She claims that she did not even know that she was a beautiful girl until a great lord found her out. This reveals that the author had probably been in love more than once in her life, but that she was afraid to do the wrong thing and sought to adhere to the church rather than marry when she was not sure that it was entirely right to do so. A 45-minute podcast episodein which literary scholars discuss Rossetti's life and work for BBC Radio 4. However, during this period, women were also thought to be inferior to men in many ways, including physically and intellectually. (read the full definition & explanation with examples). - "The horizon's utmost boundary; far above / Was nothing but stars and the grey sky.". From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. My fair-haired son, my shame, my pride, Cling closer, closer _________: Your sire would give broad lands for one To wear his _________. The structure of 'Cousin Kate' is Dramatic Monologue. 9r gdWn n ^ngd\ odh ^o`gdT`? He wore me like a golden knot, He changed me like a _____: So now I moan an unclean thing. Contrasting sensory language ("dust" and "gold" with "howl" and "sing") emphasises how the speakers misery contrasts with Kate's happiness and luxury. Yet Ive a gift you have not got And seem not like to get: For all your clothes and wedding-ring Ive little doubt you _________. Like many of the other poems included in Rossetti's first and most famous book of poetry, Goblin Market and Other Poems, "Cousin Kate" explores the hypocrisy of gender roles and the dangers of temptation. How does the concept vocabulary express the idea of the existence or establishment of disorder and the return to order. Art Term: Pre-Raphaelites He was a romantic poet - explores link between human and nature and how human identity is shaped by the experience of nature. CJ OJ QJ aJ hWn hT`? Christina Rossetti received a second offer of marriage her suitor in this instance, being a man of letters and pre-eminently a scholar. Context is when social standard was extremely important, males were dominant in relationships and sexual intercouse outside of wedlock was frown upon greatly. So now I moan, an unclean thing, Rossetti wrote Cousin Kate while she was a volunteer at the St. Mary Magdalene house for "fallen women," a derogatory 19th-century term for supposedly unchaste women (such as unmarried mothers and sex workers). Her poem particularly shows sympathy for women and the skepticism of men. Why did a great lord find me out And praise my flaxen _________? He lifted you from mean estate Dramatic monologue(a narrative) addressed to Kate. He used her and cast her aside in favour of her cousin, Kate. And praise my flaxen hair? Given the authors background, Cousin Kate is somewhat ironic. > '` bjbjLULU 8( .? I was a cottage-maiden Hardened by sun and air, Contented with my cottage-mates, Not mindful I was _________. The repetition of "He" (the lord) throughout the poem where the lord is often the subject of the sentence, doing the action while the women are but mere objects - this shows their passivity which relates to the little rights women had to fight back in the 19th century. The speaker says that if it had been the other way around, and the lord had seduced Kate first, and she herself would have spit into his face and not have taken his hand. The speaker clearly regrets that she allowed herself to care for this man and to go into his bed. The way the content is organized. (including. He would use her while she was new and exciting, but he would set her aside when he was done with her. Underline each of the narrator's chores. Thus, she rose to the position of a lady. He lured me to his palace. Thus, when the lord sought her out, it was natural for her to obey. ( ( OJ QJ _HaJ mH sH tH J J Q H e a d i n g 1 $@&. OJ QJ mH nH uh<7l j h<7l UhT hWn hT`? hT`? They were to obey them. Explain in the margin how the weather changes and what the narrator hears as she finishes her chores. Likewise, though seemingly pious and religious, Rossetti shows sympathy for her fellow women who were not so fortunate as to have escaped being lured in by a man. Her whole life, she was taught that a womans role was to obey men, especially a man in a position of authority. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our work is created by a team of talented poetry experts, to provide an in-depth look into poetry, like no other. In the last line of this stanza, the speaker claims that Kate had the stronger wing, but her previous question leaves the readers with a picture of the speaker as the sweeter and more tender of the two, while Kate was the stronger. 