The WoodspurgeThe Woodspurge

Dante Gabriel RossettiDante Gabriel Rossettiby Umar and Odetteby Umar and Odette

A Little bit about the A Little bit about the authorauthor

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born in 1828 and died in Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born in 1828 and died in 1882.1882.

He was also an illustrator, painter and translator.He was also an illustrator, painter and translator. Rossetti’s personal life was closely linked to his Rossetti’s personal life was closely linked to his

workwork He followed the Aesthetic movement. Aesthetics He followed the Aesthetic movement. Aesthetics

studies new ways of seeing and perceiving the worldstudies new ways of seeing and perceiving the world

The Woodspurge The Woodspurge by Dante Gabriel Rossettiby Dante Gabriel Rossetti

The wind flapped loose, the wind was still,The wind flapped loose, the wind was still,Shaken out dead from tree and hill:Shaken out dead from tree and hill:I had walked on at the wind's will, - I had walked on at the wind's will, - 

I sat now, for the wind was still.I sat now, for the wind was still.

Between my knees my forehead was, - Between my knees my forehead was, - My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!

My hair was over in the grass,My hair was over in the grass,My naked ears heard the day pass.My naked ears heard the day pass.

My eyes, wide open, had the runMy eyes, wide open, had the runOf some ten weeds to fix upon;Of some ten weeds to fix upon;

Among those few, out of the sun,Among those few, out of the sun,The woodspurge flowered, three cups in one.The woodspurge flowered, three cups in one.

From perfect grief there need not beFrom perfect grief there need not beWisdom or even memory:Wisdom or even memory:

One thing then learnt remains to me, - One thing then learnt remains to me, - The woodspurge has a cup of three.The woodspurge has a cup of three.

Mood throughout the poemMood throughout the poem

Theme is griefTheme is grief The mood set in the first stanza is a slightly The mood set in the first stanza is a slightly

dark one.dark one. 6 caesuras6 caesuras ‘‘shaken out dead’shaken out dead’ In the 2In the 2ndnd stanza, mood is changes to grief stanza, mood is changes to grief

strickenstricken Mood changes in stanza 3Mood changes in stanza 3

Structure of the poemStructure of the poem

4 line stanzas4 line stanzas Unusual rhyme scheme Unusual rhyme scheme

(AAAA,BBBB,CCCC,DDDD)(AAAA,BBBB,CCCC,DDDD) Generally 8 syllables in each line (with the Generally 8 syllables in each line (with the

exception of a few lines)exception of a few lines) StructuredStructured

Stanza 1Stanza 1The wind flapped loose, the wind was still,The wind flapped loose, the wind was still,

Shaken out dead from tree and hill:Shaken out dead from tree and hill:I had walked on at the wind's will, - I had walked on at the wind's will, - I sat now, for the wind was still.I sat now, for the wind was still.

•‘Flapped loose’ suggests freedom.

•‘Shaken out dead’ is violent. It sets the tone

•‘Walked on at the wind’s will’ suggests that there’s a sense of defeat and he has given up (on life?) as he is letting the wind determine his direction.

•‘Sat now, for the wind was still.’ the wind is like his commander. This tells us that he is mentally weak.

Stanza 2Stanza 2Between my knees my forehead was, - Between my knees my forehead was, - My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!My hair was over in the grass,My hair was over in the grass,My naked ears heard the day pass.My naked ears heard the day pass.

•‘Between my knees my forehead was,-’ tells us that he is sad and grief-stricken. The way the sentence is structured is foregrounding where his forehead is. Could resemble the way his life is going. (sentence is jumbled, so is his life). The fact that he is kneeling shows that he is insecure and when his head is in between his knees, it could mean that he is shutting out the rest of the world

•‘My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!’ tells is that words can’t express his grief. It also suggests that by not saying Alas! He isn’t giving up.

•‘over in the grass’ tells us that he is distant and not all together there. When Rossetti says ‘over in the grass’ it’s like he is saying his hair is all the way over there, suggesting that he is all over the place

•‘my naked ears heard the day pass’ tells us that he has been sitting there all day listening to the world go by but he is staying still.

Stanza 3Stanza 3My eyes, wide open, had the runMy eyes, wide open, had the run

Of some ten weeds to fix upon;Of some ten weeds to fix upon;Among those few, out of the sun,Among those few, out of the sun,

The woodspurge flowered, three cups in one.The woodspurge flowered, three cups in one.

•Tone changes. ‘my eyes, wide open’ we can feel how Rossetti’s attitude has changed. He has accepted what has happened and is ready to move on.

•Weeds are hard to get rid of. The weeds in line 2 could resemble his problems and he can’t get rid of the very easily, or they might keep coming back. When he ‘fixes upon’ the weeds, he could be focusing on his problems.

•The tone also changes to a more uplifting one because this is the first time the sun has been mentioned.

•The last 2 lines of stanza 3 could mean that goodness can follow grief. The woodspurge bloomed in the shade. The shade could represent the depressing time that Rossetti is going through. The bloomed woodspurge could represent the goodness that follows his dark periods.

Stanza 4Stanza 4From perfect grief there need not beFrom perfect grief there need not be

Wisdom or even memory:Wisdom or even memory:One thing then learnt remains to me, - One thing then learnt remains to me, - 

The woodspurge has a cup of three.The woodspurge has a cup of three.

•Rossetti says ‘from perfect grief there may not be wisdom or even memory’. This tells us that when you are grieving, you don’t always have to learn something new.

•The caesura in line 3 (,-) is there to make the reader think what’s next. It keeps the reader guessing what Rossetti has learnt.

•In the last line, he states what he has learnt. ‘The woodspurge has a cup of three’. To the reader it may seem as if Rossetti has remembered something insignificant. Why?

IdeasIdeas

After Dante’s wife died, he was very depressed. This After Dante’s wife died, he was very depressed. This poem may have been written around the time of his poem may have been written around the time of his wife’s death. (before/after)wife’s death. (before/after)

Poem might reflect his life after wife’s deathPoem might reflect his life after wife’s death Poem could be about what he is doing after his wife’s Poem could be about what he is doing after his wife’s

deathdeath A woodspurge holds its petals close together. A woodspurge holds its petals close together.

Compare this to Rossetti. He might be focusing on Compare this to Rossetti. He might be focusing on the Woodspurge because he wants to be like it (dear the Woodspurge because he wants to be like it (dear ones close to him) (His sister and wife died)ones close to him) (His sister and wife died)

Student’s TaskStudent’s Task

Here’s something for you to think about:Here’s something for you to think about:

Did Rossetti set ‘The Woodspurge’ outside for a Did Rossetti set ‘The Woodspurge’ outside for a particular reason? What statement might he be particular reason? What statement might he be making about the relation between humans and making about the relation between humans and

the environment around us?the environment around us?