To Rosamond Essay Questions

Discuss one use of figurative language in “To Rosamond.” How does it inform your reading of the poem as a whole?

In the final stanza of “To Rosamond,” the speaker describes himself as surrounded by love like a fish being cooked in sauce. By situating love in an unexpected and unappealing context, this humorous comparison undercuts the drama and seriousness of the preceding stanzas. Rather than a sublime and valuable object, romance suddenly appears crass and morbid. Interestingly, Chaucer spares Rosamond from the mockery. The metaphor does not include her, as it concerns only the lover and his feelings. Throughout the poem, she is described only in positive terms. The contrast between Chaucer’s portrayal of Rosamond and the speaker suggests that his mockery is specifically directed at the self-absorption of the archetypal courtly male lover.

Metaphor is not the only literary device Chaucer employs in “To Rosamond.” Identify one other literary device and describe its significance to the poem.

Several lines of “To Rosamond” employ alliteration. The first line, “Madame, you be of all beauty shrine,” repeats the “b” sound. Because the first use is in the insignificant word “be,” the effect is subtle, and serves to draw out the word “beauty,” which is important to the meaning of the stanza overall. Similarly, Chaucer states, “And like ruby be your cheeks round,” repeating the “r” sound. Here, although “r” begins two of the most important words in the line, they are divided by multiple syllables, again keeping the effect subtle. In the first stanza, alliteration serves to subtly draw out the poem’s praise of Rosamond’s beauty. In contrast, the use of alliteration in the more satirical final stanza is far more obtrusive. The speaker states, “in love am wallowed and am wound.” By placing “wallowed” and “wound” close by one another, Chaucer stresses the unpleasant “w” sound, emphasizing the ridiculousness of the speaker.