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Summary Rossetti The World Analysis
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In-depth analysis of Rossetti's language, structure, form and meaning
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Rossetti – The WorldInitial Responses Development of ideas and interpretations (red)
Meaning / Ideas / Themes constructed and Meaning / Ideas / Themes constructed and
explored by the poet explored by the poet
- The speaker describes an ambiguous ‘she’ who - explicit discussion into the temptations of
tempts the speaker with desire, leaving the desire and its effects on one's ability to achieve
speaker questioning whether desire is their salvation
‘friend’ or if it is wholly damaging.
- light vs dark- truth vs lies ‘But all night as the
- an exploration of the tension between worldly moon so changeth she’- light is a mask to cover
pleasures and spiritual devotion night’s truth- the night is honest
- the world= a femme fatale figure- an attractive - the difficulty to uphold Christian values in the
yet deadly female figure day [temptation, seductive persona]
- differing interpretations- poverty, Rossetti’s fear - contrast between day and night could
of sex? symbolise the ‘fall of man’
- truth vs lies- power of deception - Rossetti’s struggle to resist sexual temptation
- the pretence of daytime leading one to - the reality of the world- the night
temptation in a seemingly honest and seductive
- the world vs spirituality
way in contrast to night which reveals true
desire [ironic due to night’s typical associations - day vs night; good vs evil; innocence vs sexual
with evil] depravity
- Does Rossetti subvert the idea of the devil into
something female?
Use of form Use of form
- Petrarchan sonnet [abbaabbacdcede]- passion - subversion of Petrarchan sonnet form- in use
of the flesh? of tercets rather than quatrains- resistance of
the speaker to temptation, or Rossetti resisting
- volta between lines 8 and 9- shift to reveal the romance by resisting the structure of the
truth Romantic form
- use of iambic pentameter- follows the sonnet
structure
Use of structural devices (include key terms) Use of structural devices
- juxtaposition between day and night- shifts - use of ‘subtle serpents’ subverts typical
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