Nishi
In the Round Tower at Jhansi | Echo | Maude Clare | Twice | Remember | Song: When I am Dead My Dearest | Up-hill | A Birthday | Good Friday | Shut Out | No, Thank
You, John | Goblin Market | Soeur Louise De La Miséricorde | Winter: My Secret | From The Antique |
Context quotes | Critical quotes | Named critics
Big Idea A Doll’s House (AO1, AO4) Rossetti Poems (AO1, AO4) Context and critics (AO3, AO5)
love vs Act One IRTJ → a captain and his wife surrounded by Angel in the House, Coventry Patmore: expected
possession, “Is that my skylark twittering out there?” “My rebels, sacrificed themselves to keep their love ideals of a Victorian woman, to be passive,
marriage squirrel… my little squander bird… little alive devoted, meek and submissive to her husband
spendthrift” - she is domesticated, like an actual “Young, strong, and so full of life” - compare to Private vs Domestic sphere
pet; bird imagery juxtaposes the cage/ ‘doll’s Christine and Krogstad who are older and “Marriage for the sake of bread and butter” (Mona
house’ she lives in experienced; their love story has just rekindled vs Caird)
“Is it true you didn’t love your husband” - ending in the poem Marriage is “the most hypocritical form of
impossible to fathom for Nora, link to her own “No mine own, I wish I could bear the pang for woman-purchase” (Mona Caird)
delusions about love and marriage both” - genuine love; compare to Torvald in A3 Sanctity of marriage - sacred union between man
“It’d completely wreck our relationship” - built “Close… close… close” and woman
on superficial lies “Kiss and kiss” “thus to kiss and die” “one more Imbalance of power in Victorian marriage -
“Hasn’t a wife the right to save her husband’s kiss” acceptable for men to hide things from wife, not
life?” - believes she can cross all limits for ‘love’ Echo → the speaker yearns for their past lover; vice versa; double standards
“I did it for love, didn’t I?” mirrors the story of Christine and Krogstad? “Marriage (or partnership) and money… are
“I’ll do everything you like… sing for you, “Come to me in the silence of the night… in the universal anxieties” - Hattie Morahan
dance for you” - even when he is not around speaking silence of a dream” - speaker misses Marriage is a transaction between the husband
she is stuck on doing everything for Torvald → their lover? and the father who both “infantilised her”
duty of a woman “O memory, hope, love of finished years” - Role reversal: Nora wanting to save Torvald
“(puts his arm around her waist)” - physical yearning for the memories to come back where it should be the other way
touch, not romantic but controlling “Watch the slow door… opening, letting in, lets Rossetti’s own love life; she was never married
out no more” - hoping the door doesn’t let in as but had three (known) suitors, potentially other
Act Two much as it lets out; wants to be reunited in lovers; she had v close relationship w/ siblings +
“Torvald’s so hopelessly in love with me that heaven where “souls brimful of love” are brought mother
he wants to have me all to himself” - together→ OBVIOUSLY link to door slam Bowra: “In Christina, love released a melancholy
possessive nature of love, delusional “Pulse for pulse, breath for breath” - desire for death”
“Squirrel would do lots of pretty tricks” “your onomatopoeic, imitating heartbeat Ibsen describes ADH as “really a domestic family
little skylark would sing in every room” “little “Speak low, lean low” - intimacy of lovers, sexual drama, dealing with contemporary problems in
fairy and dance for you in the moonlight” - relationship regard to marriage”.
offering pretty performances to persuade Torvald, Maude Clare → whilst Lord Thomas moves on Rossetti “expresses an emotional love” (Bocher)
their love is performative and ingenuine with an ideal Victorian bride whilst Maude Clare’s Indian Mutiny, 1857
“Asparagus” “truffles” “ oysters” - fallen reputation leaves her ruined “The politics of the situation were of little interest
aphrodisiacs, increase sexual desire, attraction “Here’s my half of the golden chain” - returning a to her” (Gill)
and pleasure → heavy flirtation between Nora piece of her broken heart “Note.--I retain this little poem, not as historically
and Dr Rank. Link to Goblin Market: “grapes… “Lilies are budding now” - implication that she’s accurate, but as written and published before I
pomegranates… figs”; Nora and Rank cross pregnant? heard the supposed facts of its first verse
marital boundaries “Take my share of a fickle heart, mine of paltry contradicted.” ⇒ exploration of love and death
“You’re my best and truest friend” - link NTYJ love… “ and marriage
to who offers friendship instead of love; rejection “I’ll love him till he loves me best, me best of all, Recalling Greek mythology, story of Echo +
of male proposal Maude Clare” Narcissus: she was a nymph who was cursed by
“Do you think he is the only one… who would Twice → offers love to earthly lover and divine Hera, where she could not speak, only ‘echo’
