Memory Christina Rossetti

'Memory': context

Christina Rossetti wrote the poem 'Memory' in two parts. The first part of the poem, written in 1857, takes on a melancholic, almost despairing tone. Rossetti's marital prospects in 1857 looked rather bleak with two refused proposals, which account for the miserable tone of the first part. The second part, written in 1865, coincides with Christina Rossetti's budding friendship with Charles Bagot Cayley, and thus marks the poem with hope and fulfilment.

'Memory': analysis

It is recommended that you read the entire poem twice for an in-depth analysis of the poem. The first time is a close reading, involving a microscopic examination of each word and its connotations. The second reading should be a 'zooming out' that allows you to look at the broad strokes of the poem and its themes. We will first read the poem, then examine the literary and poetic devices employed by the poet, and finally, look at the key themes of the poem.

'Memory': the poem

Part 1

Part 2

'Memory': summary

The first part of the poem consists of five stanzas. These elaborate on the miserable and melancholic state of the speaker who is nursing a broken heart after finding out that her love for someone is unreciprocated. She faces the rejection head-on and her silence weighs heavy on her. She wishes to hold on to the memory of her one-sided infatuation.

The second part takes on a more hopeful tone. Having made peace with her choice to remain silent, she revels in the memory of her love in the autumnal phase of her life. She wishes to be united with the one she loves in the afterlife.

'Memory': form and structure

The poem 'Memory' consists of nine stanzas. The stanzas are written as quatrains (four lines), with the final line of each quatrain shorter than the rest of the stanza. The use of punctuation adds emphasis to the resigned acceptance of the rejection that the speaker faces. The difference in the tone of the two parts is underlined by the punctuation. While the first part consists of pregnant pauses and highlights her silent suffering, the second part is dominated by end-stopped lines that note her hope and optimism as she looks to death and the afterlife.

'Memory': rhyme and meter

The poem 'Memory' is dominated by the iambic pentameter, but also consists of shortened lines, particularly the last line of each stanza. These shortened lines heighten her resignation and suffering in the face of rejection and unreciprocated love. In part 2, the second line of each stanza is also shortened to reflect the speaker's feelings that oscillate between misery and hope. The tonal difference between the two parts is also marked by the rhyme scheme – with the first part consisting of alternating rhymes ABAB, and the second part following the ABBA rhyme scheme.

'Memory': literary and poetic devices

Alliteration

The poem 'Memory' includes many instances of alliteration. Examples include the use of 'hid' and 'heart' in line 2; 'stripped' and 'self,' and 'regard' and 'ruth' in line 6. Alliteration provides a song-like quality to the poem, almost making it seem as if the speaker sings these lines to herself to find comfort in them. Can you find more instances of alliteration in the poem? How do these alter the reading of the poem?

Metaphor

The speaker's heart, which is described as an injured, and later a 'dead,' object that she 'nursed' or as one that buries deep within it the feeling of unrequited love is a metaphor that carries the undertone of rejection and grief. Memory too, serves as a metaphor (and personification) as it is marked with 'sitting on a throne.'

Refrain

The poet's repeated use of 'I' indicates her loneliness and grief in the face of unrequited love. This is expounded by the use of the word 'alone,' which is also repeated four times in the poem, adding to the impression of her heart laid bare.

Symbol

The speaker uses the memory of her love as a symbol to describe her condition of silent suffering, and later, hope in the poem. The opening line itself treats her memory of her love as something alive, which she nurses in her heart. She expresses a myriad of emotions she feels as she remembers the love she felt for the person. In line 5, for example, she describes the memory of rejection as a naked truth, and the love she offers as facing a closed door, thus remarking upon it not being reciprocated.

Another key symbol in the poem 'Memory' is that of season, which is indicative of change and healing. On one hand, the speaker notes with hope the passing of time and how the cold and dead winter transforms into a blossoming, lavish summer, and on the other hand, she remarks on the autumnal phase of her life and how she looks towards death and the afterlife in the hope of being united with the one she loves.

'Memory': key theme

As the title suggests, memory is the key theme of the poem. While the speaker feels heartbroken and vulnerable, she holds on to the memory of love. This renews her optimism and hope in part 2 of the poem. The memory transforms into a blessing, particularly when the speaker turns to God. She finds comfort and peace in religion and in her worship of God. This reconciles with the strong Christian beliefs that Rossetti conformed to. In line with the Christian notion of the afterlife, the poet expresses her faith that she will unite with her beloved in paradise.