How does Williams create a sense of tension and drama for the audience in this extract? (scene 4 monologue) (30 marks)

In scene 4, Williams build a sense of tension and drama for the audience, through Blanche's monologue about Stanley. Along with the inflammatory content of Blanche's speech, tension is also heightened by the sense of dramatic irony imparted upon the audience. The fact that we can hear what is being said, as well as knowing that Stanley can, unbeknownst to Blanche & Stella, hear her too. This makes the audience nervous in anticipation of how Stanley will react to being spoken about in this way. Since we know he is a particularly unstable and inflammatory character, we know that the end result could be bad for Blanche, a premonition that does come true at the end of the play.

In her monologue, Blanche constantly makes reference to animalistic imagery when referring to Stanley, a portrait of the character that Williams often uses. Blanche is by no means implicit in her reference to Stanley in the manner. She even opens her tirade with the phrase: "He acts like an animal, has an animal's habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one!" From this already offensive statement, she degrades him even further: "There's even something-sub-human-something not quite to the stage of humanity yet!" going on to say: "like one of those pictures I've seen in - anthropological studies!" These words, while harsh, paint a somewhat accurate view of Stanley, one which the audience are likely to sympathise with. The vivid images which Blanche uses really do cause the audience to view Stanley in a new light, and almost sympathise with her plight. Although it may have the adverse effect of causing the audience to grow to dislike Blanche, as some members of the audience may see her comments as over the top, or downright slanderous. However, as aforementioned, all of these thoughts and feelings are overshadowed by the anticipation of Stanley's reaction, with only the audience actually knowing he is there.


The sense of drama is heightened further by the content of Blanche's speech. At one point she even references the very first scene of play, where Stanley is introduced and when he throws the bloody meat package at Stella. "Bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle!" This is interesting, considering the fact that Blanche was not cited as being there to witness the event, yet offers a sense of connection to the members of the audience astute enough to notice. Blanche goes on to refer to the events of the night before, where Stanley hit Stella in his drunken stupor. "Maybe he'll strike you or maybe grunt and kiss you! That is, if kisses have been discovered yet!". The fact that she refers to the events of the previous night without hesitation shows a lack of empathy towards those most affected by the situation, choosing instead to continue her self-righteous tirade, without regard for anyone else.

John Mcrae Lecture Notes

1) - Introduction to 'A Streetcar Named Desire'

First performed in 1947, but less than 100 years after the American civil war.

North/South division. Williams' always sets plays in the South.

Also before SELMA, MLK & 'Civil Rights'

South (especially New Orleans) is like another country to Americans.

Important part of the localisation of the culture of Streetcar

Removed from 'Normal' America, American Literature and Traditions.

Establishing a 'new' America.

A tragedy. But the main character doesn't die.

Many layers.

Play transcends its 'cliché' interpretations.

Based around a 'disintegrating' concept of the old families of the South.

Tragedy of love & sex.

Culminates in an act of sexual violence.

Not seen as particularly sexual at it's time.

Tragedy of gender, roles and power & influence. Want and desire.

Original title: The Poker Game.

Poker in the play: a male, tribal, activity.

Exclusiveness to the masculinity in the play, and to how Blanche handles her femininity.

Audience expected to feel sympathy for Blanche.

Blanche's 'kindness of strangers' is the key quote of the play.
Catharsis - release of emotions of fear & pity
Williams wants to move drama on from its previous form.
Anti-tragedy

 2) Scene 1

Noticeable for the long stage directions. Important.

Gives clues as to the main themes of the play in the names.

Elysian Fields, Stella for Star, Blanche for White, Streetcar named desire.

Play moves from May - September. Play moves through a summer. Palpable heat.

Heat is key concept.

Many scenes take place in evening. 

Music, sound, presence of other people. 

Whole society encapsulated. Music, People upstairs, people in the street.

Communicating to all of the audience's senses.

First characters we see are not important.

White & Coloured, New Orleans more racially integrated than the rest of America.

NO French territory bought by America.

Traditional music of NO is Jazz.

Music serves as emotional undercurrent.

Getting a glimpse into a family home here in New Orleans.

Begins with 'overhearing' a conversation between two side-characters.

Setting up a scene before the main characters enter.

A play for atmosphere.

