“Remember” by Christina Rossetti: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

“Remember” by Christina Rossetti was first published in 1862 in her collection Goblin Market and Other Poems. The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, known for its emotional depth and evocative language. It explores themes of love, loss, and remembrance, with a focus on the speaker’s plea to be remembered after death. The poem’s enduring appeal lies in its universal themes, poignant imagery, and the musicality of its rhyme and meter.

Text: “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

Annotations: “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

Text	Annotation
Remember me when I am gone away,	The speaker asks to be remembered after their departure.
Gone far away into the silent land;	They emphasize their departure to a place of silence or death.
When you can no more hold me by the hand,	Reflects on physical absence and the inability to be held or touched.
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.	Despite leaving, there’s a lingering connection or hesitation.
Remember me when no more day by day	Requests to be remembered when daily interactions cease.
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:	Refers to shared plans and discussions about the future.
Only remember me; you understand	Simplifies the request to remember, assuming understanding.
It will be late to counsel then or pray.	Suggests that after departure, advice or prayers won’t be effective.
Yet if you should forget me for a while	Acknowledges the possibility of being forgotten temporarily.
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:	If remembered later, advises against sorrow.
For if the darkness and corruption leave	Implies that even after death, traces of the speaker’s thoughts may remain.
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,	A trace or remnants of their past thoughts and emotions.
Better by far you should forget and smile	Recommends forgetting with happiness rather than remembering with sadness.
Than that you should remember and be sad.	Emphasizes the preference for the listener’s happiness over sadness in remembering.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

Literary/Poetic Device	Example from the Poem	Explanation	Function within the Line/Poem
Anaphora	“Remember me”	Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines.	Emphasizes the speaker’s central plea, creates a sense of urgency and emotional intensity.
Assonance	“Gone away”	Repetition of vowel sounds within words.	Creates a sense of musicality and internal rhyme, adds to the poem’s melancholic tone.
Caesura	“Gone far away into the silent land; // When you can no more hold me by the hand”	A pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.	Creates a sense of hesitation or interruption, emphasizes the separation between life and death.
Consonance	“land” and “hand”	Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.	Creates a subtle sense of rhyme and connection between words, emphasizes the physicality of the relationship.
Diction	“silent land,” “darkness and corruption”	Choice of words and phrases.	Creates a somber and melancholic tone, reflects the themes of death and decay.
Enjambment	“Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. / Remember me when no more day by day”	Continuation of a sentence or phrase across multiple lines.	Creates a sense of fluidity and movement, emphasizes the speaker’s lingering presence in the listener’s memory.
Hyperbaton	“Better by far you should forget and smile”	Inversion of the usual word order.	Creates a sense of emphasis and drama, highlights the speaker’s selfless wish for the listener’s happiness.
Imagery	“darkness and corruption,” “vestige of the thoughts”	Use of vivid and descriptive language to create mental images.	Appeals to the senses, evokes emotions and creates a sense of atmosphere.
Irony	“Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad”	Expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite.	Creates a sense of poignancy and paradox, emphasizes the complexity of the speaker’s emotions.
Metaphor	“silent land”	Comparison of two unlike things without using “like” or “as.”	Represents death as a distant and unknown place, adds to the poem’s sense of mystery and finality.
Meter	Iambic pentameter (five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables per line)	Creates a regular rhythm and pattern, adds to the poem’s musicality and emotional impact.
Oxymoron	“half turn to go yet turning stay”	Combination of contradictory terms.	Creates a sense of tension and ambiguity, reflects the speaker’s conflicted feelings about leaving.
Personification	“darkness and corruption leave”	Attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects or abstract concepts.	Creates a sense of agency and power, adds to the poem’s emotional intensity.
Repetition	“Remember me”	Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis.	Emphasizes the speaker’s central plea, creates a sense of urgency and emotional intensity.
Rhyme	“away,” “stay,” “day,” “pray” (ABBA)	Repetition of sounds at the ends of words.	Creates a sense of musicality and structure, adds to the poem’s emotional impact.
Symbolism	“darkness and corruption,” “vestige of the thoughts”	Use of objects, people, or places to represent abstract ideas or qualities.	Adds depth and layers of meaning to the poem, invites interpretation and reflection.
Volta	“Yet if you should forget me for a while”	Turning point in a sonnet, often marked by a shift in tone or argument.	Introduces a new perspective or idea, creates a sense of surprise or contrast.
Paradox	“Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad”	A statement that appears to contradict itself but may nonetheless be true.	Creates a sense of poignancy and complexity, emphasizes the speaker’s selfless wish for the listener’s happiness.

