My Favourite Poets: Christina Rossetti

I love poetry. I love reading it both to myself and aloud. I love writing it (or trying to, anyway). I think what I love most about it is the fact that every word that goes into a poem is there for a reason. There are so many condensed layers of meaning in a poem as a result and they are just as fun to unpack and think about as they are to just read and appreciate the way the words work together create a rhythm, imagery and sound.

I thought that because I love poetry so much I would do a regular feature introducing you to some of my favourite poems and poets. Full disclosure: Romantic poets are kind of my thing. I will try and extend myself beyond this but the first couple of installments (at least) may be very Victorian-heavy.

The first poet that I am going to cover is Christina Rossetti. She is a Victorian Romantic poet who wrote both narrative and non-narrative poems. If you like Keats, Shelley, Dickinson and other Romantic poets who deal with topics of art, nature, and death then you might want to give Rosetti a try. She isn't as well known as some other poets of the period which I think does her a huge disservice because I really enjoy reading her. Side note: you may have heard of her brother, Dante Gabrielle Rosetti who was a leading member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and an exceptional artist and poet in his own right.

One of the things I love about Christina Rossetti is her use of imagery from fairy-tales and fables. She weaves these either as an undertone or as an explicit topic (more on that later) which gives her poetry a real mythical and mystical undercurrent. This works so well with her Romantic style of writing and elevates it above many other works within the canon. If you enjoy fairy-tales and reading things with more of mythical element I would thoroughly recommend Rossetti's works. Her most famous poem is a narrative poem that explicitly deals with the mythical. It is called 'Goblin Market' and follows the fates of two sisters after they encounter goblins. Because it is a narrative poem it is extremely accessible so if you're not really sure how to get into poetry or Rossetti's works specifically, 'Goblin Market' is a good place to start. It is not overly long and it will draw you in.

My personal favourite poem of Rossetti's is 'After Death'. I'm going to write it out below to give you a wee taste:

The curtains were half drawn, the floor was swept
    And strewn with the rushes, rosemary and may
    Lay thick upon the bed on which I lay,
Where thro' the lattice ivy-shadows crept.
He leaned above me, thinking that I slept
   And could not hear him; but I heard him say;
   "Poor child, poor child:" and as he turned away
Came a deep silence, and I knew he wept.
He did not touch the shroud, or raise the fold
   That hid my face, or take my hand in his,
      Or ruffle the smooth pillows for my head:
      He did not love me living; but once dead
   He pitied me; and very sweet it is
To know he still is warm tho' I am cold.

There are several collections of her poetry that you can choose from if you're interested in getting sucked into her works. The version that I have is available from Book Depository here. The link below is a general search for her works.

I really hope that you enjoyed reading this first edition of 'My Favourite Poets' and that you go and check out some of Rossetti's works. Feel free to let me know who some of your favourite poets are in the comments, or even chime in on your favourite Rossetti piece!

Christina Rossetti's Wikipedia page for more info about her 
Goodreads
Book Depository

Lots of love,
xoxo

*This post was not sponsored, all opinions are my own. Above image is not mine, sourced from here.