Christina Rossetti- Maude Clare

Question	Answer
Meaning	Maude Clare deals with a women who has been spurned by her lover in favour of another women. The 19th Century in Britain saw the rise of a curious problem; women were expected to marry and have children and not work. There had come to be a surplus of women in Britain. With a surplus number, and not enough men to go round; many women simply became 'redundant'- with no purpose to their lives. This is what the poem shows- a woman with nothing to live for anymore.
Imagery	'Here's my half of the golden chain, you wore about your neck'- connected by romance, idea that marriage binds and restricts people. Positive outlook on redundancy problem? Rossetti could be suggesting that now women have the freedom to make their lives suit them, and no one else.
Structure	Unequal stanza length: shows love is not equal on both sides. Rhyme scheme is unstable- shows deteriorating mental condition of Nell- again, HOW MARRIAGE/ MEN WRECK WOMEN. Shows the way one becomes when they feel they have no set purpose- link to conformity issues.

Resource summary

	Created by butlc041.309 about 10 years ago