All at once: Stanley, Mitch & Stella. Established in concept of money relationship.

A scene of movement.

Movement & Stasis, key aspects.

Blanche is quiet and static by comparison.

Blanche - incongruous.

She doesn't know this society.

Moth and Flame.

Light v Darkness.

First lines key.

Colossal irony.

Journey of desire takes us past cemeteries and Elysian fields.

Set up to accommodate a stranger.

Constantly jars against the society, preventing her from assimilating.

Ownership & loss another layer.

Contrast between social life of the New Orleans people, against the lonely nature of Blanche.

Blanche is a character without a future, but with much of a past.

Contrasting French past society vs Multicultural.

Blanche scared of the noises around this society.

Pretends not to drink, yet that is completely untrue.

Audience knows through dramatic irony that she is an alcoholic.

'onstage people are sympathetic to alcoholics'

Relationship between B & STE well established.

'Long progress to the graveyard'.

Long Parade

in TW funerals are a 'prettification' of death

Blanche determined to find beauty wherever she can, even in death,

Stanley the 'new man of new America'.

'a stud'.

Alpha male, cock of the walk

Polish

Gender & Identity. 

gaudy seed-bearer

American society that believes in capitalism and multiculturalism.

'Archaic America is no more'.

Stanley Kowalski is the future, like it or not.

Power & Vulnerability established when B and STA meet.

Sex on Stage.

Tragedy encapsulated in the final scene.

3) - Scene 2 

Pickup of speed.

Documentation/paperwork.

dead hand of the past catching up with the future

Past = Papers

Future = Stella's baby.

Society that has stopped/been sold of vs a society that, even without money is moving on.

Blanche is a sexual character, but will not have children.

Not childless in a tragic way, but in an 'end of the line' way.

No future to offer a child.

'Epic Fornications' run in the family.

Blanche is the product of her family & history.

Whole play an analogy for a developing America.

Invited to see Stella in a very positive light.

Will stick with her choices, and try to be as loyal as she can to Blanche, but will stick with Stanley.

Blanche becomes a lost cause to the audience/reader.

Alive but dead.

How 'dead' is she?

Doesn't die, but latches on to the doctor & nurse.

Napoleonic code.

Old, French background still in use in the advancing America.

Blanche owns nothing. Hence why her body is so important to her.

She is fading.

'I was flirting with your husband'.

Flirts because it's the only thing she knows to do.

Thinks its what men 'want'.

Blanche is irresponsible.

Tries to make up for it by being 'pretty' and 'flirtatious'

Williams wants us to sympathize for B and not judge her a total failure.

Tragic nobility redeems her, despite everything falling apart.

4) - Scene 3

Poker Game

The possible title.

Masculinity. Violent, strong.

Steve's Joke is important.

inclusion of the word nigger is important.

Williams uses it to show the male joking.

The word would be used without thinking.

The joke is about priorities - sex over food, money etc

Mitch 'emerges' from the poker game.

B and M's first encounter is about physical needs.

gallantry - old fashioned

Echoes 'gone with the wind' Vivian Leigh, main female character in both.

America growing up. 

Poker game 'explodes into violence'.

Clash of masculine values.

STA & STE a whole new 'language' of relationships to Blanche.

Un-relatable to her.

5) - Scene 4

Scene runs on directly.

The following morning

'Choral chant'.

Like in Greek tragedy.

'Life goes on'

Blanche survives, despite her shortcomings.

Nature of the tragedy? 

- that she survives?

- that she will keep going?

- anybody else's tragedy?

Some critics see it as a tragedy of 'unfulfilled desires' symbolised by Mitch.

key word in scene 4 - desire

contrast between what the mind and emotions do.

Rossetti's Attitudes Towards Death - Exam Question Plan

Explore the ways Rossetti presents attitudes towards death in 'Up-Hill' and other poems.

Up-Hill
In Up-Hill death, at least in pursuit of heaven, is viewed as a rest at the end of the long journey that is life.
Key Quotes:
'Will the day's journey take the whole long day?'
'Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?'
'Will there be beds for me and all who seek?'
'They will not keep you standing at that door'
'Of labour you shall find the sum.'
'Yea, beds for all who come.'