,gladly lay down his life for you?” - confession, lover ppl’s words. She fell in love w/ Narcissus who
link to Twice, two love interests “I took my heart in my hand” - confession of love; rejected her, so went into isolation and faded
“This was really horrid of you… that you vulnerability away until all that was left of her was her voice →
should go and tell me. That was quaite “(O my love, O my love)” “O my God, O my God” yearning love like the speaker
unnecessary” - NTYJ; rejection of love, except x2 - superficial love indicated by (), not crucial; Rossetti denied herself intimacy, was never
Nora was engaging in flirting removal of () shows embracing love for God married due to religion ⇒ refrained desire for
“I am ready to serve you, body and soul” - “You took my heart in your hand… with a critical physical intimacy courses thru the poem
connecting on a spiritual lvl asw as physical; true eye you scanned” - judging ⇒ society Anglo-Catholic beliefs of a heaven/paradise;
devotion “It is still unripe better wait awhile” romanticised death; idealistic view on dreaming +
“I feel the same about Torvald as I did about “Wait while the skylarks pipe” - skylarks represent the afterlife, where ppl reconnect w/ eo; modern
papa” - childish approach to love, emotionally happiness, freedom and joy → speaker not at view suggests this is not realistic
immature this stage of liberation; link to Nora’s nickname Fallen women, Vic double standards, misogyny
“Once upon a time he’s have done anything “skylark” given by Torvald and sexism
for my sake” - dramatic revelation of Krogstad “As you set it down it broke-- broke, but I did not Learning to love in Victorian Era
and Christine love affair wince” - heart being broken; powerful, Inversion of Vic standards of women as weak,
“You mustn’t think about anything but me – self-controlled; link to Nora staying strong when emotional and feeble-minded
today or tomorrow” - euphemism for forever; Torvald doesn’t react the way she expects Fallen women
sacred he will leave her “[I take…] my broken heart in my hand” Valedictorian poem - saying goodbye
“Let Thy judgement stand” - accepting of God’s Written during national mourning for Prince Albert
Act Three final judgement in 1861
“Oh, Nils…” - sign of affection “Whence none can pluck it out” - God’s Acceptance of death is part of Pre-Raphaelite
“You mean you really – ? Tell me – … permanent divine love vs man’s temporary philosophy
Christine –” - Krogstad’s speech is usually, romantic love Paternalistic imbalance of power
laconic, blunt, straight to the point; hyphenated “I shall not die, but live” - reference to afterlife, Modified Petrarchan sonnet (CDCDCD →
speech shows he is vulnerable and emotionally live on with God’s eternal love CDDECE): she can break free from social
affected, making him more human → naturalism “all that I have I bring, All that I am I give” - restraints; subverts conventional notion of eternal
“…Nils. I am afraid of nothing - with you” marital vows to God lover, hints towards moving on
“I’ve loved you more than anything else in the “Shall not question much” Romantic poetry, William Wordsworth
world” - trying to excuse her crime for love Remember → comforting a bereaved lover emphasised importance of expressing natural
“You have loved me as a wife should love her “Remember me when I am gone away” feelings and creating poetry that is “a
husband” “When you can no more hold me by the hand” - spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”
“I shall counsel you, I shall guide you” - link to Rossetti’s fiancee, James Collinson “Rainbow” = religious connotations- God’s
Remember: speaker’s lover can no longer do “You tell me of the future you had planned” promise to Noah that He would not flood the
these things; guidance in Tarantella scene “Only remember me; you understand it will be earth again; happy imagery, God’s love for
“It means she has become his property in a late to counsel and pray” - too late to give advice mankind
double sense… she is now not only his wife, and pray for her “Halcyon sea” → Halcyon was married to Ceyx,
but also his child” - additional means of “Yet…Better by far you should smile and forget” - and their love was admired by the gods. One day
objectification and control as he owns her doubly, this change is at the volta “yet”, shift in emotion, Ceyx travelled by sea to Delphi to visit the Oracle
has the power to make her a new person → speaker might realise that remembrance could of Apollo, despite his wife’s objections. He
thinks little of her and sees her as incapable of cause pain drowned on his journey, and in her grief, Halcyon
making anything of herself on her own volition Song → urging loved one not to waste too much drowned herself. The gods turned Halcyon into a
“It was fun to be in love with me” “He called time mourning the death seabird and Ceyx into a kingfisher so they could
me his little doll, and played with me just the “When I am dead, my dearest, sing no sad songs love each other for eternity.
