A Birthday Poem Text
My heart is like a singing birdWhose nest is in a water'd shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me.
Raise me a dais of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.
Critical Analysis
"A Birthday" by Christina Rossetti is a celebration of love and joy expressed through vibrant and imaginative imagery. The poem captures the speaker's overwhelming happiness at the arrival of their beloved. Through the use of metaphors and vivid descriptions, Rossetti creates a sense of abundance and beauty, emphasizing the depth of the speaker's emotions. The comparisons to natural elements like birds, trees, and seashells evoke a sense of vitality and vitality, symbolizing the richness and fulfillment brought by love. The second stanza introduces a fantastical vision of a lavish celebration, with exquisite details and opulent materials. This imagery highlights the speaker's desire to create a grand tribute to their love and the importance of this moment in their life. "A Birthday" is a lyrical and exuberant expression of love's transformative power, celebrating the arrival of love and the joy it brings.Summary
Split into two parts according to emotions
Stanza 1: The speaker compares their heart to a singing bird in a watered shoot, an apple tree with abundant fruit, and a rainbow shell paddling in a calm sea. They express that their heart is even happier than all these things because their love has come to them.
Stanza 2: The speaker imagines a grand dais made of silk and down, adorned with various colors and designs. They envision carvings of doves, pomegranates, and peacocks with numerous eyes. The dais is embellished with gold and silver grapes, leaves, and fleurs-de-lys. The speaker desires such an extravagant setting because the birthday of their life has arrived, signifying the arrival of their love.
Stylistic Analysis
The style of "A Birthday" by Christina Rossetti is characterized by its lyrical and imaginative qualities. Rossetti employs rich and vibrant imagery to evoke a sensory experience for the reader. The poem is filled with vivid metaphors and comparisons, such as the heart being likened to a singing bird, an apple tree with abundant fruit, and a rainbow shell in a tranquil sea. This use of figurative language adds depth and intensity to the speaker's emotions. The poem also exhibits a musical quality, with its rhythmic and melodic lines. The repetition of phrases, such as "My heart is" and "Because my love is come to me," creates a sense of emphasis and reinforces the joyous tone of the poem. Overall, Rossetti's style in "A Birthday" is characterized by its poetic imagery, musicality, and emotional resonance.Language
Structure
poem is structure like a hymnSound devices
very fewAttitudes/feelings
Linking poems
Post Image Art
