Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Remember" is a famous sonnet by Christina Rossetti, first published in her 1862 collection "Goblin Market and Other Poems." The poem is a meditation on love, loss, and the transience of life, and has become one of Rossetti's most widely anthologized and beloved works.

The poem is structured as a Shakespearean sonnet, with a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDCD EE. In the first octave, the speaker addresses her beloved and asks him to remember her after she has died. She urges him not to be consumed by grief, but to hold onto the memory of their love and the happy times they shared.

In the sestet, the speaker acknowledges the inevitability of death and the impermanence of all things. She reminds her beloved that their love will eventually fade and disappear, and that he must learn to let go and move on. However, she also suggests that their love will continue to exist in some form, even after she is gone.

Throughout the poem, Rossetti uses rich and evocative language to convey the speaker's emotions and capture the mood of the poem. She uses metaphors and imagery drawn from nature and the seasons to underscore the theme of transience and the fleeting nature of life.

Overall, "Remember" is a poignant and moving poem that explores the complex emotions surrounding love, loss, and the passage of time. Through her use of vivid language and imagery, Rossetti captures the essence of human experience and offers a powerful reminder of the importance of love and memory in our lives.

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