Maude Clare by Christian Rosetti

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'Maude Clare' by Christiana Rosetti Oliver Latham K5CWB

How does Rosetti portray Maude Clare in the shorter, 1862 version? Can the reader empathize with her situation? What purpose does the narrator serve? What might the natural world stand for in Rosetti's poem?

In 'Maude Clare' Rosetti portrays a vindictive and venomous Clare:

'Here's my half of a golden chain...' Clearly Claire is bitter about her 'lords' new marriage and wants him to know this. Nevertheless it is clear that her 'lord' still has feelings for his mistress since he '(gazes) long' on her in line fifteen of the poem. By drawing on three different points of view, varying in prominence, Rosetti is able to recreate a valuable insight into Victorian conventions. She adopts a largely female dominated narrative perspective in her poem but the identification of the narrator is somewhat ambiguous allowing the reader freedom to speculate and draw their own conclusions.

'The Angel in the House', a poem by Coventry Patmore, published in 1854 idealizes women role in society (p3 The Changing Role of Women):

Man must be pleased; but him to please is women's pleasure.

And if he