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I.

Introduction

Thesisstatement:ChristinaRossettiusesreligiousallusions,natureimagery,andimperatives
asatooltorevealthethemeofherdesirefordeath
II.

BodyParagraph#1

A.

Topicsentence:InRossettispoems,religionisaveryimportantfactorthatledher

feelingofwantingtodieshowupoutstandingly.
B.

Supportingevidence:

i.nowit,noword,notearsandIdwellalone.
ii.abrokenbowlthatcannothold/onedropofwaterformysoulThepurple
iii.OJesus,quickenmeOJesus,riseinmeOJesus,drinkofme
C.Clinchersentence:Thatbeliefofherareallinfluencedbyreligionwhichintervene
inthethemeofdesiringfordeathinherpoems.
III.

BodyParagraph#2

A.

Topicsentence:NatureimagesareusedbyRossettitodisplayherdemandfordeath
.
NatureimagesareusedbyRossettitoenhancedesperatelyfeelinginneedofdeath

B.

Supportingevidence:

i.thesunlessriversDreamlandtheabsentofsun
ii.RoseswhenIamdead,mydearestforgriefbutshewantabetterlifesodontbesadfor
her
iii.Shelefttherosymorn,/Sheleftthefieldsofcorn,/Fortwilightcoldandlorndreamland
wanttoleavealltopositiveness
C.Clinchersentence:


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Herstrongattitudetowardthedeathisshowninthepoemsbyusingnatureimages.
IV.

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Thisismyessayoftopic3
A.

Topicsentence:Rossettisimperativeallowhertoillustrateherdesiretodieinthe

poems.

B.

Supportingevidence:

i.Singnosadsongsformetoshowthegriefdontfeelsadbecausethisiswhatshewant
shepreferthemshowingherwhenshealivebecauseshecantseeitfeelit.So,thereisno
goodfordoingthat
ii.Awakehernotdontwakeherupbecauseshecantandwillnot
iii.Haplyyoumayremember/haplymayforgetgiveeveryoneafreedomtoforgetor
rememberher,shewillhaveanewlifethatisnotrelatedtotheirworld
C.Clinchersentence:TheideaofRossettiherselfislookingforwardforthedeathis
obviouslydepictedbyherownimperative.
V.ConclusionChristinaRossettiusesreligiousallusions,natureimagery,and
imperativesasatooltorevealthethemeofherdesirefordeath

A.Rephrasedthesisstatement:Rossettisimperatives,religiousbelief,and
natureimagesthatareinscribedinpoemsenableherdesiretoendthepainthroughdeathto
bevisibleforreaderstosee


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Attitudestowarddeath
Ofallnineteenthcenturypoets,ChristinaGeorginaRossetti(18301894)wasoneof
themostmemorableimportantpoetthatcreateduniquepoems.Rossettiwasbornintheartist
family,withherdad,GabrieleRossetti,whowasanItalianpoetandpoliticianandher
brother,DanteGabrielRossetti,aprepahaeliepainter.Fortheearliesteducation,sheandher
sisterwereeducatedbytheirmotherwithreligiouslybooks.Attendingchurchwithhermom
andsisterataveryyoungageandacombinationofherdeterminationhabitmadeherbecame
astronglyreligiousperson.Sherefusedmarriageproposalsbecauseofdifferentreligious
perspective.Herpoemsreflectedthelossofhertwolovers.Rossettihadbeensufferingfrom
depressingthatwasdiagnosedasareligiousMania.Afterthatherphysicallyandmentally
healthwasgoingdownhilltothepointwhereshewaslookingforwardtodeath.As
consequences,majorityofherworksisaboutdeathwithasenseofreligion.Herexperience
offacingwithdepressionallowhertounderstandaboutthoseofothersandexpresseditin
herpoemsTheBetterResurrection,WhenImDead,MyDearest,andDreamland.
ChristinaRossettiusesreligiousallusions,natureimagery,andimperativesasatooltoreveal
thethemeofherdesirefordeath
InRossettispoems,religionisaveryimportantfactorthatledherfeelingofwanting
todieshowupoutstandingly.BythenameofthepoemTheBetterResurrectionmeans
comingbacktolifeafterdeath.Rossettiputabetterinfrontresurrectiontoconveyher
thought.Shebelievesthatlivinginlifeafterdeathwillbelikegivingheranewlife.Thefirst
stanzaofthepoemstartswithherdescriptionabouttheemptinessandlonelinessofherlife
withIhavenowit,noword,notearsandLookright,lookleft,Idwellalone(lines
1,4).DepressionplaysanimportantroleinRossettismind.Foraverylongtime,Rossetti
hadbeenhavingGodstorelyonforeverythingentirely,butthenthedepressionpersistently