Song (When I am dead, my dearest)
In Song, the speaker is telling a loved one how they wish their death to be handled. It concentrates on a desire for as little cliché mourning as possible.
Key Quotes:
'Sing no sad songs for me;'
'Plant thou no roses at my head,'
'And if thou wilt remember, and if thou wilt forget'
'Haply I may remember, and haply may forget'

Remember
Remember takes the opposite stance to Soong, where the speaker begs for those left behind to remember them, however, as the poem goes on the voice changes to say how they don't mind if the bereaved forget.
Key Quotes:
'Remember me when I am gone away, gone far away into the silent land'
'Yet if you should forget me for a while and afterwards remember, do not grieve.'
'Better by far you should forget and smile than that you should remember and be sad.'

Echo
In echo, death is seen as something that soon becomes boring.
Key Quotes:
'... in Paradise, where souls brimfull of love abide and meet; where thirsting longing eyes watch the slow door that opening, letting in, lets out no more.

In the Round Tower at Jhansi
In this poem, death is viewed as a swift, merciful release when the characters are faced with a painful death otherwise.
Key Quotes:
"Kiss and kiss: 'It is not pain thus to kiss and die. One kiss more.'-'And yet one again.'-'Goodbye.'-'Goodbye.'

'Echo' Worksheet Answers

1. Summarise the poem's content briefly
The poem follows an unspecified voice who longs for a long lost/dead loved one. It goes on to explore the speaker's thoughts and experiences of 'paradise', or a form of afterlife.

2. What tone is used by he speaker at the start with the imperative verb in 'come to me'?
This opening imperative, when taken out of context, could be interpreted as harsh or commanding, but when taken in context, it seems more of a plea, or an outcry of longing or loneliness. The repetition of the phrase further indicates that it is more of a plea than any sort of actual, tangible command.

3. Why do they feel this way?
The speaker may have been given course to feel this way due to the implied loss or death of a loved one. Another interpretation of the speaker's anguish is a more religious interpretation, where-upon the speaker has lost faith or 'touch' with God, or their own belief in God.

4. In stanza 2 the speaker imagines paradise. What is it like? How does (s)he use poetic techniques to describe paradise? Explain the impression given by the language.
The speaker describes paradise as being the home of 'souls brimfull of love'. Despite the seemingly positive nature of this image, it soon turns out to be rather the opposite. The speaker continues, saying: 'Where thirsting longing eyes watch he slow door that opening, letting in, lets out no more'. This, when compared to the previous image, is a much darker and bleak image. This passage gives an impression that, despite being 'paradise', the afterlife leaves the souls of the dead unsatisfied, or even bored. It suggests that due to the fact that they can never again leave this 'paradise' they begin to foster an extreme longing for what, or who, they had left behind in the world of the living.
The use of repetition in the first line of the stanza 'sweet, too sweet, too bitter sweet' shows that while paradise may, at first, seem like a good, or 'sweet', thing it soon becomes 'too sweet' and then 'too bitter sweet' after being there for too long. This gives the impression that paradise may not be all it is said to be.

5.In the final stanza there is a change in tone with the connective 'yet', how will the speaker's problem be solved?
The connective 'yet' serves as a turning point for the speaker. It is at this point that the speaker abandons the bleak tone that was adopted for the first two stanzas and seems to adopt a more introspective, hopeful tone. The speaker's problem looks to be solved by way of a form of psuedo-resurrection of the speaker's lost loved one. The speaker says: 'come to me in dreams, that I may live my very life again tho' cold in death'. This shows that the speaker would be satisfied with simply seeing their lost one in a dream, to a point where it would make them feel 'alive' again. This vivid mental image is succeeded by a more physical, but still dream-like image, in 'that I may give pulse for pulse, breath for breath; speak low, lean low.'

Class Work for 13/11/2015 (Unfinished)

Task #1 - Read the Article, Make Notes On the Title, Author and the Date of Publication

The title of the article is 'Old South versus New America - A Streetcar Named Desire' The title immediately tells us which aspect of the play the author has chosen to comment on. That aspect being the representation or re-telling of the American Civil War story through the parallel characters of Stanley & Blanche.
The Author is Gabi Reigh, and English teacher at Farnborough College.
This article was published in September 2015.

