Saturday 25 May 2013

A Birthday by Christina Rosetti

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6 comments:

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  2. The celebration of a new life in coherence with the exuberance experienced by Rosetti as her happiness is overpowering her is brought about evidently in the poem "A Birthday". As the poet seems to experience a feeling of Elysium, she decides to make the occasion the grandest of all by raising a "silver dais...down" as she uses imagery to convey her thoughts and her extreme highness in the sense of the world. The almighty hence brings about a phenomenal change to her life as "my....me"

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  3. The tone is more simple but slowly becomes more imperative and commanding. It had a very pious and soft appeal in the beginning but becomes more imperial and exotic which is very unlike the persona that the poet portrayed herself to be. Rossetti , in reverie desires to be adorned in 'silk' dyed in 'purple' and 'silver' . The smooth material and regal colours conceive a very stately image o the poet. In my opinion , she has the demanding tone of an empress which contrasts the simple but overflowing happiness she experienced earlier in the poem.

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  4. Rossetti has achieved what she wanted, and now her only goal is to help others. She is an ‘apple’ tree, a fruit that only gives health. The poet wishes to share her joy, she is ‘bent’ to help those less fortunate. She believes that she has a lot of ‘fruit’, much to give. In a way, ‘fruit’ also signifies her belief in rebirth, introduces the element that there has been some change in her psyche, allowing her to reach where she is. This particular simile is memorable as it allows a glimpse as to how she has achieved the bliss she describes.

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  5. Rossetti portrays her being ecstatic and overjoyed by the unimaginable present as she invites the readers to celebrate love. Her heart and soul seem to be as free as a 'singing bird' perching on a branch so high , where no sense of danger , annoyance or even dismal seem to follow her. Emerging as a 'watered shoot' , small and delicate , she has successfully blossomed into an 'apple tree' learning from her mistakes over the years. This transition from a 'shoot' to that of a 'tree' presents to readers a broad view on how the poet has fought through her harsh times , struggling to attain success. Portraying an unimaginable state of joy , readers grow to analyse it as the happiest moment in the poet's life, a position where nature showers upon her all its true colours, sketching the moment to be further magical. The glowing red 'apple' metaphorically protrudes out the sign of how bright and precious this moment is, further hinting to readers this motivating felling within the poet. With such extravagant aspect of imagery does Rossetti beautifully splash her feelings of finally attaining her dream , hence making it a top-drawer moment.

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