way I played with my dolls” - both had fun with for me” - loving and warm tone, contrast to Victorian secular art and culture, using exoticism
Nora, but did they really love her for who she Nora’s harshness at the end of pomegranate and peacock influenced by
was? “Plant no roses” - symbol of love (lilies were growing British empire
,“You don’t love me any longer” “no, that’s traditional funeral flowers) Connection between nature and the divine:
exactly it” “when the miracle failed to “If thou wilt remember… if thou wilt forget” - common characteristic work of Pre-Raphaelite
happen” - the “miracle” in question = Torvald indifferent, telling him to move on brotherhood poets and artists
saving Nora and protecting her from Krogstad “Haply I may remember… haply may forget” Social convention assumes that women entrap
and the law; he did not live up to her expectations A Birthday → desire for love, husband and men by seducing/leading them on
“Here is your ring back. Give me mine.” - motherhood, or connected to Christianity Rossetti rejected 3 suitors in her life; brief
finality and closure; asserting herself “My heart is like…” “gladder than all of these”- relationship w/ John Brett, artist in Pre-Raphaelite
“I don’t accept things from strangers” - anaphora ⇒ expression of the fullness of her Brotherhood → could be a direct link to him
complete alienation heart Madonna-Whore complex: women are either
“You and I would both have to change so “... a singing bird” - celebration of her love’s saintly Madonna (idealised, virtuous + beautiful
much that… I don’t believe in miracles any arrival, vs how Nora “performs tricks” for woman) or debased prostitutes not worthy of a
longer” - change the whole concept of Victorian Torvald (“songbird”), also she is trapped in the place in society
marriage role of wife and mother, whilst the speaker is free Psychoanalytical interpretation: Laura is id → ego
→ joyous love vs possession and manipulation (exhibits desire, gives into taboo, strives for max
“... an apple-tree whose boughs are bent with gratification + pleasure ⇒ redeems herself +
thick-set fruit” - full of fruit → fruitful → fertility → teaches her children from her own misfortunes);
desire for children Lizzie is superego → ego (moral conscience,
“That paddles in a halcyon sea” - refers to Greek warns her sister and avoids Goblins ⇒ confronts
mythology, love that is blessed by Gods them, sacrifices her own virtue for her sister)
“Raise me a dais of silk and down” - from natural
imagery to celebrations of mankind; raised
platform decorated like a temple to divine or
human love
“Vair and purple dyes… doves and
pomegranates… peacocks… gold and silver…
silver fleurs-de-lys” - ornate decor, adding to
celebratio, symbolising peace and fertility, royal
images
“Because the birthday of my life is come, my love
is come to me” - extreme joy at lover’s arrival,
culmination of speaker’s life; spiritual love?
Memorialization of love, natural imagery is
fleeting so turns to permanent/physical method of
celebration
NTYJ → unrequited love; speaker offers
friendship instead
“I never said I loved you John” - beings with an
abrupt statement; female assertion
“You know I never loved you John; No fault of
mine” - suggests the John is projecting blame;
speaker fights against social convention
“Who can’t perform the task” - marriage is a
chore that all women must complete; life goal.
Could also refer to sex?
“I have no heart? -- Perhaps I have not” - echoes
John, accepts it with pride
, “Let us strike hands as hearty friends” - offers
friendship, unlike Nora who rejects Torvald
completely
SLDLM
“Longing and love, pangs of a perished pleasure”
- love is painful, like a gunshot; bitterness and
exhaustion. Assonance → slows pace and draws
attention to love
“Longing and love, a disenkindled fire” - contempt
and regret; harness and difficult nature of desire
“Now from my heart, love’s deathbed, trickles,
trickles” - death, loss and mourning →
destruction caused by desire; love keeps the
heart alive, but desire have destroyed both love
and life
“My rose of life all gone to prickles” - flower =
virginity; beauty → pain. Roses are symbolic of
romance and love, not even dead petals remain,
just the pain
“Oh death-struck love, oh disenkindled fire” - love
has died: BECAUSE OF desire or WITH desire?
Goblin Market → sisterly love… lesbianism?
“Golden head by golden head” - poem about two
sisters, but are opposites in regards to their
responses to temptation
“Hug me, kiss me, suck my juices” - sexual
innuendo, reference to female sexual desire,
which was renounced in Vic era
“Eat me, drink me, love me” - syntactically
paralleled Lizzie = female Christ, offers her body
as a communion to Laura to be exorcised; similar
to Christine who is a sacrificial figure
“Kissed and kissed her”
“There is no friend like sister” - preaches
feminism and female empowerment; women can
help other ‘fallen women’ to seek a path to
redemption and leave behind their indiscretions
desire Act One Shut Out Undesirable women - lying to their
“Years from now, when I’m no longer pretty” - “My garden, mine, beneath the sky” - possessive husbands,telling “untruths” → ruins their image
Nora will tell Torvald about the truth of where they + desperate, link to Eden and paradise Female desire ⇒ not real; only goes as far as
got their money from “It had been mine, and it was lost” - wants back motherhood
“[macaroons] will ruin my teeth” - obsessed what she once had; longing to regain; things Dynamics within a new Victorian marriage are
with her image, needs to look pretty for Torvald become more valuable once you lose based on predatory man who preys on his
for him to love her “Let me have some buds to cheer my outcast “trembling” wife ⇒ takes her virginity
“A songbird must have a clean beak to sing state” - wants a piece of her garden to reminisce This poem is “where she mentally works through
