This document covers the poem: 'A Helpmeet for Him' 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....
• ‘A Helpmeet for Him’ are biblical words from the book Genesis, from the Bible. Use of biblical
intertextuality highlights Rossetti being accepting of the submissive role of women advocated by
her religious faith
• ‘Helpmeet’ is a biblical, archaic word meaning helpful companion, especially a spouse
• Specificity of ‘For Him’ in title reasserts that men are the dominant force in society, as only the
male pronoun appears.
• Possessive ‘for’ indicates that women were created for men, and belong to men, supporting the
bible’s explanation for womenkind in the Genesis. Male’s inclusion in the title, and the female's
absence, despite being a poem about femininity, emphases Rossetti’s acknowledgment that
Victorian women were defined by men.
Language:
• First line repeats the line of the title. Ambituses in the use of the personal pronoun ‘him’
suggesting that it could be either to God or man. The fact that this is capitalised could suggest
the superiority of God. This links to the belief of God in the bible who created eve to help Adam.
In this sense it suggests the archetypal gender roles matching these belies
• Repetitive use of ‘woman was made’ asserts the belief that woman were made for ‘mans
delight’. They are objectified for males' pleasure and lost. Highlights the clear and definite
assertion of women’s role, to be effectively the tool of men. The idea of ‘man’s delight’ is clearly
patriarchal with the woman submissive in a sense, including sexual. Advocating willing
submission. Sinister tone created. Establishes the women figure as nothing more as a sex object
suggestion that women are reduced to purely their sexual roles. Parallels to the high levels of
Victorian prostitution and historic sexual violence commits by men towards women. The belief
that men felt they had the right to strip a woman of their virginity.
• ‘Charm, O woman! Be not afraid!’. Rossetti's use of two imperative commands emphasises the
role of women to be commanded and controlled, submissive to male power. Rossetti
strengthens the power of this commanding by repeated imperative commands, repeated
exclamation marks and the archaic and biblical ‘O’. come together to create an atmosphere of
divine authority, establishing this narrative voice giving out commands to be the supposed voice
of God. If God indeed is the narrative voice here, this, together with ‘Woman was made for
man’s delight.’. Clearly represents Rossett outlining the gender role of woman as God intended,
referencing the book of Genesis in the bible. Bible suggests that ‘charm is deceitful’ proverbs
31.30. ‘so, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy ad
lawlessness.’ Matthew 23.28. Bible outlines charm, or the ability to delight, attract or fascinate
others, as a form of social insincerity as the dazzling, bejewelled spectacles associated with
‘charm’ are not as important as qualities like honesty, modesty and humility.
• The adjective ‘charm’ expresses the idea of the beauty of women being objectified by a male
figure. Yet, the abstract noun ‘afraid’ suggests the women should submit themselves to men.
, Rejects women of their own feelings and expresses the superiority of the dominant male figure
in a relationship
• ‘His shadow by day, his moon by night’. First of the antithetical constraints. A woman must be
eclipsed by a man during the day. At night she is his ‘moon’, with its sexual connotations, the
moon being associated with women and the goddess Selene in Greek mythology.
• Women are described as objects in tis stanza. ‘shadow’, ‘moon’ respite offering shade when it's
too sunny and light when it's too dark. He role only accommodates the male’s need. ‘His
shadow’ is merely the shadow of light. Objectification an ownership of women is solidified by
Rossetti through the repetition of women being described as ’his’ once again outlining women
as being defined not in their own right, but through men. Reflects that as the archetype women
figure they were meant to submissive to their husbands, not achieving their own desires and
accomplishments.
• Metaphor ‘his moon’ contrasting possessive ‘his’ with moon yet the ‘moon’ is something that
outlaw's man and cannot be owned. Potentially suggested by Rossetti that by highlighting ideas
of nature it represents the superiority of God. Suggests that the reasons for following these
archetypal behaviours is because it is the wishes of God. Yet perhaps satire is equally created
suggesting that man does not have outright dominions hip and control everything. Epitomizes
that even in their superiority over women they are still second to God
• Idea of a ‘veil’ in retaining a clever defiance which is not realised by the male character
• Middle stanza resents a more nuanced view of women. Strength is masked by the requirement
of an external display of weakness; the role Victorian society created for women. Simplicity of
submission is not subscribed to in this stanza; women have subtle role to lay that involve ‘might’
and ‘strength’.
• Female role grows in power. First time in the poem that the female possessive ‘her’ is used.
Women is no longer defined through the ale lens, but is free to establish herself. Contrast and
textured symbols emphasise the underlying strength of women despite the patriarchal society
of the Victorians. Women are portrayed as dual and complex figures, adapting to patriarchal
pressures but never diminishing because of it. Do not lose their strength, but rather, only cover
it up due to the heavy gender constraints placed upon the
• Idea of the adjectives ‘strength’ and ‘weakness’ contradict each other. In a sense Rossetti could
be suggesting that there is ‘strength; for a woman in following this archetype, one that had
original been seen as weak. Represents this idea of equality in a relationship in that in order to
follow this archetypal role there is an importance that is placed on both
• Euphemism ‘meek compliances veil her might’ expresses a sense of duality for the women. The
adjective ‘meek’ representing of the archetypal women who were meant to be pure, chaste and
submissive. Yet, the metaphorically ‘veil’ could express the façade of women. Ambiguous as it
could suggest that in order to remain submissive to the agnel in the house role the women have
to conceal their own desires to benefit that of her husband. Equally could suggest the
importance of the role of women that is often undercut by the importance that men prevail in
society.
• Third line ‘stays’ and ‘stayed’ are repeated, the same work, meaning ‘calm’ or ‘steadfast’, placed
in close proximity in adjacent phrases, a device known as anadiplosis. Neat reversal of syntax, an
example of chiasmus. Devices add emphasis. 'Him she stays, by whom she is stayed.’.
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