, but she
developed a fatal cancer in 1891.

 1894: Christina Rossetti died in London on

December 29, and was buried in Highgate
Cemetery.
1896: New Poems was published by her
brother, contained unprinted and previously
uncollected poems.
1904: Rossettis brother, William Michael
edited her collected works, but the Complete
Poems were not published before 1979.

EXTRA INFORMATION
Rossetti's Christmas poem "In the Bleak
Midwinter" became widely known after her
death when set as a Christmas carol first by
Gustav Holst, and then by Harold Darke.
Her poem "Love Came Down at Christmas"
(1885) has also been widely arranged as a carol.
Rossetti is honoured with a feast day on the
liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church
(USA) on April 27.

POETRY COLLECTIONS
Verses. London: private, 1847.
Goblin Market and Other Poems. London:
Macmillan, 1862.
The Prince's Progress and Other Poems. London:
Macmillan, 1866.
Sing-Song: a Nursery Rhyme Book (1872, 1893)
Speaking Likenesses. London: Macmillan, 1874.
A Pageant and Other Poems (1881)

Verses. London: Society for Promoting Christian

Knowledge, 1893.
New Poems London: Macmillan, 1896.
The Rossetti Birthday Book. London: private, 1896.
The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti.
Edited by William Michael Rossetti. London:
Macmillan, 1904.
The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti. Edited
by Rebecca W Crump. 2 vols. to date. Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State University Press, 1979-85.

WHEN IM DEAD MY DEAREST

(SONG/1862)
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,

I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

SOME WORDS YOU MIGHT NOT

UNDERSTAND
Dewdrops

Nightingale

Thou: You
Wilt: Will

SUMMARY OF THE POEM

FIRST STANZA
Poem describes the world of the living people.
The poet addresses her dearest one and asks him
not to sing sad songs for her when she is dead.
She does not want others to plant roses or shady
cypress tree at her tomb. (Showing off)

She likes her tomb with green grass associated

with showers and dewdrops. (Humble)

As the showers and dewdrops make the grass green

forever, so the tears will make their love eternal
She does not force him to remember. If he likes, he will
remember and if he does not like, he will forget.
SECOND STANZA
After her death she will be buried in the grave, and she
will go into the world of the dead.
She will not see the shadows of the cypress planted
by her dearest one.
She will not feel the rain or tears.

However, sadly one may sing, but

she will not hear it.
The sweet and sad song of the nightingale
will not touch her.
She will pass the rest of her time dreaming
through the never-ending evening when the
sun neither rises nor sets.
Perhaps she will remember it. Perhaps she
will forget it.

IN A CONCLUSION
First stanza deals with the world of living while the
second with the poet's experience in the grave. The
poet may be trying to be realistic regarding her death.
The best way to mourn someones death is by
expressing the love as immortal as the green grass
through the drops of tears as pure as the dew drops.
It is also equally meaningless to insist someone to
remember him/her after his/her death.
The poem also suggests us that no one can escape
from the torturous grip of the death.

TYPE OF POEM

As a poetic text, there is rhyme. The rhyme

scheme is abcb.
Each octave is made up of two quatrains, and
each quatrain has the rhyme scheme abcb.

IMAGERY
Natural imagery : The speaker requests that the lover
plant no roses' on her grave and no shady cypress tree'
in her memory (lines 3-4).
Roses symbolize love, Cypress tree symbolize mourning
By declaring that she has no need of these things, the
speaker reassures the lover that she will not be jealous or
resentful if the lover continues living his life rather than
to mourn for the speaker.

Nightingale was a common symbol of romantic

The nightingale's song is associated with pain, Rossetti
denies the idea that the natural world is a place
of pure joy.

