Despair in ‘From the Antique’ Anonymous 12th Grade

Despair is a very common theme in many of Rossetti’s poems and is particularly important to her poem, ‘From the Antique’. It is typical of her attitude towards despair, since Rossetti appears to be having a moral dilemma between her religious fanaticism and her desire for death. This is conveyed through her use of natural imagery, which helps to emphasize the beauty of the world that she will be leaving behind if her suicidal thoughts overpower her faith. This essay will intend to prove the idea that ‘From the Antique’ presents Rossetti’s typical attitude towards despair, through a close comparison with the poems, ‘Remember’ and ‘Goblin Market’.

Despair and suicide are prevalent themes in Rossetti’s poem, ‘From the Antique’. The title of the poem seems to suggest nostalgia, which could show the speaker’s desire to return to the past and rid themselves of these feelings of depression. Alternatively, ‘antique’ may be alluding to the ancient civilizations of the Greek and Romans, where sacrificing oneself was considered heroic rather than sinful. This may indicate that the speaker is having problems with the era in which they live; the Victorian era was known for being particularly conservative, meaning that issues such as...