Summarise the Main Point of the Article (About 200 Words)

In the article, Reigh discusses the conflict between a set of values and cultural attitudes in Streetcar, particularly the 'battle' between two characters, Stanley & Blanche. The main point in this article is that the struggle between the two is a re-telling of the American Civil War, with Blanche representing the archaic deep south and Stanley being symbolic of the new, modern north. Reigh says that this opposition is apparent right from the beginning, with the characters parallel costumes, as if uniforms of the two armies of soldiers. Blanche represents the old south, and is a 'staunch defender of the values of art, poetry and music.' Reigh goes on to say that Blanche's decline over the course of the play is reflective of the crisis of the Old South after its defeat in the civil war. Stanley is very much the image of the new, prosperous and progressive America. In his blue work clothes, likely an imitation of the blue civil war uniform of the North,

Task #2 - Pick out 5 key 

Class Work for 06/11/2015

Task #1 - Summarise and choose a key quote from your reading of Arthur Miller's introduction to the play.

In his introduction to the play, Arthur Miller writes about the firs time he saw 'A Streetcar Named Desire' performed on stage, and how the play changed the world of theatre. He said that this play distinguished itself from most other plays at the time because of its unusual realism in terms of character and dialogue. He talks about the poetic, soulful nature of the play and the influence that it had on he future of theatre.
At the end of the introduction, Miller says that. over time, through stagnation and over-performance streetcar has lot it's edge. Talking about how uninspired some of the actors portraying the characters were, he says: "Their characters have been turned to stone, their eyes to marble. Streetcar is a cry of pain; forgetting that is to forget the play."

Task #2 - Research and make notes on the following:

Southern Belle: This term refers to the stereotypical representation of a young women in the upper class of America's 'Deep South'. Characteristics of a typical 'Southern Belle' include: Refined clothes such as dresses and corsets and pale porcelain skin.
They were also expected to marry into wealth and status. They were supposed to raise a family and dedicate themselves to community. Another expectation of the 'Southern Belle' is that they maintained a 'flirtatious yet chaste demeanor'.

New Orleans: New Orleans has always been one of the most culturally diverse cities in America, as well as being the biggest city in the state of Louisiana The 'melting pot' of races, identities and cultures has produced many unique festivals, types of music and food.While it has wealthy areas, much of the city (which was traditionally split into 'quarters') is relatively poor.

Immigration to the United States in the 20th Century: At the start of the 20th century, immigrants coming into the USA mostly consisted of Eastern and Southern Europeans (about 70%), mostly coming in search of work, or a 'better life'. Immigration hit a high of 9 million in the first decade of the new century. Many of these European immigrants were used as cheap labour in areas such as: coal mining, steel mills, textile mills and needlework factories. The work and living conditions were unsanitary and often dangerous. An Italian saying sums up the feelings of many immigrants of the time: "I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, found out three things: First, the streets weren't paved with gold; second, they weren't paved at all: and third, I was expected to pave them."

Tennessee Williams' Other Plays: Williams had a career spanning almost half a century. Aside from Streetcar, some of his other most famous plays include: The Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Sweet Bird of Youth. Williams also wrote novels, short stories and poetry.

Williams' Life and Times: Tennessee Williams was born in Columbus, Mississippi on the 26th of March in the year 1911. His father was an alcoholic, often abusive travelling salesman, who was not often at home. His mother was the typical doting 'Southern Belle', who focused much of her attention and affection on her son. During his early years, Williams was often sick, once with a particularly bad case of Diptheria which nearly caused his death and left him recuperating for a year.
When he was 8, his father was promoted, which required the family to move to St. Louis, Missouri. The move affected the family greatly, the move causing a case of psuedo-culture shock.
Over the course of his life, Williams struggled with coming to terms with his homosexuality, and went through several turbulent relationships and affairs with various men.
In his later life, he began to struggle with both alcohol and drug addiction.
Four years before his death, Williams was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
On the 25th of February, 1983, Williams was found dead in his hotel room. Initially, it was believed that he had choked to death, but it was later reported that he died of a drug overdose.

