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Use of sonnet throughout the ages (Shakespeare, Milton and Rossetti) - page 7
Keywords: english literature lit sonnet poetry william shakespeare john milton christina rossetti
By exploiit on 19/06/2010
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 7 of 8 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8be late to counsel then or pray”. Her fear of losing this man has made her sound resentful, and left her sounding selfish with her priority being how she is remembered after death.
As a volta should, a change of tone is now introduced. The selfish air of the sonnet is abolished, as we see the poetic voice speak more of her lover and her concern for his emotions. She tells him that even if he should forget her for a while “and afterwards remember”, she does not want or expect him to grieve. The poetic voice almost warns her lover away from these feelings of grief and despair by using effective and emotive adjectives such as “darkness” and “corruption”. This is a prime example of how, like Milton’s, Rossetti’s love is genuine as she does not want to be the cause of distress for her lover. She hopes he will always regard and remember her, but finds his happiness is of higher importance. The closing sestet hammers home Rossetti’s main objective. Although originally seen as self-obsessed, we come to realise that the poetic voice’s main priority is the happiness of her lover. She believes it is “better by far [he] should forget and smile / Than that [he] should remember and be sad”. The poetic voice is now depicted as selfless and caring, and we can be sure that her love is not false or exaggerated. It is instead pure and Rossetti hopes that it is strong enough to withstand the test of time.
Christina Rossetti’s use of her ‘poetic voice’ proves too to be very well operated in order to present her ideas and emotions. Her sonnet was extremely efficient in showcasing the selflessness that true love requires, and the level of sacrifice that may come with it. Rossetti’s concerns for her lover are greater than her own desires to be remembered, and so she is suggesting that true love can overcome the limitations that time presents.
All three of the aforementioned sonnets explore the same theme, but in completely different ways. Shakespeare’s piece was written about his superficial love for a woman, and uses natural references to elevate his high regards in this instance. In contrast, both Milton and Rossetti write in regards to the sincere love they each experience for their partners. Although in different manners, Milton and Rossetti both weave the idea of death into their sonnets and
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