REMEMBER
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent lord,
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day,
You tell me of our future that you planned,
Only remember me, you understand,
It will be late to counsel then to pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while,

And afterwards remember, do not grieve,
For if the darkness and corruption leave,
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile,
Than that you should remember and be sad.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES
ALLAH has stated about relationship of love.
And of everything We have created pairs that
you may be mindful
(Surah Az-Zariyat: 49)
ALLAH has also mentioned in al-Quran
about death.
Every soul shall taste of death
(Surah Ali Imran:185)

GOBLIN MARKET (1862)

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SUMMARY
Lizzie and Laura are sisters .Every evening they will go to the nearby streams to

fetch water and they would listen to the cries of the goblins that were tempting to
sell fruits to them.
The goblins would shout 'come buy,come buy' and strangely,only those maidens
were able to listen to these cries.The goblins were selling a variety of fruits and their
concept of market is a travelling fruits market .
Lizzie always reminding laura that she should never try to see or even peek at the
goblins.One day,while they were on their routine ,fecthing the water ,both of them
encountered a group of goblins calling customers to buy their fruits.
Lizzie would always fear the goblins and she ran back home while Laura was
fascinated by all kind of fruits that were sold.She wanted to buy the fruits from the
goblins but she owned no money.The goblins then made her to trade a lock of her
golden hair and perhaps it symbolizes a gold penny.
Laura then drank the fruits juice to her contentment and she even brought back a
kernel of a fruit stone with her.
Lizzie was so mad at her when she returned late.Laura then told lizzie that she ate
the fruit juice and it was really delicious.
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 Lizzie then told Laura the story of Jeanie ,the bride to be who was died because she

ate the fruits.Laura said to Lizzie that everything will be fine and she will buy enough
fruits for both of them.

The next day ,Laura wanted to meet the goblins but she could no longer see the

goblins nor could she hear their cries.Lizzie could still hear their cries though.

Laura then felt sick and she could not eat or drink anymore.She tried to plant the

kernel of the fruit stone but there is no progress.

Lizzie felt worried about her sister's condition and she decided to meet the goblins.
Lizzie try to find the same group of goblins whom they have met on the day Laura

bought the fruits.She then managed to discover them and she tried to negotiate to
buy the fruits with her silver penny.

The goblins were not interested in her offer but they invited her to join the feast

.Lizzie refused to join and the goblins took her silver penny.

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 Lizzie asked for her silver penny back but the goblins started to force-feed her with

fruits .Lizzie resistantly opened her mouth and the goblins started to harass her even
more violent.They smeared her face with the fruits as she did not open her mouth.
The goblins tried their hard until they surrendered to her persistence.They regarded

her as the lily in the flood ,as she is really brave and firm to standing alone against
the goblins.
The goblins then gave back her silver penny and she ran back home as fast as she

could.The goblins went disappeared .

When Lizzie arrived at home,she asked Laura to lick her neck that was syruped with

the fruits juice.Laura did as she was told and after that ,she collapsed.
In the next morning ,Laura regains her health and the tale ended with Laura and

Lizzie both are wives and mothers to their children.THE END.

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ANALYSIS
This is a narrative type of poem where Lizzie and Laura were actually

narrating their stories to their children.

Christina Rossetti dedicated this poem to her sister Maria Francesca

Rossetti.
This poem contains 28 stanzas and 139 lines.
The ryhme is irregular because it does not always follow ABAB rhyme .
The original title of this poem is A Peep at the Goblins but Christina's

brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti suggested it to be changed to Goblin Market.

There are two setting for this poem ; a fantasy world where the goblins exist

and they have a travelling fruits market and another setting is a typical
English countryside as the poem described that there were many fresh
flowers ,cows to milk and chicken to feed.
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 There are many themes in this poem ;

1) Female heroism = Lizzie was like a heroin as she stood against the goblins no matter
what they did to torture her.

2) Sisterhood = As she could not bear watching her sister in a death-like state,she took
the risk in saving her sister's life.She was there taking care of her sister until her sister
gained her recovery.
3) Lesbian eroticism = This poem is extravagant with the element of eroticism and
excessive skinship where Lizzie and Laura were always showing their love towards
each other by kissing ,cuddling each other while sleeping ,and they used a very sensual
language to call each other.
4) Sin = this poem also can be viewed as an allusion to the temptation of Eve in the
Garden of Eden.Laura drank the fruits juice while Eve ate the forbidden fruit.Eve was
kicked out from the heaven but luckily Laura got her second chance to live because of
her sister.
5) Violence = the goblins acted violently towards Lizzie when they tried to force her to
eat their fruits.They started to scratch ,kick,maul,pinch and knock her but she would
still keep her mouth shut.
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ALLEGORY TO CHRISTIANITY
THE STORY OF GARDEN OF EDEN
Laura = Eve

Lizzie = Adam/Christ figure/devotee

Goblin men = Satan

Variety of fruit = temptations of world

Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and they were kicked out

from the Garden of Eden = Laura ate the Goblin's dangerous

fruits and she fell ill.