Task #3 - Key Character Quotes

Blanche:

• "Deliberate cruelty is unforgivable, and the one thing of which I have never,ever been guilty of."
• "I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic. I try to give that to people. I do misrepresent things. I don't tell truths. I tell what ought to be truth."
• "I know I fib a good deal. After all, a woman's charm is 50% illusion."
• "Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

Stanley:

• "I never met a dame yet that didn't know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and there's some of them that give themselves credit for more than they've got."
• "Now that's how I'm gonna clear the table. Don't you ever talk that way to me. 'Pig,' 'Pollack,' 'disgusting,' 'vulgar,' 'greasy.' Those kind of words have been on your tongue and your sister's tongue just too much around here. What do you think you are? A pair of queens? Now just remember what Huey Long said - that every man's a king - and I'm the King around here, and don't you forget it."
• "You know what luck is? Luck is believing you're lucky, that's all... To hold a front position in this rat-race, you've got to believe you are lucky"

Stella:

• "The blind are leading the blind!"
• "Actually, I was sorta thrilled by it."
• "  I never listen to you when you're being morbid."
• "  I wish you'd stop taking it for granted that I'm in something I want to get out of."

Analysis of 'Echo'

'Echo' is a lyric poem, composed by Christina Rossetti in 1854, and published in the compilation 'Goblin Market and Other Poems' in 1862.

Synopsis

In 'Echo', the speaker is calling a lost loved one back to them. It is implied that the speaker is dead ("tho' cold in death"), and wants their loved one to visit them in their dreams so that they may relive the 'love of finished years'.

Themes

Longing
The main theme of 'Echo' is longing. This is expressed throughout the poem, and can be seen right from the outset with the repetition of the word 'Come'. Over the course of the poem, the speaker makes clear their desire for the return, at least in memory, of their loved one. Longing is further expressed by way of the repeated call to the speakers loved one, no matter whether they will hear or not, the speaker continues to call.

Echoes
While being the titular concept, the word 'echo' is never said outright in the poem. Despite this, the titles relevance is displayed through the repetition of the poem's voice. However, it serves as a stark and depressing revelation to the speaker. A revelation that despite all of their efforts to be heard, all that they will ever hear is the echo of their desires, implying that they will never be fulfilled.

Imagery & Symbolism

Eyes
In the poem, there are a few occasions in which the speaker mentions 'eyes'. This is a relevant concept because, while the speaker is implied to be dead (either literally or metaphorically), the eyes are often referred to as the 'window of the soul'.
In line 3, the speaker refers to "eyes as bright, as sunlight on a stream". This is a youthful, alive image, presumably a juxtaposition to the 'eyes' of the speaker. It is also a typical technique of Rossetti to refer to nature and natural beauty. This can be seen in many of her poems. The running theme of 'echoing is referenced again in the image of a sunlit stream, in which it is common to see your reflection. This could be interpreted as a sort of 'visual echo'.

Water
Water is referenced several times in this poem, taking several different forms over its course

• The Stream - As well as the 'visual echo' metaphor contained within the image of the sunlit stream, images of tranquillity, peace and steady movement are conveyed.
• Tears - The speaker requests that their lover come back to them "in tears". Aside from the obvious connotation of sadness or grief, tears can also signify deep, heartfelt emotion.
• 'Brimful' - This term, meaning overflowing, is often associated with water. The speaker uses it to describe the souls in paradise as being 'brimful of love'. This is an image of abundance, perhaps something the speaker feels will be appealing or inviting to their loved one.

Language & Tone

Uncertainty/Confusion
While the speaker claims to be in a 'paradise', this seems as though a farce or lie. The speaker feels that without their loved one, no matter where they are it will still be a cold, lonely place. This uncertainty is more clear towards the end of the poem. This is done by the speaker, when they, almost beg, the addressed to "come to me in dreams, that I may live". This shows that the longing that the speaker has produces some incredibly strong feelings, however, these feelings could be interpreted as nonsensical or distorted.

Oxymoron
The use of oxymoron is one way in which Rossetti expressed the uncertainty or confusion of the speaker. Examples of oxymoron in the poem include: 'speaking silence', 'bitter sweet' and, in the last stanza the concepts of 'life' and 'death' are paired.

Repetition/'Echo'
Repetition is found throughout the poem. The structure of the poem itself is representative of echoes and how they are produced and bounce back. This could have been utilised as a representation of the speaker attempting to simulate, or recall, some of the times had with their loved one.
Despite this, more positive, image, the repetition in the first stanza is more indicative of impatience, as well as the silence upon which the speaker's requests fall. The lack of response, and return of the sounds show that there is no one there to hear the speaker's pleas.

