The Critical Reception of Christina Rossetti

Summary

In this lecture, Ross Wilson provides a critical overview of Christina Rossetti's poetry, examining its evolution in the eyes of critics from the late 19th century to the present. He highlights key figures like Sir Walter Raleigh, Virginia Woolf, and Stuart Curran, who offered varied assessments of Rossetti's work, particularly focusing on her religious devotion and its impact on her poetry. Wilson advocates for a more nuanced understanding, exploring themes of melancholy, disappointment, gender, and sexuality in her poems. He argues that Rossetti’s struggle between religious duty and poetic impulse forms the heart of her enduring literary significance.

Takeaways

• 😀 Christina Rossetti's poetry has been subject to varying critical opinions, fluctuating in and out of favor over time.
• 😀 Some critics, like Sir Walter Raleigh, have highly praised Rossetti, even comparing her favorably to Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
• 😀 Raleigh described Rossetti as the 'best poet alive,' though his praise subtly touches on her complex views on life and death.
• 😀 Virginia Woolf, while admiring Rossetti's work, was critical of her emotional and romantic experiences, particularly her sacrifices for religion.
• 😀 Woolf’s critique centered on Rossetti’s self-imposed melancholia and the idea that her religious commitment stifled her poetry.
• 😀 Eric Griffith counters Woolf’s criticism, arguing that Rossetti’s religion and poetry are not oppositional but mutually enriching, reflecting deep spiritual and poetic tension.
• 😀 Edmund Gosse compared Rossetti to Coleridge, noting her struggle to reconcile a didactic religious purpose with the more romantic impulses of her poetry.
• 😀 The tension between Rossetti's religious beliefs and her poetry is a defining feature, and some critics see this conflict as a source of creative energy.
• 😀 Throughout much of the 20th century, Rossetti’s work was somewhat overlooked or patronized, particularly by critics like Stuart Curran, who dismissed her linguistic and imaginative abilities.
• 😀 Despite early dismissals, recent scholarship has helped to shed light on Rossetti’s accomplishments, particularly in her innovative use of language and her role in the development of 19th-century women’s poetry.
• 😀 Rossetti’s poetry is significant for its exploration of themes like disappointment, melancholy, and the complexities of gender and sexuality, particularly in poems like 'Goblin Market' and 'The Lowest Room.'

Q & A

How did Sir Walter Raleigh view Christina Rossetti's poetry?

Sir Walter Raleigh expressed strong admiration for Christina Rossetti's poetry, calling her 'the best poet alive' in 1892. He compared her favorably to Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, suggesting that Rossetti's poems outshone theirs. However, Raleigh's description of Rossetti as 'alive' carries deeper implications, especially considering her frequent focus on death and the afterlife in her work.

What was Virginia Woolf's critical view of Rossetti's work?

Virginia Woolf respected Rossetti’s poetry but expressed reservations about the impact of her religious faith on her artistic expression. Woolf criticized Rossetti for 'starving herself of love' and felt that this led to a kind of poetic 'castration.' Woolf seemed to overlook Rossetti’s spiritual love for God, which was central to her poetry.

What does Woolf’s statement 'If I were bringing a case against God, Rossetti would be one of the first witnesses I should call' suggest?

Woolf’s statement reflects her belief that Rossetti’s poetry, constrained by her religious devotion, could not fully express the complexity of human emotions, particularly love. Woolf implies that Rossetti's sacrifices, such as rejecting romantic love, diminished her creative potential.

How does Eric Griffith challenge Virginia Woolf’s view of Rossetti's work?

Eric Griffith argues that Woolf's criticism overlooks the depth of Rossetti’s religious devotion. Griffith defends Rossetti by stating that her poetry explores themes of disappointment and spiritual longing, which are significant sources of artistic power. He sees Rossetti's religious commitment as an essential and meaningful part of her poetic identity.

Why does Ross Wilson find the tension between Rossetti’s religion and poetry so important?

Wilson highlights the tension between Rossetti’s religious faith and her poetic impulse as one of the central features of her work. Rather than being a limitation, this struggle generates a powerful energy in her poetry, enriching the complexity of her themes, such as disappointment, melancholy, and the search for spiritual fulfillment.

What was Stuart Curran’s view on Rossetti’s poetry, and why does Wilson disagree?

Stuart Curran, in 1971, dismissed Rossetti’s work as lacking intellectual and imaginative depth, arguing that her 'universe was settled before she came of age.' Wilson disagrees with this patronizing view, emphasizing Rossetti’s linguistic inventiveness and deep observational skills. He believes that Curran's critique fails to recognize the richness of Rossetti’s poetry, especially in her engagement with gender, spirituality, and melancholy.

How does Ross Wilson describe Rossetti’s role in the development of 19th-century women's poetry?

Wilson describes Rossetti as a key figure in the evolution of women’s poetry in the 19th century. He points to poems like 'Goblin Market,' 'The Lowest Room,' and 'In the Antique' as critical contributions that address themes of gender and sexuality, helping to shape the trajectory of feminist poetic expression.

What role does disappointment play in Rossetti's poetry?

Disappointment is a recurring theme in Rossetti's poetry, which Wilson sees as a profound source of creativity. Rather than being a negative or passive emotion, disappointment, along with melancholy and spiritual longing, becomes a means of exploring deeper emotional and existential truths in her work.

What is the significance of Rossetti's poems about religious faith, according to Wilson?

Rossetti’s poems about religious faith are central to her literary legacy. Wilson emphasizes that her deep commitment to Christianity, particularly her devotion to God, is not just a personal belief but a defining characteristic of her poetic voice. Her religious themes, often intertwined with ideas of death and the afterlife, create a distinctive and compelling framework for her work.

How does Wilson characterize Rossetti's use of language and poetic form?

Wilson praises Rossetti for her linguistic inventiveness and mastery of poetic form. He argues that Rossetti’s poetry is marked by a rich, imaginative use of language, which allows her to engage deeply with complex themes. Her ability to blend religious and romantic elements within her poetry makes her work distinctive and impactful.