Summary
Summary A Helpmeet for Him Analysis
In-depth analysis of Rossetti's language, structure, form and meaning
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Rossetti – A Christmas CarolInitial 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
- ‘cherubim’- angels - the non-humans in the poem- though
impressive ‘cherubim’ ‘angels’ in
- to the general reader- the message that everyone worshipping Christ → a ‘breastful of milk’
can give their heart to Christ- personal choice, a is ‘enough for him’ - Mary has
devotional poem accomplished the greatest miracle on
- men as materialistic, women as able to give love and earth without male assistance- bringing
life- Dinah Roe ‘this poem is very much about the true nourishment and warmth for the
gifts women specifically have to offer’ baby
- a celebration of the birth of Christ - AND by extension thawing the frozen,
formerly hard-as-iron world - with simple,
- incorporation of religious folk traditions specifically female gifts of milk and a
mother nourishment
- worship, religion, nature and modesty
- speaker realises that the female heart
- Rossetti narrates a modern adaptation of the nativity
(and by extension a woman’s love) is a
scene and conveys her appreciation and wonder
natural as well as a supernatural gift-
towards God
capable of transcending the material and
perhaps time itself
- offering at end of poem- authentic and
sincere as the simple language in which it
is delivered
- celebration of female creativity?
Use of form Use of form
- simple rhyme scheme- AABB- rhythmic, song like - though carols= supposed to be joyous-
this has a typically Rossettian sombre note
- carol= accessible for a wider audience, more
appealing to a general readership - frequent masculine rhyme ‘moan’ /
‘stone’ ‘snow’/ ‘ago’ ‘day’/ ‘hay’ ‘there’/
- lyric poem, hymn ‘air’ ‘bliss’ / ‘kiss’ ‘am’/ ‘lamb’ ‘part’/
‘heart’
Use of structural devices (include key terms) Use of structural devices
- sombre, melancholic tone -
- ‘snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow’ -
assonance here- almost mimetic- as snow
accumulates, its impenetrable
- change in tone in second stanza→ birth of Christ
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