Subjects

Subjects

More

Discover Victorian Mourning Customs and Christina Rossetti's 'Remember' Poem

View

Discover Victorian Mourning Customs and Christina Rossetti's 'Remember' Poem
user profile picture

maria

@maria_reji

·

56 Followers

Follow

Christina Rossetti's "Remember" explores Victorian mourning customs and practices through a poignant sonnet. The poem, written in 1849 but published in 1862, reflects the era's preoccupation with death and remembrance. Key aspects include:

  • Intimate address to a loved one about remembrance after death
  • Use of Petrarchan sonnet form with a significant volta
  • Exploration of memory, love, and the acceptance of being forgotten
  • Reflection of Victorian mourning culture and attitudes towards death

2/7/2023

342

Remember
Context
'Remember', written by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) when she was still a teenager, is a classic
Victorian poem about mour

View

Structure and Analysis of "Remember"

Christina Rossetti's "Remember" analysis reveals a masterful use of the Petrarchan sonnet form to explore themes of love, memory, and acceptance of death. The poem's structure and language work together to create a poignant reflection on mortality and the nature of remembrance.

The sonnet follows the traditional Petrarchan rhyme scheme (abba abba cdd ece) and is divided into an octave and a sestet. This structure is crucial to the poem's development:

Definition: Volta - The turning point in a sonnet, typically occurring between the octave and sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet.

The volta in "Remember" occurs at line 9, marked by the word "Yet." This turning point shifts the poem's focus from the speaker's desire to be remembered to an acceptance of potentially being forgotten.

Highlight: The repetition of the word "remember" throughout the poem creates a refrain-like effect, but its power seems to diminish as the poem progresses, mirroring the fading of memory.

Rossetti's language is notable for its simplicity and directness, avoiding sentimentality while addressing profound themes. This approach allows for a more intimate and genuine exploration of love and loss.

Quote: "What marks Rossetti's treatment of this theme is the plainness and directness of her speech: she speaks to her lover with an intimate simplicity and tenderness and a refusal to give way to a sentimental desire to be eternally and continuously remembered by those she leaves behind." - Oliver Tearle

The poem's structure and language work together to create a nuanced exploration of Victorian era mourning poetry themes, balancing the desire for remembrance with the acceptance of being forgotten for the sake of the beloved's happiness.

Remember
Context
'Remember', written by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) when she was still a teenager, is a classic
Victorian poem about mour

View

Context and Victorian Mourning Customs

Christina Rossetti's poem "Remember" is deeply rooted in the Victorian era mourning poetry themes. Written in 1849 and published in 1862, it coincided with a period of intense focus on death and remembrance in Victorian society. The poem's publication followed the death of Prince Albert, which heightened public interest in mourning literature.

Victorian mourning customs were elaborate and strictly observed. Families would engage in various rituals to mark the passing of a loved one, including:

  • Stopping clocks at the time of death
  • Covering mirrors with crepe or veiling
  • Turning family photos face down
  • Hanging wreaths on front doors
  • Draping door handles with black crepe

Highlight: The length of mourning depended on one's relationship to the deceased, with widows expected to mourn for two years.

Example: Mourning attire progressed from black to grey, mauve, and white, symbolizing the gradual transition from deep grief to acceptance.

Vocabulary: Jet - A hard, black coal-like material used in mourning jewelry, often combined with woven hair of the deceased.

The Victorian fascination with death extended to photography, with families often taking photos of deceased loved ones, sometimes posed as if still alive among family members.

Quote: "Death photography soon became a very popular trend. For many families, it was the first and only opportunity to get a photograph with a loved one, particularly if the deceased was a child."

Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

Knowunity was a featured story by Apple and has consistently topped the app store charts within the education category in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Join Knowunity today and help millions of students around the world.

