. Happy Birthday Christina Georgina Rossetti
. December 5th 1830
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
opening of Remember by CGR
Christina was the younger sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, but is by no means only famous for her relatives fame. Even had her brother not been such an important figure in the development of poetry Christina’s efforts would have ensured her own fame.
In fact the whole Rossetti family were a remarkable bunch. Apart from Dante and Christina, Father Gabriel was also a poet living in exile from Italy because of his political beliefs, William helped found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and became its biographer, Maria was an author although she later entered a convent.
Following a breakdown at the age of 14 Christina and her mother and sister all became interested in the Anglo-Catholic faith as opposed to the Roman catholic faith in which they had been raised. This conversion to Anglicanism played an important part in Christina’s development and literary work. For example the themes of temptation, sin and redemption by vicarious suffering that appear in Goblin Market, the title poem from her first published collection. http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/1458-Christina-Georgina-Rossetti-Goblin-Market
A similar allegorical story/poem was used as the title piece of her second book The Prince’s Progress. http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/4695-Christina-Georgina-Rossetti-The-Prince-s-Progress
Although she had had earlier poems published individually it was the reception of her first book, which was very favourable, that led to her being hailed as the female laureate on the death of Elizabeth Barrett Browning later the same year. The publishing of subsequent volumes only served to enhance her reputation.
Despite the serious underlying theme of much of her work Christina had a fine wit and a good sense of humour as may be seen from her poem The Queen Of Hearts http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/51104-Christina-Georgina-Rossetti-The-Queen-Of-Hearts
Countless people will have sung her words in the delightful Christmas Carol http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/51155-Christina-Georgina-Rossetti-In-the-Bleak-Midwinter without even realising who wrote it.
Christina, unlike many Victorian poets could be very economical with her words as is seen in her delightful piece The Three Enemies http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/1466-Christina-Georgina-Rossetti-The-Three-Enemies
She also had a very good ear for music and rhythm as can be seen (and heard) in Maiden Song http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/72085-Christina-Georgina-Rossetti-Maiden-Song
As with most poets Christina wrote in a variety of styles and with differing degrees of success but unlike most her good poetry outweighs her bad and that is why after 176 years we still read her work and are glad to say Happy Birthday Christina Georgina Rossetti
Adding your comment:
