The sweetest blossoms die. (6) And so it was that, going day by day (10) Unto the church to praise and pray, (8) And crossing the green churchyard thoughtfully, (10) I saw how on the graves the flowers (8) Shed their fresh leaves in showers, (6) And how their perfume rose up to the sky (10) Before it passed away. (6) The youngest blossoms die. (6) They die, and fall and nourish the rich earth (10) From which they lately had their birth; (8) Sweet life, but sweeter death that passeth by (10) And is as though it had not been:— (8) All colours turn to green: (6) The bright hues vanish, and the odours fly, (10) The grass hath lasting worth. (6) And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6)

The sweetest blossoms die. (6) And so it was that, going day by day (10) Unto the church to praise and pray, (8) And crossing the green churchyard thoughtfully, (10) I saw how on the graves the flowers (8) Shed their fresh leaves in showers, (6) And how their perfume rose up to the sky (10) Before it passed away. (6) What comparisons can we make to other poems we have read? What impression of death is created? What do the flowers and their perfume sympbolise?

The youngest blossoms die. (6) They die, and fall and nourish the rich earth (10) From which they lately had their birth; (8) Sweet life, but sweeter death that passeth by (10) And is as though it had not been:— (8) All colours turn to green: (6) The bright hues vanish, and the odours fly, (10) The grass hath lasting worth. (6) What comparisons can we make to other poems we have read? What impression of death is created? What could ‘green’ and ‘grass’ symbolise?

And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6) What is the metre of the first line? Where do the stresses fall? What sounds are stressed?

What is the metre of the second line? Where do the stresses fall? What words are stressed? Why is Rossetti stressing these words? What is the relationship between the speaker and God? And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6)

And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6) Where are the stresses in the first word of the third line? What has happened to the iambic metre of lines one and two? Which consonant sound is dominant in line three? What is the potential effect?

And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6) Who or what is deemed ‘better than beauty and than youth’? What is the speaker’s view of dying in youth? What is the definition of ‘glad’?

And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6) What is the metre of the fifth line? Where do the stresses fall? What words are stressed? Why are some words capitalised?

And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6) Read up to line 6. Draw a pyramid that represents the rankings of the various items in the stanza according to the speaker.

And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6) What is interesting about the way the seventh line is structured? What does the word ‘shrink’ mean? (NB – it does not mean get smaller in this instance!) What is our ‘full harvest’? Explore the connotations of this image. Consider for example how a farmer would get a good harvest.

And youth and beauty die. (6) So be it, O my God, Thou God of truth: (10) Better than beauty and than youth (8) Are Saints and Angels, a glad company; (10) And Thou, O lord, our Rest and Ease, (8) Are better far than these. (6) Why should we shrink from our full harvest? Why (10) Prefer to glean with Ruth? (6) Who is Ruth? What is gleaning? (look for the historical definition) In the last two lines, what do you think Rossetti’s message is for those who are afraid of death and instead try to hang on to death? How does she perceive this kind of reaction to death?

With reference to the final stanza of ‘Sweet Death’, to what extent do you agree with Avery’s clams that Rossetti’s “writings show her constantly interrogating religious ideas and beliefs, often with a degree of tension and anxiety. Certainly, the speakers of Rossetti’s poems repeatedly struggle with religious doubt, frustration and fear as they seek a reassurance that might never come, or attempt to understand their sense of exclusion from God or Christ.”

How to integrate other readings and use them to enlighten your own: If you agree with the critic: If you disagree with the critic: USING BEFORE YOUR EVIDENCE: Coogan has claimed that ‘XXXXXXXX’ and indeed, in this poem his/her view seems substantiated. For example… USING AFTER YOUR EVIDENCE: In this poem Rossetti presents (Quote and analysis) which seems to add weight to Coogan’s view that XXXXX. (You will need to go on to explain how your quote and analysis support the critical view). USING BEFORE YOUR EVIDENCE: Whilst Coogan claims that ‘XXXXXXXXXXx’ is seems clear that in this poem his/her view is, at the very least, challenged. For example…. USING AFTER YOUR EVIDENCE: Rossetti presentation of (Quote and Analysis) certainly seems to challenge the view of Coogan who claims XXXXX. In contrast to this reading, it seems more likely that in this poem …..