Rossetti: Questions for Discussion and Further Research
Christina Rossetti was one of several notable Rossetti siblings; her brother William was a journal editor and art critic, and another brother was the famous Pre-Raphaelite painter and libertine Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Her poetry about romantic relationships is far less idealistic than that of her brother Gabriel, and suggests a wry wariness about the joys of engagement or matrimony.
Discuss:
- In “No, Thank You, John,” what does the narrator mean when she declares, “No fault of mine made me your toast”? What does this line suggest about women’s responsibility for men’s advances? Does this reflect or subvert conventional Victorian thinking? Explain your answer.
- Rossetti uses several playful figures of speech in her poems, including a comparison of John’s appearance to that of a “ghost” and his behavior to “haunt”-ing her. What connotations do these words carry? How do they shape the poem’s meaning?
- Is the speaker within each poem portrayed sympathetically? (In other words, is the reader expected to sympathize with her, or to view her as a villain?) Explain your answer.
- What message(s) do both poems contain about masculinity? Femininity? Marriage? (Use specific quotations from the text to support your answer.)
Do further research:
- Christina Rossetti had some talent for art alongside that of her brothers. Using your college library’s resources, look up her artwork and analyze at least one of the images you find. What subject(s) did she prefer to paint? How does her artwork underscore the messages found in her poems?
