The document provides an analysis of the poem "Remember" by Cristina Rossetti. It begins by explaining that the poem is a Petrarchan sonnet about a narrator addressing her beloved and encouraging him to remember her after she passes away, but also giving him permission to gradually forget her to avoid sadness. The analysis then proceeds line-by-line to examine the themes of loss, memory, death, and finding acceptance in letting go. It concludes that the octave expresses the narrator's fear of being forgotten, while the sestet provides the resolution of accepting that her lover forgetting her will allow him to be happy.

1. Remember
Cristina Rossetti

2. Introduction
• What do you think the poem is about from the title?
• How many lines does a sonnet consist of ?
• What's the difference between an Italian sonnet and a
Shakespearean sonnet?

3. • Elegy – mournful, melancholic poem. Also known as a song for the dead
• Poem summary – the narrator who we presume to be Rossetti addresses
ger beloved and encourages him to remember her even when his memory
of her begins to fade. Eventually the narrator give the person her
permission to forget her gradually to avoid the sadness that comes with
remembering or missing her.
• Remember is a Petrarchan(Italian) sonnet consisting of 14 lines, octave
(8) and sestet(6).
• Octave usually contains a problem that is solved in the sestet, the change
in tone is indicated in line 9, called the volta, which usually begins with
the word yet.
• In this poem the problem is the fear of being forgotten and the solution is
making peace with being forgotten for the betterment of your loved one.

4. • Line 1- uses repletion to show the vast distance between life and
death , gone away gone FAR away, this statement starts the poem
sad somber tone, creates a mood of finalness. We know she is going
to die we just waiting to see when.
• Line 2-The silent land is a euphamisim for death, emphasizes her
loneliness without her loved one, she will be in silence with no one
to talk to. Her fear of loneliness is stronger than her fear of death.
• Line 3- the couple was affectionate and would usually hold each
others hands , she is going to miss this intimacy
• line 4- this image signifies her stage of limbo, she know she has to
go but she tries to prolong her life for as long as possible. Her death
is her “half turn away” but her determination enables her to turn
again towards life and stay with her lover for as long as she can

5. • Line 5 : day by day , the had a constant communication and this is
what she fears losing the most
• Line 6: the relationship was serious, the death was sudden because
the had planned a future together that she now has to let go
• Line 7: two meanings , only remember me as in I am the only one
you should remember, or the only thing you should be doing is
remembering me. His life without her should not go on, he has to
dwell on the memories and in a sense keep her alive.
• Line 8: after she is gone they wont be able to encourage each other
or pray together so he should do everything now while shes here,
again a sign of their deep bond, they even prayed together.
we have now concluded the octave the narrator faces a clear fear of
being forgotten and of losing the bond she shared with her loved on.
She doesn’t want to let go of what they had so she needs him to keep
her memory alive.

6. • Line 9: the volta indicated by the word yet shpws change in heart
and tone. For the first time in the poem the idea of being forgotten
is entering the narrators thoughts, its not accepted fully just yet as
she says if you should forget me only for a while, she isn’t fine with
the idea of being completely forgotten yet.
• Line 10: she still wants to be remembered but in his remembrance of
her she does not want him to grieve, she is also for the forst time
considering his emotions in the poem.
• Line 11-12: darkness and corruption refers to the sickness that is
taking her away from him , its going to leave thoughts that remind
him of her and make him sad.
• Line 13-14: she finally leaves her selfishness and accepts that its fine
for her lover to completely forget her and move on with his life that
to keep remembering and being sad
The sestet and poem concludes with the solution of him forgetting her
so that he can be happy.

7. Questions
• Refer to lines 1-2 “gone away, gone far away” what initial mood
does this set for the poem.
• Refer to line 4 “nor I half turn to go yet turn to stay”, discuss the
significance of this line in context to the poem
• What is the use of line 9?
• The speaker is self centered- using the structure of the poem in
your answer say whether or not you agree with this statement

8. THANK YOU!