hey everyone!
the 3 poems stated above are for my anthology. and i need help urgently. how do i analyze these poems? i really don't know what to start with. and i also need comments on the poems. i'm totally at a lost.thanks loads. i appreciate anyone's help.

qy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2006 01:15AM by lg.

Aloof
--Christina Rossetti

THE irresponsive silence of the land,
The irresponsive sounding of the sea,
Speak both one message of one sense to me:--
Aloof, aloof, we stand aloof, so stand
Thou too aloof, bound with the flawless band
Of inner solitude; we bind not thee;
But who from thy self-chain shall set thee free?
What heart shall touch thy heart? What hand thy hand?
And I am sometimes proud and sometimes meek,
And sometimes I remember days of old
When fellowship seem'd not so far to seek,
And all the world and I seem'd much less cold,
And at the rainbow's foot lay surely gold,
And hope felt strong, and life itself not weak.

[72.14.203.104]

[www.cs.rice.edu]


The Rossetti poem is pretty straight forward. Any specific questions about it?

Les

hey les. thanks alot for that web. i'm just not sure on how to give comments to the poem Aloof.i know that the poem itself mainly talks about being cold and remote but how should i elaborate?

qy.

I would break the poem into segments like this:
 THE irresponsive silence of the land,
The irresponsive sounding of the sea,
Speak both one message of one sense to me:--
Aloof, aloof, we stand aloof, so stand
Thou too aloof, bound with the flawless band
Of inner solitude; we bind not thee;        This first part tells  how                                                                                
                                               the author feels separated 
                                               from her friend.
But who from thy self-chain shall set thee free?
What heart shall touch thy heart? What hand thy hand? 
                                              This second part asks                                                                                                                                  
                                                 how she can make her                                                                                           
                                                 friend feel what she 
                                                 feels. 
And I am sometimes proud and sometimes meek,        
And sometimes I remember days of old
When fellowship seem'd not so far to seek,
And all the world and I seem'd much less cold,
And at the rainbow's foot lay surely gold,
And hope felt strong, and life itself not weak. 
                                               This part is reflecting
                                                  back on times when the 
                                                  two were close. 
Les

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2006 10:04AM by lg.

Is this one part of a trilogy of sonnets?

[www.victorianweb.org]

The last lines of the 3rd sonnet recall 1 Corinthians 15:55.

Hugh, I searched the Victorian Web, website and found nothing that referred directly to this particular poem. In answer to your question, no I don't think it is part of a series.

Les

hey!

thanks alot for helping me.:)

qy.

Looks like eMule has it as a triad also:

[www.emule.com]

It wouldn't matter much, except for the interpretation needed by young qy. That is, the volta at the end of the third sonnet seems to indicate they are all written to (her) God, the conclusion for the group of three (Trinity?) being:

And this myself as king unto my King
I give, to Him Who gave Himself for me;
Who gives Himself to me, and bids me sing
A sweet new song of His redeemed set free;
he bids me sing: O death, where is thy sting?
And sing: O grave, where is thy victory?