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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
"Foul is she and ill-favoroured, set askew:
Gaze not upon her till thou dream her fair,
Lest she should mesh thee in her wanton hair."
- Christina Rossetti, 'Babylon the Great'
Vol N° 53 of my Penguin [b:Little Black Classics Box Set|24611766|Little Black Classics Box Set|Various|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432158376s/24611766.jpg|44222896]. This volume contains 20 of Christina Rossetti's poems. The largest being the Goblin Market. Reading these to my wife last night, I was amazed at how provocative some of her verse was. I haven't read much Rossetti outside of poetry collections (and that was only in HS and a couple classes in college). I'm not a huge fan of Victorian Verse, but there is something mesmorizing and compelling about her language and her imagry, beyond just the Romantic lyricism of some of her poems.
Gaze not upon her till thou dream her fair,
Lest she should mesh thee in her wanton hair."
- Christina Rossetti, 'Babylon the Great'
Vol N° 53 of my Penguin [b:Little Black Classics Box Set|24611766|Little Black Classics Box Set|Various|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432158376s/24611766.jpg|44222896]. This volume contains 20 of Christina Rossetti's poems. The largest being the Goblin Market. Reading these to my wife last night, I was amazed at how provocative some of her verse was. I haven't read much Rossetti outside of poetry collections (and that was only in HS and a couple classes in college). I'm not a huge fan of Victorian Verse, but there is something mesmorizing and compelling about her language and her imagry, beyond just the Romantic lyricism of some of her poems.
I read this primarily because I’ve read a number of stories inspired by the Goblin Market poem by Christina Rossetti, (namely [b:Lips Touch: Three Times|6369113|Lips Touch Three Times|Laini Taylor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1341175359l/6369113._SX50_.jpg|6556598], and more recently [b:In an Absent Dream|38244358|In an Absent Dream (Wayward Children, #4)|Seanan McGuire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525436165l/38244358._SY75_.jpg|59926216]) and thought it about time I should look over the original text. The original poem is about sisterly love (not going to lie, there was also totally some sapphic undertones) and horrible goblin men who steal innocence and life through the purchase of their fruity wares. It was interesting, and definitely had potential to draw inspiration from.
From the other poem included in the collection, I enjoyed ‘Song’ - a poem about death, loss and forgetting that’s short but rather beautiful and ‘A Birthday’ - a sweet poem about love.
Poems really aren’t my thing at all, and this is a genre I would certainly define as ‘out of my comfort zone’ but these were pretty and interesting enough to pass an hour.
From the other poem included in the collection, I enjoyed ‘Song’ - a poem about death, loss and forgetting that’s short but rather beautiful and ‘A Birthday’ - a sweet poem about love.
Poems really aren’t my thing at all, and this is a genre I would certainly define as ‘out of my comfort zone’ but these were pretty and interesting enough to pass an hour.
This was actually quite interesting to be honest, I'm not usually one who reads a lot of poetry very often just because I find it tedious to have to read them in depth (and I call myself an English major). But I enjoyed this one on the whole even if the whole underlying metaphor was a bit grim.
I'm thinking poor Jeanie died of syphilis, but never mind that. Goblin men, fruit I've never heard of, and what comes perilously close to lesbian incest. What's not to love about this poem? ／(^ᆺ^=)＼
A beautiful little poetry collection heavily based around the roles of women, love and grief. My special favourites were song (when I am dead my dearest), queen of hearts and song(two birds upon the selfsame branch)
Wow! Gorgeous collection of story poems reflecting women's experiences. First half is secular, second half is sacred. I'll read the title poem again and again.
“For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.”
I'm going to steal Andrew Sanders' words from his The Short Oxford History of English Literature (short = roughly 700 pages, okeyyy) that this poem is "always rhythmically restless", because it is. And that's my favourite thing about it right after the 19th century version of #girlpower weaved throughout. I want to say it's more empowering than all of Austen's novels combined but I'm also biased so don't take me at my word (it could be exam frustration speaking).
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.”
I'm going to steal Andrew Sanders' words from his The Short Oxford History of English Literature (short = roughly 700 pages, okeyyy) that this poem is "always rhythmically restless", because it is. And that's my favourite thing about it right after the 19th century version of #girlpower weaved throughout. I want to say it's more empowering than all of Austen's novels combined but I'm also biased so don't take me at my word (it could be exam frustration speaking).
I'd actually give this a 4.5. It's a re-read for me from December 2016. My favourites are "Goblin Market," "Dream Land," "Song ['When I am dead, my dearest']," "A Birthday," "On Keats," "The Queen of Hearts," "A Christmas Carol," "Spring Quiet," "Up-Hill," "A Dirge," & "A Frog's Fate" from this collection. I admit that I learned about Rossetti in my first year English Lit Course. We, obviously, studied "Goblin Market," and that was it for me. I've never not loved most of Rossetti's poetry. This little collection is one I bought at the Foreign Language Bookstore in Shanghai at the end of 2016.
(physical. purchased at Foreign Language Bookstore, Shanghai, China, 2016)
(physical. purchased at Foreign Language Bookstore, Shanghai, China, 2016)
I wanted to try some poetry for Victober but unfortunately this one did not work out so well for me.