McClellan

=Christina Rosetti(1830-1894) and the Victorian Era = Kim McClellan UW Rock County Student

The Private Life of Christina Rossetti
Christina Rossetti was born in London, England on December 5th, 1830. Her father, Gabriel, was an Italian poet and well known reformist who was exiled to England in 1826, which happened to be the same year of his marriage.Her father eventually became a professor of Italian at King's College in London. Her mother, Frances, was devoutly religious, and both Christina and her sister Maria held to these strong religious roots, with Maria becoming a nun and Christina holding fast to these religious beliefs. Her strong religious ties led her to reject the proposals of two men (James Collinson and Charles Cayley) due to religious incompatibility. Rossetti remained single and childless throughout her life. Her brothers, Dante and William were founders of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and she often sat for their paintings, as well as took part in their discussions. She was the subject of //The Girlhood of Mary Virgin ,// the painting which launched her brother's career, as well as several photographs by Lewis Carroll. It is widely believed that due to her closeness to the movement, Pre-Raphaelite themes are present within her works. Apparently inheriting her father's artistic abilities Christina was writing poetry at a young age, engaging in sonnet writing contests with her brothers. When she was seventeen, her grandfather (Gaetano Polidori) privately published a collection of her early works. Throughout her life Rossetti was troubled by illnesses that ranged from chronic tuberculosis to neuralgia, as well as emotional strain brought on by her brother Dante's breakdown. Following Dante's death in 1882 she published very little and succumbed to cancer on December 29th, 1894.



Rossetti is most known for her poetry, and outside of her grandfather's private publication her her poems, she was first featured in the __London Athenaeum__ at the age of nineteen. During her association with the Pre-Raphaelites, she submitted poetry to __The Germ__, a journal founded by her brothers and often dominated by Dante's works. These poems were published under the pseudonym Ellen Alleyn. Her first commercially published volume was __G____oblin Market and Other Poems__, this collection contained her earlier works, many of which had been written a decade before it was published. The title poem received mixed reviews and is still widely discussed today due to it's sexual and well as religious undertones. Due to her strong religious ties, many of the poems featured in the volume had distinct religious tones. These religious poems received high praise at the time of publication. An avid perfectionist in the art of verse, Christina wrote her entire life, however due to her meticulous nature, she only published a total of seven volumes of poetry, including her grandfather's privately published collection as well as a posthumous publication. Her children's volume of poetry __Sing Song__ was widely praised for its playful and musical qualities. Outside of poetry, Rossetti also wrote religious prose as well as short stories, however it was widely agreed among critics that these pieces simply could not hold up to her previous works. Rossetti was a strong poet, and she focused much time crafting her poetry to create a musical quality as well as vivid imagery. "Evening by evening Among the brookside rushes, Laura bowed her head to hear, Lizzie veiled her blushes: Crouching close together In the cooling weather, With clasping arms and cautioning lips, With tingling cheeks and finger-tips. "Lie close," Laura said, Pricking up her golden head: We must not look at goblin men" This passage from //Goblin Market// displays the art of Rossetti's poetry. Although the subject matter is rather grim, the poem has a musical quality to it, each line leading into the next to create a nearly flawless crafting of rhyme. Imbedded in this musical stanza is the vivid imagery of Lizzie and Laura in their nervous state, viewing the goblins. Carefully placed within these brief lines, it is clear that Laura and Lizzie are relatively young, and this idea is created with a few choice words placed precisely within a line.
 * The Professional Life of Christina Rossetti**


 * Major Works**
 * //Verses (Poetry, 1847)//
 * //Goblin Market and Other Poems (Poetry,1862)//
 * //The Prince's Progress and Other Poems (Poetry, 1866)//
 * //Sing Song (Poetry, 18//72)
 * //A Pageant and Other Poems (1881)//
 * //Annus Domini// (//Prose, 1874)//
 * //Called Be To Saints (Prose, 1881)//
 * //The Face of the Deep (Prose,// 1892)

