A heavily induced status quo brings conformity to society in many different ways, although, amongst these expectations lie a network of concealed desires within the populous, which Christina Rossetti’s poetry does work of exposing these obstacles. The perspective which has been presented intertwines with the reader’s own comprehension of Rossetti’s poetry to a large extent. This desire, can be perceived in many ways through the many themes of Rossetti’s poetry. One of such ways could be through the poems of Goblin Market, and Light Love, these poems both give voice to themes of sexual desire.
In the Victorian era, women who engaged in premarital sex were considered ‘fallen’, however, at the same time, women were beginning to explore their sexuality, …show more content…
Their desire for this sexual pleasure led them to often being left by their partner, after being soiled. Rossetti give voice to the theme of sexual desire in Light Love through a man and a woman. The woman finds herself carrying the child of a man she loved, who is now leaving her for another. The man proclaims to the woman that he has little hope for her future through imagery of desert and snow, ‘between two barren wastes like snow, what wilt thou do when I am gone’. This woman has had a child with this man before marriage, and the Victorian consequences are grand, so grand in fact, she retorts, ‘is death so sadder much than this’. Because of the acts she has done, because of her desire, whether it be love or sex, the consequence has left her with a damaged sense of self-worth, she is ‘weary with the pang of shame and pain, and sore with wounded pride’ this emotive language intensifies this feeling of damage. And like in Goblin Market, there is a Lizzie to the Laura. His ‘bride before the morn’ which he is leaving her for, is expressed as, ‘ripe blooming she, as thou forlorn’. This juxtaposition of the two women is symbolic of the Victorian era of the time, and how women should be, compared to curiosity which overwhelmed them. This is reinforced by one of the closing lines of the poem, where the man says, ‘like thee? Nay…she leans, but from a guarded tree’ the seasonal symbolism portraying her virginity. This woman gives voice of the dilemma of desire which is love and sexual
In the Victorian era, women who engaged in premarital sex were considered ‘fallen’, however, at the same time, women were beginning to explore their sexuality, …show more content…
Their desire for this sexual pleasure led them to often being left by their partner, after being soiled. Rossetti give voice to the theme of sexual desire in Light Love through a man and a woman. The woman finds herself carrying the child of a man she loved, who is now leaving her for another. The man proclaims to the woman that he has little hope for her future through imagery of desert and snow, ‘between two barren wastes like snow, what wilt thou do when I am gone’. This woman has had a child with this man before marriage, and the Victorian consequences are grand, so grand in fact, she retorts, ‘is death so sadder much than this’. Because of the acts she has done, because of her desire, whether it be love or sex, the consequence has left her with a damaged sense of self-worth, she is ‘weary with the pang of shame and pain, and sore with wounded pride’ this emotive language intensifies this feeling of damage. And like in Goblin Market, there is a Lizzie to the Laura. His ‘bride before the morn’ which he is leaving her for, is expressed as, ‘ripe blooming she, as thou forlorn’. This juxtaposition of the two women is symbolic of the Victorian era of the time, and how women should be, compared to curiosity which overwhelmed them. This is reinforced by one of the closing lines of the poem, where the man says, ‘like thee? Nay…she leans, but from a guarded tree’ the seasonal symbolism portraying her virginity. This woman gives voice of the dilemma of desire which is love and sexual