25 Because you were so good and pure. This is emphasised with the repetition of "He" (the lord) throughout the poem where the lord is often the subject of the sentence, doing the action while the women are but mere objects - this shows their passivity which relates to the little rights women had to fight back in the 19th century. The speaker in Cousin Kate was lured away by a lord. Speaker describes how he was angry with his friends and shared his feelings but then, when he was angry with his foe, he repressed his anger and the consequences of that are described. Analyse the repetition of "He saw you" (Cousin Kate). Start studying Cousin Kate Quote match-up. hT`? = > hWn OJ QJ hWn 5aJ h6Q hWn B*CJ aJ ph hN B*CJ aJ ph 4 V u LitCharts Teacher Editions. This. 'The Prelude' (whole book) describes key moments and experiences in Wordsworth's life. gdWn gdWn 4 = a If you stood where I stand. He changed me like a glove; CJ OJ QJ UaJ mH nH u hT`? His plaything and his love. In Our Time: Christina Rossetti Conflict in society, individual experiences, loss and suffering, anger, Injustice, anger, bitter-sweet satisfaction. Cottage-maid describes how she was seduced by a rich lord. Extract begins on a summer evening, speaker finds boat and takes it out on lake. You had the stronger wing. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A collection of articles on gender and sexuality in the Victorian era, written by a biographer of Christina Rossetti and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This imagery comes from the biblical book of Job, and the description of sitting in the dust and howling is well known as the epitome of despair. The speaker reveals that her little cousin grew to be more beautiful than she was herself. O Lady kate, my cousin Kate, However, they were thought to be superior to men morally. After all, Jesus himself had a heart for the woman who was caught in the very act of prostitution. Cling closer, closer yet: The speaker contrasts herself with Kate, saying that Kate sings while she sits in gold. They were to obey them. Thus, despite losing her husband and place in society, the speaker clings to the hope that one day her son will have a better life through inheriting the wealth of his father. Chose you, and cast me by. Extract from 'The Prelude': suitable themes, Effects of conflict, memory, nature, individual experiences, fear, Extract from 'The Prelude': Main feelings/attitudes. Analyse "I sit and howl in dust / You sit in gold and sing". A Reading Creates a regular beat that makes it sound like a nursery rhyme, emphasises that it has a moral message & contrasts w/ dark nature of poem. - "And I sunned it with smiles, / And with oft deceitful wiles. However, there is contrast in the last stanza where the repeated subject changes to "I've" showing the shift in tone towards the felling of bittersweet satisfaction. h_ 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph (hT`? Corfman, Allisa. The speaker reminds Kate that although she is named a Lady and has a great husband, she herself will come to nothing without a son to inherit the wealth of his parents and grandparents. An in-depth account of of Rossetti's life, including a detailed discussion of her writings and links to many of her poems. Born in 1830, Rossetti lived during a time when women had no choice but to be chaste. She says, So now I moan, an unclean thing who might have been a dove. Her place in society, her future, and her value for herself were all destroyed and all so that a powerful man might use her to amuse himself for a while. hWn CJ OJ QJ aJ hT`? Poem Solutions Limited International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom. We respond to all comments too, giving you the answers you need. And when he was done using her, she bore the shame of losing her virginity before the marriage. \ Therefore, when a woman was found out to have had sexual relations outside of marriage, it was treated as something entirely different from when men had premarital sex. She does not consider him a curse but a gift. He'd not have won me with his love The time period in which this poem, Cousin Kate, was written makes the message all the more meaningful. Ambiguous as it could either mean he is glad to see the morning or glad to see his enemy collapsed which gives the poem a sinister ending. Why did a great lord find me out, I would have spit into his face The great lord had given her a fair-haired son, which she calls her shame and her pride in one breath. The speaker uses the word lured to suggest further that the great lord did not have pure intentions in his praise of her. CJ OJ QJ UaJ mH nH u hT`? Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. He lured me to his palace-home- Woes me for joy thereof- To lead a shameless shameful life, His plaything and his _________. Then, she tells Kate, Your father would give lands for one/ To wear his coronet. A coronet, a small, simple crown, was often worn by lesser royalty. If a Lord, Duke, or perhaps even the King wanted to have a woman sexually, she was expected to obey him. The poem is told from the perspective of one such woman, who is seduced by a powerful lord and bears his child out of wedlock. h CJ aJ hq5 hWn 0j hT`? Anything else was to be outcasted from society. (A Poison Tree), - Sibilance -> hissing sound -> makes it seem more sinister -> hissing also relates to the snake who convinces Eve to eat the apple, Analyse "And it grew both day and night," (A Poison Tree), Contrasts with when the speaker purposely "sunned" & "water'd" as it seems the speaker is no linger able to control the growth of the poison tree/his anger - growing at night as well also emphasises this as trees shouldn't grow at night, Analyse "In the morning glad I see / My foe outstretche'd beneath the tree." It is written in First Person. He wore me like a golden knot, He changed me like a _________: So now I moan an unclean thing Who might have been a _________. This young maiden was content to be with her cottage mates. Contented with my cottage mates, Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. She says that he took her to lead a shameless shameful life and to make her his plaything and his love. The way the speaker describes her life as the mistress of the great lord reveals that he used her for his own satisfaction without a thought for the way that it would alter the course of her life for the rest of her days. Similes used to show how the lord compares her to a "golden knot" and a "glove". Cousin Kate is a dramatic monologue by the British poet Christina Rossetti. Your father would give his lands for one If a Lord, Duke, or perhaps even the King wanted to have a woman sexually, she was expected to obey him. Accessed 3 November 2022. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer's Research Charity. She compares her true love with the love of her cousin, which she claims was not true and deep love, but one that was written in the sand and could have been washing away by the tide. Whatever the case, the speaker asserts that Kate seemed likely not to have a boy. She says, He changed me like a glove. She clearly felt that she was nothing more than a toy or an article of clothing to this man. He says that it is a great perturbation of nature to be in her condition. Again, she was favorably disposed to her suitor and again actuated by religious scruples, and she was constrained to reject his offer (Bell). Women were married away with a dowry during this time, but they were not given an inheritance. - "He wore me like a golden knot, / He changed me like a glove", Analyse "He wore me like a golden knot, / He changed me like a glove" (Cousin Kate). The Wikipedia page for the Oxford Movement, including a list of associated figures. Although the author could not entirely identify with her speaker in Cousin Kate, she clearly was able to have empathy for all the women in her society who had given in to their passions and been ruined by them. This presented a problem for women. Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/christina-rossetti/cousin-kate/. Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. h~Q CJ OJ QJ UaJ mH nH u 0j hT`? This poem speaks to that exact kind of circumstance. However, they were thought to be superior to men morally. CJ OJ QJ aJ # $ F a 3 4 6 7 9 : = ? It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. He wore me like a silken knot, gNg 0j hT`? He watched your steps along the lane, Why did a great lord find me out, 17 O Lady kate, my cousin Kate, 18 You grew more fair than I: 19 He saw you at your father's gate, 20 Chose you, and cast me by. The Wikipedia page for the Oxford Movement, including a list of associated figures. And when he was done using her, she bore the shame of losing her virginity before the marriage. hmi 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph n ^ngd\ 6 &P /R :pWn |. hi CJ OJ QJ UaJ mH nH u 0j hT`? O Lady Kate, my Cousin Kate, You grow more fair than I: He saw you at your fathers gate, Chose you and cast me _________. They were thought to have little to no sexual desire aside from for the purpose of becoming a mother. He bound you with his ring: Use of ambiguity in the word "gold" as it could be referring to her richness but also be symbolising a gold birdcage which would show how the lord essentially owns Kate. Collection B: Cousin Kate Worksheet B10.1 Pearson Education 2010 yet coronet fret land hand stand dove love glove by high rye hair fair care wing thing sing 3 ? gdWn gdT`? It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. n^n`gd\ odh ^o`gdT`? And yet, as every mother can understand, the child was also her pride and joy. The speaker reminds Kate that although she is named a Lady and has a great husband, she herself will come to nothing without a son to inherit the wealth of his parents and grandparents. The speaker says that when he took her into his home, he woe[ed her] for joy thereof. Here, the readers can see that what the great lord did for his own joy was the woe of the young maiden. This poem speaks to that exact kind of circumstance. Use