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 There is a similarity in this two stories where both Eve and Laura were

tempted easily by the evils while Lizzie and Adam were hardly moved
by the temptations.

The difference is that Adam ate the forbidden fruit after being strongly

persuaded by Eve but Lizzie was never being shaken by her sister's
persuasion.As the result,Adam was kicked out together with Eve but in
the poem,only Laura who suffered from illness.

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 THE LAST SUPPER

In his last night before his cruxificion,Jesus had his final meal with his apostles .He

drank a cup of wine that was poured with his blood.The cup of wine mixed with his
blood will purify his disciples of their sin and he would be ready to be cruxified
instead of his disciples.It is like to say Him only can save his disciples.

In this poem,Laura took the suffering of being harassed by the goblins because she

knew only she alone can save her sister's life.It symbolizes her readiness to sacrifice
everything she has including her body.Her body was syruped with red fruit juice and
this red fruit juice was like the wine Jesus had to drink .Laura had to drink this red
fruit juice in order to escape from the death.

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ALLEGORY TO SEXUAL DESIRE AND

VIOLENCE
Laura was no longer a maiden after she drank the fruits juice.As if she

loses her virginity after she drank the fruits juice.Lizzie was on the other
hand was still a maiden as she could still see the goblins and hear their
cries.How ironic it is to lose a virginity just by eating the goblin's
dangerous fruits.
The goblin men attack Lizzie with fruits , but she refuses to eat

them.The goblins then harassed her . Lizzie trade a silver penny with
the fruits to the goblins.In Elizabethan term,silver penny is another
meaning of female genitalia.

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For there is no friend like a sister

In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.

(the last six lines from the last stanza in this poem)
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CODE OF SISTERHOOD
Code of sisterhood is the main lesson that readers can learn.How

strong the bonding between the sisters is when one of them is facing a
great challenge.Siblings need to stick together in whatever situation it
is ,whether it is happiness or despair.They need to strengthen each
other,comfort each other and never leave other other.
Perhaps this is also what Christina want to deliver the message is to

the fallen women in St. Mary Magdalene Home .The fallen women or
the prostitutes need to be there for each other and they will always
have hopes to recreate or rebuild their new future.Leaving their past
behind,they will have a second chance of better life.
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ISLAMIC VALUES
As Muslims,we should not agree that the story of Garden of Eden as to be the same

with the story of Prophet Adam and Hawa' .Both are not the same as Islam has
different views on this two stories.Therefore,Muslims should be able to differentiate
the differences between these two stories.
The temptations of the world are many and will never end until the world is

completely destroyed.Muslims should always be aware of their own desire and always
have to strive not to follow devil's trap.
ALLAH has reminded Muslims on these temptations and to be aware of them.These

worldly temptations will deceive Muslims and they will be drowning in this world
while trying to taste or own these temptations.
There are so many verses of Quran that can be cited as to show ALLAH's reminder

to Muslims on not to be blinded by these temptations.

However,we would like to present only these two verses of the Quran which can be

literally understood by average Muslims.

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 Verse 14 to 15 Surah 'Ali -'Imran presents to us some forms of

temptations that all human beings are majorly attracted to posses ;

beautiful women and handsome men,gold and silver ,fine branded
horses,cattles and land.Then ALLAH said that in the Paradise ,there

would be a greater glad tidings than those temporary possessions of the

world.There will be rivers flowing beneath,pure and holy
companions,pleasures of ALLAH and this Paradise will be our eternal
home.

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 Verse 20 in Surah Al-Hadid describes to us Muslims that this world is

only a place where we only want to have fun and enjoyment,boasting

about our achievement ad accomplishment,competing with each other
in gaining wealth and producing children,then ALLAH compared all of

that to a plant where after a rain it will grow and then dries,turn
yellow,then lastly it becomes straw or debris.ALLAH said that there
will be a severe punishment in the Hereafter ,also His forgiveness and
also His good pleasures.And this worldly life only offered a deceiving
and delusional enjoyment.

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