Background Information The poem is a recount and includes real facts that are relevant to Christina Georgina Rossetti’s life. She writes from experience during “Sister Maude” as we know her father died in 1854 (which relates to stanza 4 when she talks of her fathers death).

1.Oxymoron 2.Vowel 3.Ambiguity 4.Rhetorical Question 5.Adjectives 6.Semantic Field 7.Alliteration 8.Sibilance 9.Juxtaposition 10.Repetition 11.Colon

Sister Maude Feelings/Attitudes Rhetorical Question- (Who told my mother of my shame, who told my father of my Death?)- Stanza 1. Shows hatred towards Maude because she is responsible for her lovers death. It also insinuates that the boy she is in love with was unsuitable for her and not an arranged marriage like most were in the Victoria Era. Adjective- (Who lurked to spy and peer)- Stanza 1. Conveys feelings of slyness about the sister and supports the idea that her sister was jealous. Also suggests that Maude may have done things like this before or that Maude Had reasons to betray her. Repetition- (Cold he lies, as cold as stone)- Stanza 2. Repetition of “cold” makes the death seem heatless and shows disbelief of the speaker on her young lovers death. Sibilance- -(constant use of letter “c”)- Stanza 2. The use of sibilance emphasizes the cry's of the speaker as her aguish causes her to choke out her words. Juxtaposition- (“Clotted” and “curls”)- Stanza 2. Creates unease between her struggle of visual and emotive feelings.

Oxymoron- (comeliest corpse)- Stanza 2. This phase contradicts itself and does not fit together. However it highlights her everlasting love with her lover even when dead. It also shows the erotic passion and tenderness of the poet and the desirability of the dead man who has been fought over by two sisters. Lexis- (comeliest corpse)- which means the handsomest dead body. In death, the male is still gorgeous, which is significantly feminized through a lexis that shows a sense of his innocence and purity, as well as their sexual passion. It engenders a sense of his innocence and purity as well as their sexual passion. Hyperbole- (worthy of a queens embrace). From the poets perspective no one could EVER resist this gorgeous man and therefore compliments her lover. “Queen” has wealth, power and all things gracious which is why when the poet refers to the lover as deserving of this she implies that he was worthy of all things respected. Ambiguity- (Though I had not been born at all). Writer is the youngest OR he would not have fallen for Maude even if she had not been born. Direct address- (stanza 3) Rossetti addresses her sister through the use of the pronoun “you” to show the situation still affects her and the stanza is written specifically for Maude. Repetition- (you might have spared his soul, sister, Have spared my soul, your own soul too) The poet uses repetition of the word “soul” to reveal the wider implications of sister Maude's sins. (last stanza) – repetition of “Sister Maude” shows how upsetting the final outburst was for her which also shows a loss of control and frustration. Colon- (after gate). Allows reader and speaker time to reflect upon the family deaths. The use of repetition of the pronoun “why” underlines the exclusion of sister Maude from the family unit which means her behaviour has permanently destroyed their relationship.

Structure/Form Ballad- Narrating a story in short stanzas creates a song like pattern. Ballads are traditionally about love, betrayal, death which relates to the theme of the poem. Monologue- Narrator directly addresses sister Maude Throughout the poem Rossetti’s tone has been bitter and spiteful. There are four feet in some line and three feet in others, each foot contains two syllables, traditionally the ballad metre is written in the following pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. Structure- The first four stanzas consist of the ABCB rhyme scheme. The strict rhyme scheme may be reflective of the strict expectation the Victorian Era and society. Except the last stanza does not follow this stanza which reflects the way the narrator and lover did not follow society's code. Setting= The Poet’s lover was killed by a family member due to shame which is similar to particular religions today who cannot marry out of their own religion and if they do then they become distant/rejected from their families.

Extra Relevant Points (Stanza 1)- Vowel in “Oh” shows her discomfort with the situation. Semantic Field= religious references (Sin, Heavens Gate) shows the serious tone in the poem and also relates to the religious Era it was written in. (Stanza 1)- “Who told my father of my shame”- possibility that she was committing adultery which is why their relationship was a secret. (Stanza 3)- “ You might have spared his soul, sister, have spared my soul, your soul too”- All involved in this terrible tragedy have already been hurt/damaged (the Poet and her lover) or will be as the years pass (Sister Maude). Parents- must have been strict, since both sisters led secretive lives, one kept a lover and the other spied on her. Their daughter clearly presumes they have gone/ will go to heaven because of the good way they lived. She knows she "sinned" and therefore is likely not to join them.