Christina Rossetti's 'Remember' is a Victorian sonnet that addresses the profound themes of love, death, and memory. The poem, part of her 1862 collection, uses a Petrarchan structure to express the tension between the desire to be remembered and the act of forgetting as a form of kindness. Rossetti's use of literary devices like alliteration, apostrophe, and metaphor enriches the poem's emotional depth, making it a timeless piece in English literature.
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The poem follows the structure of a Petrarchan sonnet, with 14 lines and a volta
Octave Rhyme Scheme
The first eight lines follow an ABBAABBA pattern
Sestet Rhyme Scheme
The last six lines follow a CDE EDE pattern
The poem is written in iambic pentameter, with five pairs of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables creating a rhythmic flow
The use of alliteration creates rhythm and emphasizes certain phrases in the poem
The speaker directly addresses an absent beloved, using apostrophe to convey emotion
The poem is rich with metaphors, such as the 'silent land' representing death, to enhance its imagery
The poem presents a paradox, juxtaposing the desire to be remembered with the recognition that forgetting may be a mercy
The poem contemplates death as an inevitable separation and its impact on shared experiences and the beloved's life
Memory is portrayed as a means to transcend death and remain present in the beloved's thoughts, but also as a potential source of pain
Love is depicted as a force that endures beyond physical existence and can persist through the preservation of memory
The initial tone of the poem is insistent, urging the beloved to remember the speaker
The tone evolves to prioritize the beloved's happiness, revealing a selfless love
The poem explores the tension between the desire to be remembered and the weight that memories can impose
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Poem's Structure
Petrarchan sonnet form: octave and sestet with a volta.
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Speaker's Initial Request
Speaker asks to be remembered posthumously.
02
Speaker's Shift in Tone
Volta marks transition to acceptance of being forgotten for loved one's happiness.