Ranked #1 Education App

Download in

Google Play

Download in

App Store

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

4.9+

Average App Rating

15 M

Students use Knowunity

#1

In Education App Charts in 12 Countries

950 K+

Students uploaded study notes

Still not sure? Look at what your fellow peers are saying...

iOS User

I love this app so much [...] I recommend Knowunity to everyone!!! I went from a C to an A with it :D

Stefan S, iOS User

The application is very simple and well designed. So far I have found what I was looking for :D

SuSSan, iOS User

Love this App ❤️, I use it basically all the time whenever I'm studying

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Discover Victorian Mourning Customs and Christina Rossetti's 'Remember' Poem

user profile picture

maria

@maria_reji

·

56 Followers

Follow

Christina Rossetti's "Remember" explores Victorian mourning customs and practices through a poignant sonnet. The poem, written in 1849 but published in 1862, reflects the era's preoccupation with death and remembrance. Key aspects include:

  • Intimate address to a loved one about remembrance after death
  • Use of Petrarchan sonnet form with a significant volta
  • Exploration of memory, love, and the acceptance of being forgotten
  • Reflection of Victorian mourning culture and attitudes towards death

2/7/2023

342

 

12/13

 

English Literature

17

Remember
Context
'Remember', written by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) when she was still a teenager, is a classic
Victorian poem about mour

Structure and Analysis of "Remember"

Christina Rossetti's "Remember" analysis reveals a masterful use of the Petrarchan sonnet form to explore themes of love, memory, and acceptance of death. The poem's structure and language work together to create a poignant reflection on mortality and the nature of remembrance.

The sonnet follows the traditional Petrarchan rhyme scheme (abba abba cdd ece) and is divided into an octave and a sestet. This structure is crucial to the poem's development:

Definition: Volta - The turning point in a sonnet, typically occurring between the octave and sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet.

The volta in "Remember" occurs at line 9, marked by the word "Yet." This turning point shifts the poem's focus from the speaker's desire to be remembered to an acceptance of potentially being forgotten.

Highlight: The repetition of the word "remember" throughout the poem creates a refrain-like effect, but its power seems to diminish as the poem progresses, mirroring the fading of memory.

Rossetti's language is notable for its simplicity and directness, avoiding sentimentality while addressing profound themes. This approach allows for a more intimate and genuine exploration of love and loss.

Quote: "What marks Rossetti's treatment of this theme is the plainness and directness of her speech: she speaks to her lover with an intimate simplicity and tenderness and a refusal to give way to a sentimental desire to be eternally and continuously remembered by those she leaves behind." - Oliver Tearle

The poem's structure and language work together to create a nuanced exploration of Victorian era mourning poetry themes, balancing the desire for remembrance with the acceptance of being forgotten for the sake of the beloved's happiness.

Remember
Context
'Remember', written by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) when she was still a teenager, is a classic
Victorian poem about mour

Context and Victorian Mourning Customs

Christina Rossetti's poem "Remember" is deeply rooted in the Victorian era mourning poetry themes. Written in 1849 and published in 1862, it coincided with a period of intense focus on death and remembrance in Victorian society. The poem's publication followed the death of Prince Albert, which heightened public interest in mourning literature.

Victorian mourning customs were elaborate and strictly observed. Families would engage in various rituals to mark the passing of a loved one, including:

  • Stopping clocks at the time of death
  • Covering mirrors with crepe or veiling
  • Turning family photos face down
  • Hanging wreaths on front doors
  • Draping door handles with black crepe

Highlight: The length of mourning depended on one's relationship to the deceased, with widows expected to mourn for two years.

Example: Mourning attire progressed from black to grey, mauve, and white, symbolizing the gradual transition from deep grief to acceptance.

Vocabulary: Jet - A hard, black coal-like material used in mourning jewelry, often combined with woven hair of the deceased.

The Victorian fascination with death extended to photography, with families often taking photos of deceased loved ones, sometimes posed as if still alive among family members.

Quote: "Death photography soon became a very popular trend. For many families, it was the first and only opportunity to get a photograph with a loved one, particularly if the deceased was a child."

Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

Knowunity was a featured story by Apple and has consistently topped the app store charts within the education category in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Join Knowunity today and help millions of students around the world.

Ranked #1 Education App

Download in

Google Play

Download in

App Store

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

4.9+

Average App Rating

15 M

Students use Knowunity

#1

In Education App Charts in 12 Countries

950 K+

Students uploaded study notes

Still not sure? Look at what your fellow peers are saying...

iOS User

I love this app so much [...] I recommend Knowunity to everyone!!! I went from a C to an A with it :D

Stefan S, iOS User

The application is very simple and well designed. So far I have found what I was looking for :D

SuSSan, iOS User

Love this App ❤️, I use it basically all the time whenever I'm studying