=Dissecting Rossetti's Work= Rossetti's devout Christian life, as well as her strong association to the Pre-Raphaelite and Victorian movements has created a debate regarding not only her works, but her place in literary history. Many of the articles I came across during my research have focused strongly on her Pre-Raphaelite background. However her religious influence in not only her life but her writing has shown to be en equally important factor when analyzing her work. John R. Holmes' biography of Rossetti offers a brief look into Rossetti's personal life, as well as focusing on her intellectual achievements along with her close proximity to the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He then goes on to explain the influences of many movements throughout her life, as well as her religious ties. Holmes then begins to analyze a select number of her works based on the context of her background as well as the many intellectual movements which surrounded her life. This monograph offers a quick look into her life, as well as some in-depth explanations of not only her work, but the importance of her presence in the literary world. This article covers many aspects of her life, from her position as a woman writer in the Victorian Era to her intellectual influence among the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Several different factors are included in this monograph to offer insight into the many interpretations of Rossetti's works, as well as her life. Holmes, John R. "Christina Rossetti" //Magill's Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition//; January 2009 pl-5 //EbscoHost 2011// Daven M. Kari's article on Rossetti focuses on the religious influence on Christina's life. Peppered throughout this biography are references to religion and it's role on Rossetti's poetry. Kari draws a parallel between Rossetti's poetry and her personal life. This monograph goes deeper into the influence of Rossetti's devout Christian life and the extent to which it influenced her poetry. During my research I found this helpful in analyzing some of Rossetti's poems, as well as her life. A look into an author's personal life can help to create a clearer focus on their work. This article allows any researcher to look at the religious aspect of her life and transfer it onto her writings. Kari, Daven M "Christina Rossetti" //Cyclopedia of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition;// January 2003 pl-3 //EbscoHost 2011// ri
 * Monograph # 1**
 * Monograph # 2**

Scholarly Journal Article # 1
Kevin A. Morrison dissects the influence of Rossetti's father in her poem "Winter; My Secret". This article goes on to display the parallels between Gabriel's ties to the Per-Raphaelite movement and the theme of secrecy within this poem. Morrison explains the influence of family and religion in Christina's work to explain the importance of this poem. This is a scholarly article because of it's lengthy discussion of a single poem and the historical influences within the poem. It also uses correct citing within the article, as well as a thorough analysis of the poem and the factors influencing the poem. Morrison, Kevin A "Gabriel Rossetti's Life and Studies: A Source For Christina's Rossetti's 'Winter: My Secret?'" English Language Notes: December 2005, Vol 43 Issue 2, pg 159-166.

Patricia Ralston looks at the religious influence of Rossetti's life. Focusing on one of her nonfiction pieces "The Face of The Deep", Ralston shows the importance of religion in her works, and well as demonstrating why this message of Rossetti's is still influential today. Although this focused on her prose, rather than her poetry, the author feels that her art of language is still intact. Taking Rossetti's life into account, the author dissects this piece thoroughly, drawing on religious knowledge displayed in this piece.This is a scholarly article because it once again offers many outside sources, gives a thorough analysis and was published in a Christian scholarly journal. Ralston, Patricia "The Face of The Deep" Masterplots II, Christian Literature: September 2007, p1-2.
 * Scholarly Journal Article # 2**

Deborah Dooley's analysis of "Goblin Market" focuses on the symbolism displayed in the story. It begins with a summary of the poem, and then she breaks the pieces down to show the different aspects of the poem. This article focuses on not only the religious aspects of the poem, but also the historical and societal aspects of the poem. This is also followed by some discussion questions and essay ideas. This article creates prompts for the readers, as well as giving a very in depth look into Rossetti's best known and most discussed poem. Due to this and the outside sources cited within the article, I know this is a scholarly essay. Dooley, Deborah "Christina Rossetti's '//Goblin Market'"// Literary Contexts in Poetry; 2005 Library Reference Center
 * Scholarly Journal # 3**

=Christina Rossetti on The Web= [|http://www.csulb.edu/~csnider/c.rossetti.html] []

=Talk Amongst Yourselves....=


 * 1) ===In the poem "Goblin Market" what purpose does the presence of fruit serve?===
 * 2) **What religious tones, if any, are present within this poem?**
 * 3) **How does this poem reflect the ideas and styles of the Victorian Movement?**
 * 4) **Why the emphasis on sisters, why not best friends, or cousins?**
 * 5) **After learning a little bit more of Rossetti's background, do you interpret the poem any differently?**