Rossetti starts the poem off describing the setting which is in the church as Thomas and his bride Nell are getting married. As readers we are immediately aware of who the main characters in the poem as they have been introduced well by Rossetti, she describes Maude Clare as a queen’ with a use of simile whereas Nell ‘like a villages maid’ to make the introduction more effective as the readers are aware of both their status. Straight away Nell as been portrayed weak and may have less to say as well as making the reader have sympathy for her however this changes at the end of the poem giving a bit of shock to the readers regarding the answer she gives Maude Clare.
In Maude Clare the readers discover in second stanza that Sir Thomas doesn’t love his bride Nell fully as he still has feelings for Clare. The readers are told about this as his mother says ‘he was not so pale as you nor I so pale as Nell,’ which pale can referred to weak and nervous, Rossetti also compares sir Thomas marriage and his mum’s marriage.
He poem clearly shows that the man is more powerful then the women, for example they refer to him as ‘My lord,’ this is a powerful effect as to them he is like a lord, especially for Nell now that she is married to him. In Victorian times if a women marries someone they legally no longer exist as a person just as property to the man. Which is why he is like a lord to her and he will decide everything for her even if he wants to love him as Nell says ‘love him till he loves me best’.
‘My lord gazed long on pale Maude Clare if ever he kissed the bride.’ Thomas has betrayed Maude Clare by marrying Nell but he is has also betraying his new bride, rather than kissing her he stares at his lover, showing he would rather be with her. He didn’t kiss his bride he just looked at ‘pale Maude Clare,’ as she is pale as she is upset and heart broken. The man she loves is marrying another women; this shows betrayal for both of the women.
In ‘Maude Clare’ Rossetti portrays a spiteful and venomous character of Maude Clare as she says ‘Here’s my half of a golden chain…’ clearly shows her bitterness towards her lord and wants him to know this. In this stanza Rossetti adds the theme of betrayal as Maude Clare says ‘here’s my half of the faded leaves.’ This makes it sound like a divorce, as if she is ending everything between the two of them by using the metaphor of giving back the half of her leaves as well handing back the memories they had together. The ‘fading leaves’ suggest the relationship to be fruitless and dead however the alliteration of ‘budding bough’ helps to show the deep connection between the couple.
Maude Clare says to Nell ‘Take my share of a fickle heart’ she is saying part of Thomas’s love is her share, but she doesn’t want it as she claims it to be untrue love by using the word ‘fickle’. Also Maude Clare uses the word ‘Take’ this way in which this is said is suggesting that Maude Clare is giving her a gift, this makes it sound like Nell has no choice and that Maude Clare just wants to get rid of a burden.
The use of dashes when Thomas tries to speak to Maude Clare emphasizes the fact that he was speechless and confused as to what he wants to say, whether to say he’s sorry or he doesn’t want her interfering with him and his bride anymore. Also the use of juxtaposition of ‘fading leaves’ and ‘lilies budding’ by Clare’s speech help to order the events to the reader and show the good amount of time that has passed since Clare’s romance with her lord ended.
There is also rivalry shown between Nell and Maude Clare as Maude Clare confronts Nell and says ‘Take my share of a fickle heart. Mine of a paltry love.’ Although she emphasizes the fact that it is her that he is in love with Nell replies to her saying ‘yea though you are taller by the head, wise and much more fair; I’ll love him till he loves me best, me best of all, Maude Clare.’ She admits to Maude Clare that even though she is more beautiful and more perfect than her she (Nell) is willing to stand by her husband till he eventually feels the same way about her. By saying this she demonstrates many of the qualities listed in the poem which Clare clearly lacks.
This poem by Christina Rossetti informs the readers about Maude Clare’s obvious jealousy and bitterness towards her lover’s new bride ‘Nell’ by using fierce language showing her inner and outer feelings towards the marriage. Rossetti also adds in sarcasm as Maude Clare blesses their ‘marriage-bed’ by adding herself in-between the intimacy they might have. Rossetti in this poem shows how powerful the men were in her society as they could pick and choose who they wanted to have relationship and who they didn’t.
