This document covers the poem: 'Maude Clare' by Christina Rossetti. I studied this poem for my A Level, Edexcel English Literature Exam as part of the poetry module.
By constructing these summarises and notes these provided me with ideas and themes which I could for my essays and thesis. It was...
• Person
• Provides a focus to the poem
• Immediately puts her as superior to Thomas and Nell.
• Equally represents her breaking the bonds with Thomas, allowing her to move past the
relationship that they had once shared together
Language:
• ‘Out of the church’. Significantly resembles the confrontation coming after they have just been
married. Waiting till Thomas and Nell came out of the church to play of Thomas guilt and
provide doubt within their relationship/
• Adverb ‘lofty’ and the poems reads as lofty, as though it is being performed for the reader.
Equally suggesting her confidence and menacing disposition and purpose from being them.
• First verse introduces three characters: a man and his bride, along with the title character,
Maude Clare. The only action that occurs in this verse is that Maude Clare is following the
newlyweds, and the word choice- ‘lofty’ and ‘mein’ in particular- imply that she is feeling some
kind of superiority over them
• Nell was ‘like a village maid’, ‘Maude Clare was like a queen’. Similes highlight the difference
between Nell, the country maiden, and Maude Clare, the imperious, jealous ‘other women’
• Description of the bride being ‘like a village maid’ with Maude Clare being ‘like a queen’ agrees
with this, and also suggests that the narration, while clearly third-person, is adopting Maude
Clare’s point of view somewhat. Maude Clare’s opinion of herself it evidently high, and that she
describes the man’s wife in particular suggests a past of bad blood between the two
• Equally by Nell being a ‘village maid’ perhaps suggests she's from a different class to Maude. In
this case Maude represents what Thomas has missed out on by not marrying her.
• Second verse introduces a fourth character while providing names for the two from the first
verse. Learn that the man’s name is Thomas, and his bride is named Nell. Thomas's mother is
happy with the match although equally concerned. Descriptions of smiles and near tears
together give this verse a joyous atmosphere, as benefits the time immediately following a
wedding.
• ‘With smiles, almost with tears’. The optimistic atmosphere that is created by Rossetti for the
newlyweds suggests their belief at the time of certainty of their relationship. Maude acts as a
catalyst to spread doubt within this
• She wishes her son and daughter-in-law all the happiness of her own marriage through the
personal pronoun ‘we’. The idea of ‘live at true’ is ironic in the suggestion that there is doubt
over the legitimacy of their relationship. The lies around them are reminded by the presence of
Maude Clare at their wedding
• Largely, this verse introduces a good-natured atmosphere to the piece, strangely absent from
the first verse. Considering that the setting of this piece is immediately a following a wedding, it
, makes sense for smiles and tears of joy to introduce the poem- but as the title and first verse
serve to imply, this is not to be the focus of the story
• Thomas's mother continues her dialogue from the previous verse, and explains that ‘thirty years
ago’, presumably the length of Thomas’s parents’ marriage, his father was in a similar situation
as Thomas is now. The idea that his father ‘had just your tale to tell’ creates a cyclical nature
within Victorian society. Not only for the process of marriage but the idea of a discarded and
concealed past that they try to forget by marriage. Equally the noun ‘tale’ creates a story like
representation. Suggests that both marriages were forced from societal preconceptions and
constrains and that the idea of marriage and relationships so overly romanticised in society.
• Thomas and Nell both ‘pale’ and that was not the case with her own marriage. The adjective
suggests that they are less happy with their own partnership than Thomas’s parents were in
theirs. Something notable on both their minds besides the wedding
• Fourth verse comes in to explain the paleness held by each person, and their reasons are exact
opposite of one another. Nell ‘pale’ as a physical reaction to her ‘pride’ suggesting she is happy
with the marriage, although uncertain about the presence of Maude Clare.
• Thomas is stressed as has noticed Maude Clare following him and watching her intently, not the
behaviour of a newlywed, and noticed how pale her skin was. The conflict cause from ‘inward
strife’. Reflects the inner confrontation and hauntings that has been experienced by Thomas.
• Thomas is the only male character therefore ‘my lord’ is likely to refer to Thomas. Reminds
himself that he ‘kissed the bride’ indicating the final element of the marital ceremony. Implies
that he is trying to stop himself from feeling anything towards Maude Clare that would be
inappropriate in the wake of his recent marriage. The dynamic verb ‘gazed’ creates tensions. Still
desires Maude Clare and this creates uncertainty for the marriage and love that he shares with
Nell.
• Maude Clare’s use of fierce language is not trying to hide any of the anger of malice she feels.
Addressing Thomas with cry ‘Lo’ before launching into scornful dialogue. ‘Lo’ corresponds to the
cry ‘Oh’ and the exclamation ‘Look!’. Rather than conveying any joy or respect, it is a cry that
serves to stop Thomas and Nell in their tracks and forces them to hear what she has to say. In
comparison Thomas speaks in faltering tones to potentially reflect that he has been stopped
unexpectedly.
• The ‘hearth’ part of a room which holds a fireplace. Centre of a Victorian home. Place provided
comfort and sustenance, central to well-being and health. Claims she wished to ‘bless’ their
hearth; Maude Clare ironically comments on the negativity her presence brings. Instead of
blessing it with warmth, she proposes to bless it with a coldness which is unnecessary and
detrimental to the health of the couple. Extent of the coldness of her presence could account
for the paleness in the faces of both Thomas and Nell.
• ‘The board’ is a table which males are shared upon. In a Victorian home often perceived to her
the place where communion and generosity can be found. Idea of blessing the ‘board’ by
providing food for a family to enjoy. Saying that her ‘gift’ will bless their board, Maude places
herself at the heart of their domestic life and thus stands in the way of the happy
communication they might enjoy.
• Maude Clare inserts herself between the intimacy that is symbolised by the ‘marriage bed’
between Thomas and Nell alone. Threatens to disturb their peace and rest and disrupt their love
for one another and threaten the well-being of the future children they may have
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