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effectsherthoughtandherfeeling.Shefeelslikeeverythingandeveryonearenotdependable
anymore.Shewassociallyandmentallysufferingasifsheislivingdead.Inthelaststanza,
Rossettistatesherlifeasabrokenbowlthatcannothold/onedropofwaterformysoul
(lines1718)whichmeannotonlythereisnothingthatcanmakehersoulhappyandwantto
beintheworld,butalsorefertothebowlofJesusslastsupper.ForChristians,thebowlof
JesusslastsupperisthereminderofJesussexistence.Thebowlisshatteredbythe
depressioncanrepresentacrackedinrelationshipbetweenRossettiandJesus.Evenso,the
tensionbetweenhopeandhopelessthatareconstantlyfightinginhermind.Sheendseachof
threestanzaswiththesentenceOJesus,quickenme,OJesus,riseinmeandOJesus,
drinkofme(lines8,18,and24).ShestillhashopedofJesusofferingheranewbetterlife
notinthecurrentlife,butinthelandshecallsThepurplelandinthepoemDreamland.
Thelandwhichshedescribesasaplaceforaperfectrest.Rossettisbeliefisinfluencedby
religionwhichintervenesinthepoemtoraiseupthethemeofdesiringdeath.
NatureimagesareusedbyRossettitoenhancedesperatelyfeelinginneedofdeath.
PositivenatureimageryarepresentinthepoemDreamland,butthetruemeaningthat
Rossettiwantsreadertoknowoftheentirelinesareoppositetopositive.Accordingtothese
lines,Shelefttherosymorn,/Sheleftthefieldsofcorn,(lines910),shemeansthateven
thoughtheworldshelivesissobeautiful,itcannotfulfillherneed.Shewantstoleavethe
naturebehindandfindtheplacethatsuitedherdesire.ThefollowinglineFortwilightcold
andlorn(line11)iswhereshewantstobeinsteadofthatgloryplaces.Twilightiswhensun
isabsent,sothereisonlydarknessembracesher.Inherpoems,naturewhichspecificallyin
thispoemisdarkness,sometimesusedforsymbolisingthedeath.Thedarknessgetrepeated
throughoutthepoemforinstance,Wheresunlessriversweep(line1).Therepetitionalso
showshowextremesheintendsforthedeath.ShementionsthecomparisonofherlifeMy


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lifeisinthefallingleaf:(line7).Theleaffallsoftreeisalawofnature.Likewise,Rossetti
diedofnaturalcauses,cancer,withoutattemptingsuicide.Butwithhopethatshewillbe
gonefromthisworldinsomedays.Themotionofleaffallsfromitsbranchillustratesthe
imageofherlife'sfreelyfalling.Sheiswillingtoletherselffallintodeath.Thecloserthe
leaftotheground,thefasterthespeedisgettingduetotheforceofgravityasherfeelingget
moremotivatedalongthewayofherlife.Herstrongattitudetowardthedeathisshowninthe
poemsbyusingnatureimages.
Rossettisimperativeallowhertoillustrateherdesiretodieinherpoem,WhenIm
dead,mydearest.Thesettingofthispoemisatafuneralwhichevidentlyishers.She
discourageseveryonesingsongsandplantroseswhichrepresentloveandgriefasshown
Singnosadsongsforme/Plantthounorosesatmyhead,(lines23).Theauthordoes
notwantanyonetofeelsorryorsadforherdeath,butinsteadwantsthemtofeelhappywith
her.Deathhasalwaysbeenherultimategoal.However,herreligiousbeliefhaspreventedher
fromdoingitherself.So,dyingbynaturalcauseswillcompleteherdesirewithoutneglecther
ownbelief.Anotherreasonsheissayingthistoeveryoneistoremindthemthattheyshould
havedoneeverythingtheywantwhensheisstillaliveratherthanwhensheisdeadandcan
feelnothing.Aftershedied,shewillneitherhearnorseeanythingIshallnotseethe
shadows,/Ishallnotfeeltherain/Ishallnothearthenightingale(lines911).Moreover,
thepainshehasbeenin,thethingsshehassufferedforwillneverhappentoheragain.She
wontfeelanyonespainaswellashers.Lastly,Rossettigiveseveryoneafreedomtoforget
orrememberher,Haplyyoumayremember/haplymayforget(lines1516)becauseshe
willhaveanewlifethatisnotatallrelatedtotheirworld.Shewillnotbebotheredby
anyonesorhersthoughtanymore.Ifonemaytoforgettheauthorandmovingonwithhisor
herlifeinsteadofmourningfortheauthorsdeath,shewillnotberesentfulorupset.Dueto


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thefactthatRossettiwillneverknowwhetheronestillrememberoralreadyforgether.Sheis
goingtohavehernewlifethatshebelievesisbetterthanherformerlife.TheideaofRossetti
herselfislookingforwardforthedeathisobviouslydepictedbyherownimperative
Rossettisimperatives,religiousbelief,andnatureimagesthatareinscribedinthe
poemsenableherdesiretoendthepainthroughdeathtobevisibleforreaderstosee.
Differentpeoplehavedifferentwaysofexpressingtheirfeeling.WritingapoemisRossettis
wayoflivingwiththedepressingfeeling.Thebetterresurrection,WhenImdead,my
dearest,andDreamlandaretheobviouspoemsthatrevealhertruedesirefordeath.The
experienceshehasbeenfacinginfluencesherthoughtandherdetermination,whicheffecton
theformandcontentofherpoems.Lifealwaysinvolvesobstacles,Rossettiswayofcoping
withthemistonotfocusonpresentbutinsteadfuture.Causingherauniquewayofviewing
deathabetternewlifeafterlife.Shedeeplyunderstandstheconceptthatdeatharetrulypart
oflife.Thereisnoneedseekingforitbecauseitwillnaturallycomeatoneday.


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Reference
ChristinaRossetti.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poemsandpoets/poets/detail/christinarossetti#

Rossetti,C.(1862).DreamLand.
PoetryFoundation.
Retrievedfrom
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poemsandpoets/poems/detail/44995

Rossetti,C.(1862).Abetterresurrection.
PoetryFoundation
.Retrievedfrom
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poemsandpoets/poems/detail/44991

Rossetti,C.(1862).WhenIamdead,mydearest.
PoetryFoundation
.Retrievedfrom
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poemsandpoets/poems/detail/45003