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Summary ‘Maude Clare’ by Christina Rossetti , Notes
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Notes on ‘Maude Clare’ by Christina Rossetti, including summary and analysis.
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Christina RossettiMaude Clare
Meaning:
Contextually speaking, this poem was published along with Rossetti’s most famous
poem Goblin Market which already establishes perhaps the similar themes of
women and the implication of the fallen woman shown throughout both poems.
Maude Clare follows a situation in which a rejected lady ‘Maude Clare’ turns up at
the wedding of the man she loved, to another lady ‘Nell’. Within this poem, Rossetti
explores the theme of love and relationships, making particular focus on the role of
women; perhaps in order to highlight the issues of Victorian double standards in
which men would get away with having affairs or neglecting women, whilst the
women in this same situation would be scorned by society. It is perhaps that the
poet wishes to highlight the way in which women such as ‘Maude Clare’ and ‘Nell’
had their lives determined by the whims of men such as ‘Tom’ who could simply
keep or discard them like a worthless object. And yet, Rossetti’s poem is not
necessarily feminist, especially if we are to consider the fact that the poet rejected
the feminist movement, arguing that it did not fit in with her religious beliefs. It can be
argued that the poet sympathises with the trope of the fallen woman as portrayed
through the character ‘Maude Clare’, which is supported by her work at the Mary
Magdalene house for Fallen Women, at the time that this poem was written.
Form and Structure:
The poem is written from a first person perspective, and yet not from the perspective
of any of the main characters within the poem, but rather from a close onlooker
who watches the scene between the characters unfold; perhaps a servant of
‘Thomas’, as the speaker refers to him as ‘My lord’ which suggests a lower ranking
and service. The rhyme scheme used within the poem deviates between abab and
abcb, for example there is a shift from abcb to abab when Maude Clare begins to
speak, which perhaps highlights the importance and power of her presence.
Indeed, the linear narrative which is followed for the majority of the poem is
interrupted by Maude Clare who highlights times within the past which are separate
to the narrative, so again we can see the strength of impact that this woman has
simply on the structure of the poem. Rossetti disjoints the flow of the rhyme scheme,
which makes this a less comfortable poem to read, which suggests to the reader the
discomforting nature of the situation that each character finds themselves in.
Rossetti’s use of dialogue all the more adds to the story-like feeling to this narrative
poem and puts emphasis on the power of the female voice over that of the male.
Both Nell and Maude Clare, though juxtaposed characters, are similar in the way
that their voices show eloquence and a use of rhetoric devices. Indeed, Maude
Clare’s dialogue is the most powerful, as her speech is the longest and seems to
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