The poem sits easily on a page and is visually satisfying, although this is in part due to the visual rhymes previously mentioned. This appearance though is false as the poems content is analysed but reinforces the theme of appearance and reality in the 4th stanza. Again, the “controlled” use of structure can be seen as adding to the poems “passion” showing a masterful combination of the two. The repetition of and permutations on the line: “my heart is breaking for a little love” is another structure that reinforces the poems meaning and show the despair that the poem communicates. The move away from the 1st person in the last two stanzas serves to provide a different perspective on the emotions discussed allowing a broader view than if the whole poem was in the first person, again this use of structure emphasises the underlying emotions.
Although the structure of the poem contributes to its emotiveness the language is also essential to exhibit Rossetti’s “passion”. The natural imagery in the last three lines of each stanza contrast Rossetti to the natural world, they demonstrate how she feels left out of natural cycles by having no mate. There appears to be a longing to bear children in the last stanza, possibly Rossetti wishes not for the love of a partner but for the love of a child. Nature is usually associated with the idea of mating for reproduction rather than for love, and it could be argued that Rossetti associates herself with nature for this very reason. The idea of taking “patience for thy scythe” is ominous and has undertones of death, reinforced by the words death and “dearth” which sound very similar. Here, Rossetti demonstrates her passion, but it can be seen to appear within structures yet again, the structures of nature, structures of love, natural cycles etc. The question is as to whether the “controlled” element of her poetry is there purely for its structure or whether the control is in aid of the “passionate” elements.
One poem in which Rossetti seems less controlled is Cousin Kate; in later life she even tried to suppress this poem due to its controversial content. So far, only the technical control within Rossetti’s poems has been discussed, but her control over then content of the poems is also an important issue. Cousin Kate has distinctly twisted morals as the illegitimate son is seen as a benefit, while Cousin Kate has no child. This though was against Victorian morals that would have decreed that Cousin Kate had acted properly and should reap the rewards. This style of breaking conventions appeared often in Rossetti’s poetry, e.g. Goblin Market can be interpreted as a feminist outcry against male chauvinism. But even when discussing controversial issues, Rossetti is always discreet: her un-controlled ideas are hidden within layers of controlled writing and structures. The poem follows a ballad form and is written with a jaunty, colloquial rhythm to it. A ballad though can be used to detail either heroic or tragic events and it is interesting to ask whether Rossetti saw the rebellion of the “cottage maiden” as a heroic action for defying men or as a tragic one. Therefore, even Rossetti’s uncontrolled issues are dealt with in a carefully crafted way.
As in L.E.L, Cousin Kate combines both control and passion very carefully with the controlled style used to elaborate the passion rather than detract from it. The structures appear controlled but possibly the passion is not so controlled. Unlike many female writers of the period Rossetti was willing to express herself and frequently did so. The imagery of “sit and howl in dust” creates a harsh, sub-human picture distinctly at odds with what was expected of woman writers. The “shameless shameful life” described is a life that is “shameless” to the cottage maiden but “shameful” to society, possibly the line is allegorical of Rossetti’s early poetry: in her youth she was not ashamed to express controversial views that were “shameful” to society. However, as she grew older, Rossetti’s passion became more controlled and the majority of her later works are of a calmer, un-controversial nature. Whether they are less passionate is a different matter though, but the passion is certainly of a different, more religious, more reflective nature than in her early writing.
‘Today for Me’ was written describing France in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war. It is a poem which although highly structured lacks the passion of some of Rossetti’s work. Unlike in L.E.L where the repetitions of her “heart… breaking” added weight to the poem, in ‘Today for Me’ the repeated references “Back from France… vine-clad France” sound shallow and meaningless. The poem is a political one and not as personal as some of her writings, Rossetti had no great association with France (unlike her poems about Italy) and so the poem sounds monotonous rather than graceful. Even the structure is simple, consisting of a quatrain rhyming A, B, B, A.
The control and passion in Rossetti’s poetry are undoubtedly linked, and both appear throughout her work. However, it is probably fairest to argue that early on in her work, Rossetti’s passion was of a more vibrant nature than her calmer but non-the-less still passionate later work. The control of her poetry was a constant feature throughout the period, although again, this control was exercised with more flair in her earlier poetry, with later works settling into more conventional forms. Thus it is difficult to decide which argument to have more sympathy with as both control and passion are constantly intertwined and also changed as Rossetti grew older.
