Comparison of The Seduction by Eileen McAuley and Cousin Kate by Christina Rossetti

Comparison of The Seduction by Eileen McAuley and Cousin Kate by Christina Rossetti

I will be analyzing the two poems, "Cousin Kate," by Christina

Rossetti, and, "The Seduction," by Eileen McAuley. Both of these poems

share the same theme. The two poems are both based on betrayed love

but they each deal with a different aspect.

"Cousin Kate," is set in the eighteenth century but was written in the

nineteenth century. It was set in Victorian eras which in those days'

high moral values were a tradition to society. "Cousin Kate" deals

with social standings. People are still judged by class now although

it was much more important in the eighteenth century. In the

eighteenth century sex before marriage was greatly looked down upon,

it was a sin of the bible. It was always a lot easier for women in

those days to get caught with having sex before marriage; this is

because they obviously get pregnant.

It is the tale of a poor "cottage maiden" who gets found out by a

wealthy lord, who has loads of power over people, I feel I know this

because towards the end of the poem it says "coronet" which symbolizes

power. She then falls in love with him from all the wooing and love he

gave then he left, and she has his child, before being dropped the

lord moves onto "Cousin Kate." who seems like she is more of upper

class than the maid is. The poem is set out as the maiden telling us

the story of how she was used and how he exchanged her for another

woman. A good line that describes the story this is, "…He wore me like

a silken knot, he changed me like a glove." This tells us that he felt

he could use her like an item of clothing and discard her ...

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... interesting. I prefer phrases such as "his plaything and

his love" and "he wore me like a silken knot" to his "eyes as blue as

iodine" and "green as a septic wound". On the other hand, I think the

symbolism used in 'The Seduction' is very effective, i.e. the confetti

and the high white shoes.

I feel that the main reason I prefer 'The Seduction' is it's easier to

relate to for my age group. It is very hard to imagine what it would

be like to be singled out by a great lord and then to be left for her

cousin and having the lords baby on the way. I find it much easier to

relate to 'The Seduction' as It could be easier to understand how it

must feel to have a 'one night stand' and then become pregnant as I

myself am a teenage, the other poem is written by a women who left by

a lord and to modern day that wouldn't happen.