Couisn Kate essay
At the heart of, Cousin Kate and Havisham the theme is loss. The speaker clearly feels a sense of loss throughout this poem because she loses her maiden hood and the community’s respect.
Victorians were bought up by a strict moral code and they believe that happy marriage was the centre of a stable society. Christina Rossetti focuses on a love affair between a high society wealthy lord and a 'low born' country women. Furthermore, the main focus of the poem is transgressive relationship and sexual relationship outside of wedlock. The poem begins with the speaker recalling her humble peaceful surroundings until the 'Lord of the Manor' seduces her to be his lover. The speaker is now trapped. He abandons her, when he finds out that she is pregnant, and his affections turn into another village girl,Kate. Whom he marries. In Victorian era the speaker was condemn by the community as a 'fallen grace'. Rossetti's main idea was injustice as this runs throughout the poem. However the speaker's love is greater than Kate for the lord.
At the start of the dramatic monologue the speaker seems to be unaware of her beauty. The poem begins with a past tense ' I was'. The phrase suggests that the speaker has changed in some way, in fact she has been 'tainted'. The phrase ' cottage maiden' implies that she is a low born women who leads a very simple life. And she is happy. The word 'maiden' tells that she is young,attractive and angelic women who does not seem to be aware that she is desirable to men – like the great lord who has singled her out. The phrase 'sun and air' shows that she is a labourer and that she leads an outdoor life. This tells me that the speaker is 'contented' to live a simple and humble life. The alternative rhyming scheme reflects on the simple life the cottage maiden lives. It is odd that the speaker is unaware of her beauty as she is 'fair' towards men. This implies that she is very naïve and can be taken advantage off. Just like the great lord did.
Victorians were bought up by a strict moral code and they believe that happy marriage was the centre of a stable society. Christina Rossetti focuses on a love affair between a high society wealthy lord and a 'low born' country women. Furthermore, the main focus of the poem is transgressive relationship and sexual relationship outside of wedlock. The poem begins with the speaker recalling her humble peaceful surroundings until the 'Lord of the Manor' seduces her to be his lover. The speaker is now trapped. He abandons her, when he finds out that she is pregnant, and his affections turn into another village girl,Kate. Whom he marries. In Victorian era the speaker was condemn by the community as a 'fallen grace'. Rossetti's main idea was injustice as this runs throughout the poem. However the speaker's love is greater than Kate for the lord.
At the start of the dramatic monologue the speaker seems to be unaware of her beauty. The poem begins with a past tense ' I was'. The phrase suggests that the speaker has changed in some way, in fact she has been 'tainted'. The phrase ' cottage maiden' implies that she is a low born women who leads a very simple life. And she is happy. The word 'maiden' tells that she is young,attractive and angelic women who does not seem to be aware that she is desirable to men – like the great lord who has singled her out. The phrase 'sun and air' shows that she is a labourer and that she leads an outdoor life. This tells me that the speaker is 'contented' to live a simple and humble life. The alternative rhyming scheme reflects on the simple life the cottage maiden lives. It is odd that the speaker is unaware of her beauty as she is 'fair' towards men. This implies that she is very naïve and can be taken advantage off. Just like the great lord did.