MAIN Cousin Kate (quotes/context)

“Why did a great lord find me out” (mentioned twice)

repetition and rhetorical questions.

“find me out” (throughout poem) contributes to extended metaphor of the lord as predatory.

context

“shameless shameful life,”

oxymoron, sibilance. represents her conflicted feelings for the relationship because she knows its wrong but is persuaded. regretful and looking down on the relationship.

throughout the poem oxymorons and juxtapositions are used to contrast the narrator and her cousin.

context

“good and pure” (repeated) “outcast thing”

juxtaposition comparing the cousin and narrator. She is suggesting the only difference is that Cousin Kate is married.   “thing” dehumanising.   all about Cousin Kates good reputation compared to the truth and reality.

repetition of “good and pure” shows envy and mockery too. As if Cousin Kate is too good when in reality she is no different to the narrator.

context

“O Cousin Kate, my love was true,”

The form of the poem is ballad(traditional love story) but the true love spoken about in the poem is the love between the narrator and the cousin. and the betrayal. The fallen women (narrator) is the one who truly loved her cousin.

context

“My fair-headed son, my shame, my pride”

In the final stanza there is a volta from her hurt and anger to spite and pride.

repetition of possessive pronoun “my” which shows how strongly she feels that she has something over them and how crucial it is.

Juxtaposition of “shame” and “pride”. pride is said last because it is more important than the shame.

context

Rossetti context

1830 - 1894

pre Raphaelite

Victorian

outspoken on her modern views on gender

early feminist

volunteered in a fallen women home

fallen women context

Victorian women were meant to be quiet, follow the orders of men and be chaste(no sex until marriage)

women had no rights