Being the youngest child can come with some difficulties. There may be an older brother or sister to live up to, and there is the inevitable problem of hand-me-downs, especially in a large family. Sometimes, however, the youngest child becomes the most well-known, even in a family known for its writers and artists. This happened with Christina Rossetti, the poet known for her religious and romantic works. While she was not appreciated as much during her lifetime, her work has since become known worldwide, particularly her poem 'Goblin Market'.
Christina Rossetti, the youngest child in the Rossetti family, was born in London in December 1830. She was precocious and had an active imagination as a child, making up stories and rhymes before she could even write! Rossetti's parents were comfortably well-off, and her father was a scholar and teacher at King's College. Both her parents were from Italy, and she and her siblings were taught a great deal at home. Her older siblings were artists and writers, and Christina followed in their footsteps.
In the 1840s, Rossetti's father was taken ill and became depressed, giving up his teaching position. Her mother and sister had to go to work to support the family, and Rossetti became depressed herself and stopped attending school. She turned to religion as a support, and this change in her life would have a great impact on her work. Rossetti was engaged two times, but she broke off both due to religious differences (she also declined a third proposal for unknown reasons).
She never married and instead focused on her work. She also contributed to her community, working with former prostitutes to rehabilitate them. This work is considered to have influenced Rossetti's most well-known work, 'Goblin Market.' She developed Grave's disease in her later life, in addition to breast cancer. A recurrence of the latter caused her demise in 1894 at the age of 64.
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Rossetti was composing poetry before she could write, asking others to write it down for her. She focused primarily on religious and romantic themes, drawing inspiration from the Bible. Rossetti did not just write poetry; she also composed hymns based on her studies and religious fervor. Her earliest published work was in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's periodical, The Germ. Her brothers were founding members of the group, and some of Rossetti's poetry is accompanied by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti's artwork.
The most well-known of Rossetti's works is her poem 'Goblin Market'. A tale of two sisters that encounter some otherworldly creatures, 'Goblin Market' is a classic example of the darker Romantic poetry that was a hallmark of Rossetti's work. It was published in 1862 in a book of Rossetti's poetry. While written for children, the poem contains allusions to sexual imagery that was considered risqué at the time of publication. Rossetti went on to write more children's poetry as well as hymns. After her death, Rossetti's work became more popular than it ever was during her lifetime, and her work is still considered classic children's literature today.
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Christina Rossetti was a 19th-century poet who focused on Romantic and religious themes. She wrote poetry as well as hymns. Born as part of a talented, educated and well-off family, Rossetti never married, and instead devoted her life to her work and community. Rossetti died of breast cancer at the age of 64.
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Poetry: Help & Review5 chapters | 120 lessons | 1 flashcard set
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