Themes: “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

1. Mortality and the Inevitability of Death: The poem grapples with the inevitability of death, depicted as a journey to a “silent land” where the speaker will be “gone away.” The speaker’s awareness of mortality prompts a heartfelt plea to be remembered, underscoring the human desire to leave a lasting impact even after physical existence ceases. The phrase “When you can no more hold me by the hand” poignantly captures the finality of death and the separation it brings.
2. The Power and Importance of Memory: Memory emerges as a central theme, with the speaker repeatedly urging the addressee to “remember me.” Memory serves as a bridge between the living and the departed, allowing the speaker’s essence to persist in the thoughts and emotions of the bereaved. The lines “Only remember me; you understand / It will be late to counsel then or pray” highlight the urgency of remembrance, as it becomes the sole connection after death.
3. The Ambiguity of Grief and Remembrance: While remembrance is cherished, the poem also acknowledges the potential pain it can inflict. The speaker paradoxically wishes for the addressee to forget if remembering brings sorrow, expressing a selfless desire for their happiness. The lines “Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad” reveal a conflict between the longing for remembrance and the recognition that forgetting might be a kinder option.
4. Love and Loss: The poem is permeated with the underlying theme of love and the profound loss that accompanies death. The speaker’s plea to be remembered is rooted in a deep emotional connection with the addressee, evident in the intimate references to shared plans and conversations. The poem’s emotional resonance stems from the universal experience of love, loss, and the enduring power of memory to preserve the bonds that transcend physical separation.

Literary Theories and “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

• Reader-Response Theory: This theory suggests that meaning in literature is created through the interaction between the text and the reader. In “Remember,” “Remember me when no more day by day” invites the reader to imagine the scenario of gradual absence and fading memory, prompting them to reflect on personal experiences of loss and remembrance. The poem’s power lies in how readers emotionally engage with its themes of separation and memory, influencing their interpretation based on their own memories and emotional responses. This theory underscores the poem’s effectiveness in evoking varied reader responses, ranging from nostalgia to contemplation of mortality, as each reader brings unique experiences to their interpretation.
• Feminist Theory: Viewing the poem through a feminist lens, one can explore how Rossetti challenges traditional gender roles and constructs. “Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay” suggests a nuanced approach to departure, where the speaker exhibits agency in their farewell. The poem subverts expectations by prioritizing the speaker’s desire to be remembered on their terms, rather than conforming to societal expectations of female passivity. By asserting her agency in requesting remembrance despite absence, Rossetti’s speaker asserts a feminist perspective on memory and autonomy, challenging conventional notions of feminine vulnerability.
• • Psychoanalytic Theory (Freudian): This theory explores the poem’s themes through the lens of unconscious desires and fears. “Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad” reflects a psychological defense mechanism against the pain of loss. The speaker’s advice can be seen as a manifestation of unconscious guilt or fear of burdening the loved one with sadness after death. Freudian theory illuminates the complex emotions underlying the speaker’s plea, suggesting a subconscious struggle between the desire for remembrance and the fear of causing emotional distress, highlighting deeper psychological dimensions within the poem.

