'Remember' by Christina Rossetti
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Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Remember by Christina Rossetti: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Oh my gosh, I cannot even begin to describe how much I love Christina Rossetti's poem, Remember! It's one of those timeless pieces that manages to tug at your heartstrings, no matter how many times you read it. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I'll be taking a deep dive into the themes, imagery, and literary devices used in Remember to understand its true meaning and significance.
Background
Before we dive into the poem itself, let's take a quick look at the background of Christina Rossetti. She was a 19th-century poet who lived in London, England, and is widely regarded as one of the most important female poets of the Victorian era. Her work is known for its introspective tone, religious motifs, and exploration of themes such as love, death, and redemption.
Analysis
Now, let's turn our attention to Remember. The poem has a simple, yet powerful structure consisting of three stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABBA, which creates a sense of musicality and rhythm throughout the poem.
Theme
The overarching theme in Remember is death and the inevitability of it. The speaker is addressing a loved one, possibly a romantic partner, and asking them to remember her after she has passed away. The poem is written in a melancholic tone, and the speaker's desperation to be remembered adds to the overall sense of sadness.
But there's more to the theme of Remember than just death. The poem also deals with the concept of memory and the idea that memories can be a way to keep loved ones alive even after they're gone. The speaker is asking her loved one to remember her, to hold on to the memories they shared, and to keep her alive in their thoughts.
Imagery
One of the most striking aspects of Remember is the vivid imagery used throughout the poem. The first stanza begins with the line, "Remember me when I am gone away," which sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker is asking her loved one to remember her even after she's passed away, and this image of absence is powerful.
The second stanza continues this theme of absence with the line, "You tell me of our future that you plann'd." Here, the speaker is acknowledging that there were plans for the future, but they won't be able to come to fruition because she won't be there. The image of a future that will never be is heartbreaking.
The final stanza contains perhaps the most powerful image in the poem: "Yet if you should forget me for a while / And afterwards remember, do not grieve." Here, the speaker is acknowledging that her loved one may forget her for a time, but she's telling them not to grieve when they remember her again. This image of forgiveness and understanding is both beautiful and tragic.
Literary Devices
In addition to the imagery, Remember also makes use of several literary devices to convey its themes and emotions. One of the most prominent of these devices is repetition. The phrase "Remember me" appears four times throughout the poem, and each time it's repeated, it becomes more desperate and poignant.
Another literary device used in Remember is personification. The speaker personifies death, referring to it as a "silent land" and a "darkness." This personification adds to the overall sense of dread and inevitability in the poem.
Finally, the poem makes use of a metaphor in its final stanza. The line "And if you should forget me for a while / And afterwards remember, do not grieve" compares memory to a river that flows and ebbs. This metaphorical comparison adds a sense of fluidity and movement to the poem, as well as a sense of continuity even after death.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Remember is a masterful poem that deals with themes of death, memory, and love. Christina Rossetti's use of vivid imagery, repetition, personification, and metaphor all come together to create a melancholic yet beautiful work of art. The poem is a testament to the power of memory and the ways in which we can keep loved ones alive even after they're gone.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Remember by Christina Rossetti: A Poem of Love and Loss
Christina Rossetti’s poem Remember is a classic piece of literature that has touched the hearts of millions of readers over the years. Written in 1849, the poem is a powerful expression of love, loss, and the inevitability of death. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in Remember, and examine how they contribute to the poem’s enduring popularity.
The poem is structured as a sonnet, with fourteen lines divided into two quatrains and two tercets. The rhyme scheme is ABBA ABBA CDC DCD, which is typical of the Petrarchan sonnet form. The poem is addressed to a lover, and the speaker is urging them to remember her after she has passed away. The opening line, “Remember me when I am gone away,” sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a plea for remembrance and a declaration of love.
The first quatrain of the poem establishes the speaker’s desire for her lover to remember her. She asks that he “better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad.” This is a common sentiment in literature about death, as it suggests that it is better to move on and find happiness than to dwell on the past and be consumed by grief. However, the speaker’s tone is not one of resignation or acceptance, but rather of urgency and longing. She wants to be remembered, even if it means causing her lover pain.
The second quatrain of the poem shifts the focus to the speaker’s own feelings about death. She acknowledges that death is inevitable, and that she will “go away into the silent land.” This phrase is a powerful image of death as a journey into the unknown, a place where there is no sound or life. The speaker also acknowledges that her lover will eventually forget her, and that “the world will be the same dull thing to you.” This is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life, and the fact that even the most intense emotions will eventually fade away.
The first tercet of the poem returns to the theme of remembrance, as the speaker asks her lover to “remember and be glad.” This is a subtle shift from the earlier line about remembering and being sad, as it suggests that the memories of their love will bring joy rather than pain. The speaker also asks her lover to “forget and smile,” which is a reminder that life goes on and that happiness can still be found even in the face of loss.
The final tercet of the poem is a powerful declaration of love. The speaker tells her lover that “Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad.” This repetition of the opening lines of the poem serves to reinforce the central message of Remember, which is that love is worth remembering even if it causes pain. The final line of the poem, “For if the darkness and corruption leave / A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,” is a beautiful expression of the enduring nature of love. Even after death, the speaker’s thoughts and feelings will live on in the memories of her lover.
The imagery used in Remember is simple but powerful. The “silent land” is a haunting image of death as a journey into the unknown, while the “dull world” is a reminder of the emptiness that can follow the loss of a loved one. The repetition of the phrase “remember me” throughout the poem is a powerful reminder of the importance of memory and the enduring nature of love.
The language used in Remember is also simple but effective. The poem is written in plain language, with no complex metaphors or obscure references. This makes it accessible to a wide range of readers, and allows the emotions of the poem to shine through. The repetition of certain phrases, such as “remember me” and “forget and smile,” serves to reinforce the central themes of the poem and create a sense of unity and coherence.
In conclusion, Remember by Christina Rossetti is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. Its themes of love, loss, and remembrance are universal, and its simple but powerful imagery and language make it accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds. The poem is a reminder that even in the face of death, love can endure and bring joy to those who remember it.
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