A CRITIQUE OF A CRITIQUE

FORBIDDEN FRUITS – SEX AND RELIGION IN ‘GOBLIN MAKRET’ –Ray Cluley

Cluley jumps straight into this critique with ideas of sex and sexuality. He touches on the difference between Lizzie and Laura and demonstrates a mediocre understanding of the contrast between sexual attractions. “Laura, 'bowed her head to hear', making an effort to listen to the goblin men, whereas Lizzie 'veiled her blushes', modestly hiding what was considered an erotic response in Victorian literature.” Cluley acknowledges the fact the Laura and Lizzie are displaying opposite characteristics and links it to context but doesn’t completely explain what that is a result of. For example, Laura could have ‘bowed her head to hear’ to show her desire to become a woman of the marketplace. This could be interpreted as her feeling like the only way to become free from man is to do the opposite of social norms (by becoming a working girl) even though the Victorian era held prostitution at its peak. Lizzie on the other hand, approaches the situation not by temptation but by avoidance all together.

Cluley however does make an interesting point, suggesting that “the poem develops this hurried ripening of fruits” and this “can be likened to a rush into sexual maturity.” But again doesn’t even attempt to touch on the everlasting question of why the sisters feel like they need to be rushed into sexual maturity. Could it be marriage? Expectation? Or even rebellion?

Towards the end of the first paragraph, he does imply some sort of incest or homosexuality without really stating exactly what he means. Personally, I think if you’re going to start a critique of a highly complex poem with something as simple as sexual desire, you should touch on every aspect of what exactly it is you mean. Had Cluley more deeply explored the correlation between context and content, his opinions may read less like a teenage boy’s rampant tactics to relate sex to every existing thing on the planet.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST HOW ROSSETTI SHOWS HER VIEWS OF DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE IN THE POEMS 'SONG' AND 'REMEMBER'

Both ‘Song’ and ‘Remember’ share similar themes like exploring life after death, although the concepts involved seem to be presented in fairly different ways. In these two poems, Rossetti seems to be fixated on the idea of dying and forgetting. As an independent female in the 1800’s, it’s understandable how free thinkers, such as Rossetti, would often see death as an escape and as she was heavily religious, it could even be thought after as idyllic.

Both poems focus on some sort of conversation involving death and both demonstrate a sense of self controversy. Considering that the two poems are conveying a different message and yet still display lines of doubt could be a pure representation of Rossetti’s own views and not just the speakers’.

In the poem ‘Remember’, the first line of the poem states “Remember me when I am gone away”. This is a euphemism and the speaker is clearly trying to touch on the subject as delicately as possible. On the other hand, in ‘Song’, the speaker immediately begins with “When I am dead, my dearest”. This is a complete contrast to ‘Remember’ and in only the first line of each of the poems, there is a completely different approach to the speaker’s perception of death.

A more interesting example of a euphemism in ‘Remember’ follows up the first one in the second line: “Gone far away into the silent land”. What is a silent land? It represents neither death nor life; it’s neither physical nor spiritual. I think this highlights the speakers’ liminant feelings as they’re referring to death as a “land”, a human thing but also referring it to “silent”, something that rarely exists in the mundane world.

An example of the speakers’ liminant tone in ‘Song’ is in the last two lines of the first stanza.

“And if thou wilt, remember,

And if thou wilt, forget.”

Not only has the speaker contradicted herself, implying her level of insecurity but the structural choices in this line are also interesting. The majority of ‘Remember’ is written in Iambic Trimeter – a meter of poetry consisting of three iambic beats per line. If you notice however, Rossetti has chosen to leave parts of the poem out of this structure leaving the reader with perfect and non-perfect lines. The first line: “And if thou wilt remember” is written non-perfectly and the second; “And if thou wilt forget” is a perfect line. This finalising the line with the word “forget” and it shows a level of sureness as if the speaker is certain that forgetting is the absolute outcome.