Sibilance/Alliteration
The first stanza contains an abundance of sibilance. The repeated 's' sounds create a hushed atmosphere. In the second and third stanzas, the alliteration of the sounds 'w' and 'l' helps the poem to flow better.

Assonance
The assonance of the 'ea' vowel sound throughout the poem is an apparent reference to the running theme of 'echoes' throughout the poem. Despite the fact that they do not all rhyme, the words: ‘speaking', ‘dream', ‘stream', ‘tears', ‘years', ‘death' and ‘breath' all share the same internal combination of vowels. This causes more of a visual echo than an auditory one.

Structure

Rhyme
This poem uses an ABABCC rhyme scheme, could be seen as reflective of the speaker's feeling or emotions. This idea of change and movement is exemplified in the fact that none of the rhymes are carried over to the next verse or stanza. Rossetti also uses rhyme to compare opposites. For example 'night' & 'bright', or 'breath' and 'death'.

Metre
The variety of metric form in the poem are indicative of the emotional changes the speaker goes through as they attempt to come to terms with the inevitability of their situation.

Goblin Market Summary

Goblin Market is a narrative poem by Christina Rossetti. Written in 1859 and published in 1862, the poem has been interpreted as having themes such as: femininity, sex, addiction, sin and violence.

The poem begins with two sisters, Lizzie and Laura, together in a glen. Passing by are a troop of 'Goblin Men', who are selling fruit. Lizzie warns Laura to be wary of the Goblin Men and their fruit, and attempts to hide and run away from them. However, despite Lizzie's warnings, Laura is tempted by the goblin men and purchases some fruit at the cost of a curl of her golden hair.
After gorging herself on the Goblin fruit, Laura returns home and sleeps.
Throughout the next day, Laura finds herself longing for the fruits she tasted the previous night. When night eventually comes Laura cannot hear the cries of the Goblin Men. However, Lizzie, who had not tasted the fruit the night before, can hear the Goblin Men approaching.

After discovering that she can no longer hear the Goblin Men, therefore meaning she is unable to buy their fruits, Laura falls in to a depressed state. She begins to sicken both mentally and physically. After months of steady deterioration, Lizzie realises that her sister is on the verge of death. Knowing this, she resolves to make the journey to purchase some of the Goblin fruit herself, intending to feed it to her sister to make her well again.
Upon encountering the Goblin Men, she tosses them a silver penny and asks for some fruit. The Goblins are originally compliant, but soon turn hostile when she refuses to eat it there and then, intending to take it home to feed Laura. The Goblins attack Lizzie in an attempt to force-feed her the fruits. After bravely withstanding their vicious assault, the Goblins give up and she returns home.
As soon as she returns, she feeds Laura the juices directly from her body.

The next morning, Laura has returned to her original state. It is then shown that when the two sisters eventually have their own children, they warn them of the Goblin Men, and tell them of the power of their sisterly bond.

Rossetti & Death ('Song' and 'Remember')

Song:

• Very explicit about the term 'death

• Shows no fear or apprehension when faced with death.

• Darker, slightly more morbid

• Directed at a larger, more general audience

Remember:

• Uses euphemisms to avoid explicit use of the term 'death'

• Similarly unfazed/welcoming when faced with death.

• More positive in nature

• Directed at an individual or small group of people

Maude Clare Notes

Maude Clare - Summary

The poem is about a woman who is in love with a man who has married another woman. The woman, Maude Clare, is the old lover of 'the man'. However, she was not able to marry him due to a difference in social standing and class.

Emotion of the mother in 'Maude Clare'

The mother seems to have had much more influence in regards to the outcome of the marriage. She seems to be keen on the idea of her son marrying a girl of a higher class and wealth. However, she seems to be aware of her son's situation, and appears to have gone through a similar scenario herself. She would rather her son married into wealth and status, than to the woman he loved.

The Lord

He seems to be a victim of his own class. As a result, others tend to make decisions for him, to further the reputation and social standing of the family.

Nell

Nell is boastful in her 'victory' over Maude Clare. She knows that in terms of both looks, and how much the Lord actually loves her, she cannot compare to Maude Clare. However, she has ultimately won over her in the fact that she ended up marrying him.

