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Summary Remember IEB Poem
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In depth line by line analysis of Remember by Christina Rossetti
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Remember – Christina RossettiRemember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
, Analysis
This heartfelt and melancholic sonnet reflects on the idea of remembering a loved one
after their passing. The poem addresses the reader with a request to remember the
speaker when they are gone, emphasizing the inevitability of mortality and the
separation of death. The speaker asks for this remembrance as a comfort and a way to
keep their memory alive, even as they venture into the "silent land." The poem
acknowledges the passage of time and the fading of memories but suggests that
remembering should not bring grief. Instead, the final lines suggest that it is better to
forget for a while and later remember with a smile than to dwell on sadness, indicating a
desire for the reader to find solace in cherishing the past but not allowing it to consume
them in sorrow. The poem's tone is bittersweet, exploring the enduring nature of
memories and the complexity of grief and remembrance.
The opening line of the poem is a direct and
poignant request from the speaker to be
remembered after their departure. This line
immediately establishes the theme of memory
1. Remember me when I am gone and the speaker's desire for a lasting presence in
the reader's thoughts. The choice of the word
away, "Remember" as an imperative underscores the
importance of this request and the emotional
weight it carries. It sets the tone for the rest of
the poem, which will explore the significance of
memory and remembrance in the face of
mortality.
In the second line, "Gone far away into the silent
land," the speaker elaborates on the departure
mentioned in the first line. The "silent land" serves
as a metaphor for death or the afterlife, a place
of eternal silence and stillness. This phrase
creates a vivid image of the departed being in a
2. Gone far away into the silent land; distant, tranquil realm beyond the living world. The
use of "far away" emphasizes the irreversibility
of this departure and the sense of separation
from the living. It conveys the idea that the
speaker has moved to a place where there is no
noise or communication, highlighting the loneliness
and isolation associated with death. These lines
contribute to the poem's exploration of the
finality and solitude of mortality.
In the third line, "When you can no more hold me by
the hand," the speaker acknowledges the physical
separation and the inability for the reader or the
addressee to have direct contact with them. The
3. When you can no more hold me by act of holding hands symbolizes a close and
intimate connection between individuals. By
the hand, suggesting that this connection will no longer be
possible, the speaker is emphasizing the idea of
physical loss and departure. It highlights the
tangible and corporeal aspects of a relationship
that will no longer be attainable once the speaker
has passed away. This line intensifies the sense of
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