Summer By Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) Winter is cold-hearted, Spring is yea a

Question

Summer By Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) Winter is cold-hearted, Spring is yea and nay, Autumn is a weathercock Blown every way. Summer days for me When every leaf is on its tree; When Robin’s not a beggar, And Jenny Wren’s a bride, And larks hang singing, singing, singing Over the wheat-fields wide, And anchored lilies ride, And the pendulum spider Swings from side to side; And blue-black beetles transact business, And gnats fly in a host, And furry caterpillars hasten That no time be lost And moths grow fat and thrive, And ladybirds arrive Before green apples blush, Before green nuts embrown, Why one day in the country Is worth a month in town; Is worth a day and a year Of the dusty, musty, lag-last fashion That days drone elsewhere.

Part 1: Language

How is the tone of the poem?

Is the language used to create imagery?

Does the tone change as the poem progresses? Is it consistent?

How does the language and rhythm affect you when you are reading the poem?

What sort of language does the poet use? Formal/conversational/dialect?

Part 2: Content

What catches your attention in the poem, why?

What is interesting about the poem and why?

Who is the speaker of the poem? Is he/she observing or narrating? Is there a conflict or tension in the poem? Is it an external or an internal conflict? Physical, spiritual, moral, philosophical, social, etc? Is it resolved?

Explanation / Answer

SUMMER by CHRISTINA ROSSETTI was published in 1866. The author was basically an english poet who wrote a wide variety of book categories, she is also famous for writing GOBLIN MARKET.

Part 1: The poem is compromised of four stanzas tone of the poem sounds pretty much more like question and answer session, where the narrator herself ask the guide on her journey in long road ahead. Where the guide answer all her questions by simply agreeing to her statements. If we carefully observe the poem, it symbolises the journey from birth to death.

(a) The darkening sky foreshadows the end of life

(b) The inn do represent final resting place

(c) Final resting place could be

From the poem we can clearly get an idea about the narrator religious background and thus prefer for final resting place, but the guide assures the narrator that there is an inn and they will not be able to miss it.

(c) Final resting place could be heaven ( if I'm not wrong)

Part 2: The speaker of the poem is Christina Rossetti and she is narrating the poem to the guide with whom she is travelingn. In my point of view-

- the journey itself is the most prominent symbol in this particular poem. The interesting part about the poem is Christina Rossetti's poetry style, especially her short, intense verses which includes full of symbolism and feeling. Generally I've liked the way narrator try to tell us that summer is her favourite compared to other three seasons.

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