Rossetti characterizes Nell in the line: "I'll love him till he loves me best, me best of all Maude Clare." The repetition of the phrase 'me best' really shows her cruel tendencies in the way she really rubs in her superiority, or victory, over Maude Clare. It also shows her desire to completely become the object of the Lord's affections, saying that she'll "love him till he loves me best". In her eyes, this would be the ultimate victory and display of dominance over Maude Clare.

Significance of Order of Speaker

The significance of the narrator speaking first, is that he is used to set the scene and establish the context of the poem.
The mother is the first 'true' character to speak. This is indicative of her latent control and influence over her son, the Lord, to whom she is speaking.
The next character to speak is the titular Maude Clare. This reflects the content of her speech, in that she intends to disturb or interrupt the wedding procedures.
The Lord speaks next. He has a very small part in the poem, this reflects his atypical lack of influence over the ongoing events.
The final speaker is Nell. Her finality in the end is a representation of her 'victory' over Maude Clare.

Critics of Christina Rossetti

A brief synopsis and critical analysis of Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market'

Source 

Author: Kathryn Dorothy

In this critical analysis of Rossetti's 'Goblin Market', Dorothy explores the nature and themes presented in the poem, as well as its allegoric nature.

Dorothy approaches the poem from a slightly controversial angle, choosing to focus more on the latent sexual imagery, as opposed to the more 'safe' standpoint of allegory or religious imagery. Dorothy is very concentrated on the sexual nature of the poem, choosing to cite it's eroticism as deliberate, a juxtaposition to the claims made by Rossetti's brother, and editor, William Michael that the poem contains no explicitly intended 'profound' imagery. Dorothy also discusses the song-like form of the poem that is displayed on occasion. Another theme singled out by Dorothy is the concept of sisterhood and family relationships in general. On the flip-side of the sexual imagery, Dorothy highlights the presence of purity in the girls, and the effects of contact with men/marriage on them.

To me, the analysis presented is relatively sound. The points made are completely valid, and are backed up with a substantial wealth of evidence, sourced from both the poem itself and the life and upbringing of Rossetti. While upon my first reading of this poem, I concentrated on the allegory and religious imagery within the poem, after reviewing the analysis presented I am know convinced of the alternative nature of this poem. 

Dorothy states that, despite the claims of innocence made by her brother, "That Rossetti could have been unaware of the intense sexual imagery of 'Goblin Market' seems unlikely" This is a well supported statement, considering the wealth of eroticism that can be found within the poem. However, even though Dorothy considers the poem sexual in nature, she does concede that Rossetti more than likely intended the poem to be purely religious in its suggestiveness. She says: "It is far more feasible to see her apparent obsession with certain images in the poem as suggestive of a more religious interpretation," then going to explain: "one in which the goblins may be seen as maliciously evil creatures who have set out to beguile - and then seduce - the two girls." This seems to be a fairly valid and well-supported claim that makes sense in both the context of the poem and of Rossetti's life in general.

"Song" Question Answers

1) What is the poem about?

The poem is, in essence, a message from a deceased person to the living they have left behind. At it's core, the poem is about death, however it departs from most death-related poetry in it's more optimistic tone. Rossetti writes, rather atypically, in a way meant to inspire hope and optimism, as opposed to the usual grief and mourning. This is a strong juxtaposition over the traditional Christian attitudes of the period, which encouraged mourning and focus on the afterlife.

2) The meter is iambic trimeter. Choose one line that perfectly reflects this. What's the impact of this?

One line that perfectly reflects the meter of this poem is:

"Sing no sad songs for me"

This impacts on the flow and rhythm of the poem, providing some stability and familiarity in the first stanza, which is an otherwise metrically atypical stanza.

3) Now find lines that don't fit the pattern. Why don't they? Explain in depth.

One line that does not fit is in the second stanza:
"I shall not hear the nightingale"
This doesn't fit the metric of iambic trimeter due to the added syllable at the end of the word 'nightingale'

Explore the way Rossetti presents nature in her poems.

Nature is a staple in Rossetti’s poetry, and is used frequently, to great effect.