Critical Questions about “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

• How does the poem explore the tension between memory and emotional detachment?
• The line “Yet if you should forget me for a while / And afterwards remember, do not grieve” highlights this tension. It prompts reflection on whether forgetting is a form of emotional self-preservation or a betrayal of memory. The speaker’s plea suggests a nuanced approach to remembrance, advocating for a balance between honoring the past and embracing the present. This question invites readers to consider the complexities of memory—whether forgetting serves as a coping mechanism against grief or as a means to preserve emotional well-being.
• In what ways does the poem challenge traditional notions of mourning and loss?
• The lines “Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad” challenge conventional mourning practices. They suggest an unconventional approach where forgetting is seen as preferable to remembering with sorrow. This challenges the expectation that remembrance must always be accompanied by grief, proposing instead a path to emotional healing through selective memory. This question encourages exploration of how Rossetti redefines the relationship between memory and mourning, proposing a perspective that prioritizes emotional well-being over traditional expressions of grief.
• How does the speaker negotiate agency and vulnerability in the act of remembrance?
• The line “Only remember me; you understand” underscores the speaker’s agency in dictating the terms of remembrance. It raises questions about whether the speaker’s request for remembrance signifies vulnerability or empowerment. This negotiation of agency complicates traditional gender roles and societal expectations, suggesting that remembrance can be an act of strength and self-affirmation. By interrogating the dynamics of agency and vulnerability within remembrance, this question prompts a deeper examination of power dynamics and autonomy in the speaker’s plea.
• What role does temporality play in shaping the poem’s thematic concerns?
• • The line “It will be late to counsel then or pray” highlights the poem’s preoccupation with the passage of time. It invites consideration of how temporality influences the speaker’s perspective on memory and separation. The poem’s temporal dimension underscores the urgency of remembrance and the inevitability of change, prompting readers to reflect on the fleeting nature of human connection and the lasting impact of memory. By examining how temporality shapes the poem’s thematic concerns, this question invites exploration of how time influences the speaker’s emotional landscape and the reader’s interpretation of loss and remembrance.

Literary Works Similar to Poem

Suggested Readings: “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

1. Adams, Melissa. “Angels and Demons: Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market as a Social Critique of the Victorian Ideal of the “Angel in the House” and the Pre-Raphaelites’ Response to that Ideal.” (2008).
2. Leighton, Angela. Victorian Women Poets: Writing Against the Heart. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1992. Print.
3. Marsh, Jan. Christina Rossetti: A Literary Biography. London: Pimlico, 1995. Print.Rosenblum, Dolores. Christina Rossetti: The Poetry of Endurance. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1986. Print.
4. The Poetry Foundation. “Remember.” 2023, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45000/remember-56d224509b7ae.

Representative Quotations of “Remember” by Christina Rossetti

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Remember me when I am gone away, / Gone far away into the silent land;”	Opening lines, sets the tone of longing and impending separation.	Psychoanalytic: Reflects the speaker’s fear of being forgotten and the unconscious desire for immortality through memory.
“When you can no more hold me by the hand, / Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.”	Expresses the physical separation of death and the lingering emotional connection.	Feminist: Highlights the traditional female role of emotional support and the pain of losing that connection.
“Only remember me; you understand / It will be late to counsel then or pray.”	Emphasizes the importance of remembrance over religious rituals in preserving the speaker’s memory.	New Criticism: Focuses on the poem’s internal structure and the tension between remembrance and forgetting.
“Yet if you should forget me for a while / And afterwards remember, do not grieve:”	Acknowledges the pain of grief but encourages the listener to find peace in remembering the positive aspects of the speaker’s life.	Humanistic: Celebrates the human capacity for love and resilience in the face of loss.
“Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad.”	Concludes with a paradoxical statement, prioritizing the listener’s happiness over the speaker’s desire to be remembered.	Post-Structuralist: Challenges the notion of a fixed meaning, suggesting that the poem’s interpretation is open to multiple readings.