Context Surrounding the Life and Poetry of Christina Rossetti
All for this textbook (3)
Written for
A/AS Level
PEARSON (PEARSON)
English Literature 2015
Unit 3 - Poetry
All documents for this subject (403)
Seller
Follow
miabrentnall
Content preview
Rossetti – An Apple-Gathering
Initial Responses Development of ideas and interpretations
(red)
Meaning / Ideas / Themes constructed and explored Meaning / Ideas / Themes constructed and
by the poet explored by the poet
- speaker uses blossoms of the apple tree to make - the cruelty of sexual double standards
herself beautiful for Willie explored through symbolic images of fruit
and flowers
- no apples left→ Willie= left for another woman
- the poems heroine=a ‘fallen’ woman- one
- dangers of love, pain of abandonment, cruelty of deemed unworthy by society
sexual double standards
- heartbreak and betrayal
- every female character in the poem gathers apples
except from the speaker
- apples- extended metaphor for premarital sex
- apples= commodity that women exchange with men
for the security of marriage
- without her virginity- nothing to offer her husband
- societal rejection of fallen women- ‘My neighbours
mocked me’ - societal mockery shows how women
become outcasts and outsiders
- ‘Plump Gertrude’= bitterness? Pregnancy? Envy?
Bitterness?- points to the hypocrisy of a society
which values sex within marriage over the
preservation of community
Use of form Use of form
- ballad- first person narrative, past tense- sense of - almost fable like in its allegorical message
nostalgia
- allegorical- offered Willie her purity and innocence
- seven quatrains- alternate rhyme
- frequency of rhymes that do ont finish on a sounded
consonant add to the mournful tone
Use of structural devices (include key terms) Use of structural devices
- shifts between one evening and more distant - 7 X quatrains with ABAB interlocking
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller miabrentnall. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $6.07. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.