In many of her poems, rather than explicitly, Rossetti uses nature euphemistically to reference other concepts and ideas. One example of this is in the poem ‘A Birthday’. In this poem, Rossetti uses natural images as similes to express her feelings, and her ‘heart’. An example of this is the third and fourth lines in the stanza: “My heart is like an apple-tree                  Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;” This simile is used to liken her heart to a fruit-laden tree. This is used to convey images of plenitude and fertility. On the next line she says: “My heart is like a rainbow shell That paddles in a halcyon sea;” This image carries connotations of; plurality and almost a sense of magic, in the word ‘rainbow’, an image of deep, rich blue with the word ‘halcyon’.

Another way in which Rossetti has been known to use natural images is in reference to Religion, or God. These images are, too, present in the poem ‘A Birthday’. The religious symbolism is focussed in the second stanza. First is, in the second line, the image of a dais: “Hang it with vair and purple dyes;” vair is a pattern often used in the middle ages to decorate royal possessions, and purple being the colour of regality, in context, God, the king of all. The next line states: “Carve it in doves and pomegranates.” In the Bible, doves are symbolic of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and pomegranates are representative of the rebirth and eternal of life of Christ. Its seeds can also be represented as the royalty or the church. In the next line, the poems references “peacocks with a hundred eyes” Peacocks, too, are religiously symbolic of the omniscience and omnipresence of God. In the third from last line, Rossetti makes a reference to the holy trinity of son, father and Holy Spirit, with mention of the symbol of the Fleur-De-Lys.                                                                                         Rossetti has also been known to reference a ‘Tree of Life’, which can be interpreted as symbolic of the crucifixion of Jesus, she does so in the poem ‘Paradise: In a Dream’.

Another way in which Rossetti uses images of nature in her poetry is simply in reference to the latent beauty of nature. In the poem ‘Shut Out’, Rossetti tells of a person who has been shut out of their ‘garden’. In this poem, she describes nature as something incredibly desirable, yet unattainable by way of the voice of the poem. She also uses the garden as a metaphor for such concepts as: Womanhood, escapism, religion, freedom and poetry.           Rossetti also uses nature descriptively in the poem ‘Paradise: in a dream’. In the poem, Rossetti mentions different stimuli that nature can provide unto the senses. For sight, she talks about ‘seeing’ the flowers in her dream. She frequently uses the hearing of birdsong as a metaphor for expression, poetry and creativity. She references smell with the “perfume-bearing rose’. On occasion, Rossetti was also known to use nature in reference to death. One example of this is her use of the phrase: "A violet bed is budding near" Violets being an often-used flower in graveyards.

Christina Rossetti Context Poster

How does the speaker in 'I Come From' create a sense of his identity?

The poem 'I Come From' carries a strong sense of identity as one of it's primary themes. It conveys this theme in several ways throughout the poem.

Firstly, and most prominently, the repetition of the poem's title 'I Come From' serves as the voice's most blatant attempt of establishing an identity. This constant repetition, accentuated by the personal pronoun 'I', is a constant reminder to the reader that this poem is about the past of it's persona. It can be argued that the past is the most influential factor in shaping someone's identity, so the presence of the voice's childhood memories throughout this poem helps to establish the thematic 'identity' of the persona.

The progression of the poem also gives us further insight into the identity of the speaker through it's structure and composition. The poem uses free verse form, meaning that it has no inherent regular rhythm or rhyme. This, coupled with the 'stream of consciousness' style utilized by the poet, gives the poem the feeling of a note or diary, scrawled down in a hurry by someone reflecting on their past. This all contributes to the overall theme of identity.
Another point of interest is the composition of the poem. The very opening line tells us that the speaker comes from a suburb, which is a fairly standard image. Then the poem travels through several scenarios at various points in the past of the persona. Next, we travel with the persona on it's commute into London. Through "smashed windows, graffiti" and other, more violent and disturbed images. After this, it re-emerges into more fond and stable memories of the voice's childhood, such as: "clean handkerchiefs, dinner money". This juxtaposition creates a deeper understanding of the voice's identity.
After this brief respite, the speaker seems to relapse into darker thoughts when it states: "I come from rats behind the garage, and a man who followed me back from the library". This then goes back to more positive memories. This makes it seem as though the speaker was recalling some memories they didn't want to relive, so it cut them off and moved on.

All together, these techniques and images strive to give us a glimpse into the mind of someone flicking through memories of their childhood and more, in their head. This helps to establish a sense of Identity.