The poem is told from the perspective of one such woman, who is seduced by a powerful lord and bears his child out of wedlock. Because she did this, the lord married her, and she was brought to a place of honor while her poor cousin was destined to live the rest of her life in shame. However, during this period, women were also thought to be inferior to men in many ways, including physically and intellectually. Hardened by sun and air And yet, as every mother can understand, the child was also her pride and joy. Then she says that she sits in the dust and howls. Her whole life, she was taught that a woman's role was to obey men, especially a man in a position of authority. To fill my heart with care? It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. My fair-haired son, my shame, my pride, Cling closer, closer _________: Your sire would give broad lands for one To wear his _________. A 45-minute podcast episodein which literary scholars discuss Rossetti's life and work for BBC Radio 4. The speaker says to her, the neighbors call you good and pure, call me an outcast thing.. Written by Christina Rossetti. 1st person narrative - sounds personal and describes a turning point in the speakers life. Kate, having seen her cousin brought to shame by the lord, denied him sexually. h~Q 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph h<7l hT`? Use of ambiguity in the word "gold" as it could be referring to her richness but also be symbolising a gold birdcage which would show how the lord essentially owns Kate. Not mindful I was fair. These concept words help reveal the mood of Act V. The words are related to the existence or establishment of disorder and the return to order. A 45-minute podcast episodein which literary scholars discuss Rossetti's life and work for BBC Radio 4. I would have spit into his face You sit in gold and sing: It is very likely, then, that the speakers own boy would inherit the wealth of his father. He says that it is a great perturbation of nature to be in her condition. With this stanza, the speaker reveals that Kate was good and pure and so he bound [her] with his ring. The lord married her because Kate would not allow the great lord to take her to his bed without marriage. Because you were so good and pure h CJ aJ hq5 hWn 0j hT`? Blank verse(unrhymed verse in iambic pentameter) makes it sound serious and important. CJ OJ QJ UaJ mH nH u hT`? If he had fooled not me but you, hy 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph (hT`? Born in 1830, Rossetti lived during a time when women had no choice but to be chaste. Start studying CEO of conflict poetry. gdWn gdWn 4 = a He was a romantic poet - explores link between human and nature and how human identity is shaped by the experience of nature. 9 Here, she says to Kate, Ive a gift you have not got and seem not like to get. She goes on to dismiss Kates clothes and her wedding ring. hmi 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph n ^ngd\ 6 &P /R :pWn |. Rossetti wrote Cousin Kate while she was a volunteer at the St. Mary Magdalene house for "fallen women," a derogatory 19th-century term for supposedly unchaste women (such as unmarried mothers and sex workers). Then, she tells Kate, Your father would give lands for one/ To wear his coronet. A coronet, a small, simple crown, was often worn by lesser royalty. 21 He watched your steps along the lane, 22 Your work among the rye; 23 He lifted you from mean estate. One might expect to find that Rossetti had once been in the same position as the speaker, but it does not appear so. Why did a great lord find me out, It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. Cousin Kate begins with the description of a beautiful young maiden who spent her days out in the sun and the air. He watched your steps along the lane, Your sport among the _________: He lifted you from mean estate To sit with him on _________. This poem speaks to that exact kind of circumstance. Who might have been a _____. She wants Kate to know that the difference between the two of them really came down to the coincidence that the lord went after the speaker first and Kate second. They were to obey them. In the final stanza, the speaker continues to contrast herself with Kate. h"hy 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph hWn (hT`? Then she reveals what this gift is. Why did a great lord find me out, They were thought to have little to no sexual desire aside from for the purpose of becoming a mother. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. She says, If he had fooled not me but you,/ If you stood where I stand, Hed not have won me with his love. Kate was fortunate enough to be able to watch what happened with her cousin before the lord took an interest in herself. ", Analyse "And I sunned it with smiles, / And with oft deceitful wiles." Similes used to show how the lord compares her to a "golden knot" and a "glove". ( ( OJ QJ _HaJ mH sH tH J J Q H e a d i n g 1 $@&. = > Christina Rossetti received a second offer of marriage her suitor in this instance, being a man of letters and pre-eminently a scholar. Is a part of Blake's 'Songs of Experience' which focusses on how innocence is lost and how society has been corrupted - contrasts with 'Songs of Experience'. Although the author could not entirely identify with her speaker in , Strong-minded women: and other lost voices from nineteenth-century England, https://poemanalysis.com/christina-rossetti/cousin-kate/, Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. hWn OJ QJ hWn 5aJ h6Q hWn B*CJ aJ ph hN B*CJ aJ ph 4 V u In the last line of this stanza, the speaker claims that Kate had the stronger wing, but her previous question leaves the readers with a picture of the speaker as the sweeter and more tender of the two, while Kate was the stronger. In the sixth line of this stanza, the speaker reveals that he finally set her aside completely. Up until now, she has shown that she is living a life of shame while Kate lives a life of glory. However, during this period, women were also thought to be inferior to men in many ways, including physically and intellectually. Thus, she rose to the position of a lady. Fill in the missing words from the word box next to each stanza. Call me an outcast thing. The writer, Christina Rossetti, was a woman of the Victorian era. Contrasting sensory language ("dust" and "gold" with "howl" and "sing") emphasises how the speakers misery contrasts with Kate's happiness and luxury. hy CJ OJ QJ UaJ mH nH u hT`? Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/christina-rossetti/cousin-kate/. She asks again, Why did a great lord find me out to fill my heart with care? This reveals that the great lord made the speaker feel something for him. This presented a problem for women. hT`? Conflict in society, effects of conflict, nature, anger. (read the full definition & explanation with examples). During this time, women were also considered the property of men. Anything else was to be outcasted from society. h4 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph (hT`? 9r gdWn n ^ngd\ odh ^o`gdT`? She compares her true love with the love of her cousin, which she claims was not true and deep love, but one that was written in the sand and could have been washing away by the tide. h_ 5B*CJ OJ QJ aJ ph (hT`? Of course, during the Victorian era, few people married for love. Initially speaker is happy and confident and describes a beautiful scene. She does not consider him a curse but a gift. Instant downloads of all 1656 LitChart PDFs Extract begins on a summer evening, speaker finds boat and takes it out on lake. 17 O Lady kate, my cousin Kate, 18 You grew more fair than I: 19 He saw you at your father's gate, 20 Chose you, and cast me by. 24 To sit with him on high. ; < $ % 3 4 5 7 8 : ; = > @ Y Z yyyrjfjfjfjfYP hWn 5OJ QJ hT`? 'The Prelude' (whole book) describes key moments and experiences in Wordsworth's life. Corfman, Allisa. Gives the sense that she was nothing but an accessory to him to improve his own appearance. Summary of Cousin Kate. Whatever the case, the speaker asserts that Kate seemed likely not to have a boy. As you read lines 13-48, continue to cite evidence. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our work is created by a team of talented poetry experts, to provide an in-depth look into poetry, like no other. His magnificence and place in life probably made her feel intimidated. Although the author could not entirely identify with her speaker in Cousin Kate, she clearly was able to have empathy for all the women in her society who had given in to their passions and been ruined by them. Cousin Kate also reveals the fear that she may end up cast aside if she responds to her suitors. Your work among the rye; She does not consider him a curse but a gift. Her poem particularly shows sympathy for women and the skepticism of men. Thus, despite losing her husband and place in society, the speaker clings to the hope that one day her son will have a better life through inheriting the wealth of his father. This son brought her shame in the eyes of society. Even so I sit and howl in dust You sit in gold and _________: Now which of us has tenderer heart? Collection B: Cousin Kate Worksheet B10.1 Pearson Education 2010 yet coronet fret land hand stand dove love glove by high rye hair fair care wing thing sing 3 ? h\ CJ OJ QJ aJ 0j hT`? hS CJ OJ QJ aJ hT`? Rossetti's Biography hWn CJ OJ QJ aJ hWn hs} OJ QJ h*+ OJ QJ h OJ QJ h OJ QJ h3% OJ QJ hdSG OJ QJ hT`? The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem. A brief, straightforward overview of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood from the Tate Museum. O Lady Kate, my Cousin Kate, You grow more fair than I: He saw you at your fathers gate, Chose you and cast me _________. Then she reveals what this gift is. Likewise, though seemingly pious and religious, Rossetti shows sympathy for her fellow women who were not so fortunate as to have escaped being lured in by a man. Because you were so good and pure He bound you with his ring: The neighbours call you good and pure, Call me an outcast _________. Her whole life, she was taught that a womans role was to obey men, especially a man in a position of authority. He saw you at your father's gate, You had the stronger _________. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. > '` bjbjLULU 8( .? Concept Vocabulary: perturbation, agitation, purge, antidote, pristine, usurper. To lead a shameless shameful life, This causes speaker to lose her reputation and become rejected by society. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. And not have taken his hand. She says, So now I moan, an unclean thing who might have been a dove. Her place in society, her future, and her value for herself were all destroyed and all so that a powerful man might use her to amuse himself for a while. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. She had no thought for a man and no desire for anything that she did not already have. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. On the other hand, men were known often to use prostitutes as an outlet for their sexuality until (and sometimes after) they were married. He would use her while she was new and exciting, but he would set her aside when he was done with her. The man in Cousin Kate is clearly vile, and the women are at his mercy. And praise my flaxen hair? Often if there were no legitimate son to inherit wealth, an illegitimate son would be named heir. Why did a great lord find me out To fill my heart with _________? CJ OJ QJ aJ # $ F a 3 4 6 7 9 : = ? However, they were thought to be superior to men morally. 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