of the metaphor likens the women to animals (dog howling & songbird singing) shows how even though Kate is seen as superior to the speaker, she is still inferior to the lord. He had no concern for what it would do to her. It is not clear whether Kate was unable to have children or whether she seemed to have only baby girls. Summary of Cousin Kate. 4 R y pP pP pP pP U U U U n n n 8 o $ 4o 4 U to to to to to t t t 5 5 5 5 5 5 $ h F Y U t "t t t t Y pP pP to to n y y y t pP to T to y t y y L fS & zU ^ to ho n `u Z Z T 0 H B N w 2 N N U t t y t t t t t Y Y Fy j t t t t t t t U U p^ D n $ U U p^ n U U U pP pP pP pP pP pP Rhyme and rhythm Read the poem Cousin Kate below, which has some words missing. She had no thought for a man and no desire for anything that she did not already have. It is possible that she has been talking to Kate all along. Gives the sense that she was nothing but an accessory to him to improve his own appearance. Yet I've a gift you have not got, This son brought her shame in the eyes of society. With this stanza, the speaker begins to draw a more distinct line between herself and her cousin. "Cousin Kate" is specifically addressed to the speaker's cousin, who marries the lord despite his mistreatment of the speaker. He watched your steps along the lane, Your sport among the _____: He lifted you from mean estate Simple rhyme scheme made up of rhyming couplets and trochaic metre. The neighbors call you good and pure, Sven Birkerts, The Gutenberg Elegies. Because you were so good and pure Written by Christina Rossetti. For all your clothes and wedding-ring A reading of "Cousin Kate" on YouTube. @ Z j This son brought her shame in the eyes of society. You had the stronger _________. Get the entire guide to Cousin Kate as a printable PDF. hi 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph (hT`? Here, she says to Kate, Ive a gift you have not got and seem not like to get. She goes on to dismiss Kates clothes and her wedding ring. Your work among the rye; Then, she tells Kate, Your father would give lands for one/ To wear his coronet. A coronet, a small, simple crown, was often worn by lesser royalty. Although the author could not entirely identify with her speaker in , Strong-minded women: and other lost voices from nineteenth-century England, https://poemanalysis.com/christina-rossetti/cousin-kate/, Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. When she calls her Lady Kate, she makes it clear that her cousin has risen in social status to become a Lady. This causes speaker to lose her reputation and become rejected by society. Then she reveals what this gift is. While she was once a beautiful young maiden without a care in the world, the attentions of the great lord caused her to become a young maiden quite in love with someone much above her in social status. 24 To sit with him on high. h4 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph (hT`? If he had fooled not me but you, Have a specific question about this poem? Set in 19th century where women had to conform to strict moral standards and there was a large amount of gender inequality. Then she says that she sits in the dust and howls. On the other hand, men were known often to use prostitutes as an outlet for their sexuality until (and sometimes after) they were married. You grew more fair than I: Her cousin, Kate, watched the whole thing. Call me an outcast thing. Blank verse(unrhymed verse in iambic pentameter) makes it sound serious and important. To lead a shameless shameful life, O Cousin Kate, my love was true, Your love was writ in sand: If he had fooled not me but you, If you stood where I _________, He had not won me with his love Nor bought me with his _________: I would have spit into his face And not have taken his _________. hT`? Kate, having seen her cousin brought to shame by the lord, denied him sexually. O Lady Kate, my Cousin Kate, You grow more fair than I: He saw you at your father's gate, Chose you and cast me _____. Ambiguity leaves reader thinking of what actually happened. For example, the Doctor learns that Lady Macbeth has been in a state of agitation, sleepwalking and talking aloud. 1st person narrative - sounds personal and describes a turning point in the speakers life. hy 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph (hT`? To fill my heart with care? Its not in the stars to hold our destiny but ourselves is a well-known Shakespearean quote that speaks about fate and destiny. Why did a great lord find me out To fill my heart with _________? He saw you at your father's gate, The eruptions in the early part of our century the time of world wars and emergent modernity were premonitions of a sort. Autobiographical poem released shortly after death of Wordsworth in 1850. hWn 5CJ OJ QJ aJ hT`? Initially speaker is happy and confident and describes a beautiful scene.
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