Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born in 1828, but not with that name; not entirely, that is. In truth, he was born Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti, son of an Italian scholar living in London, but later changed the arrangement of his name so as to closer identify himself with the great 13th-14th century Italian poet Dante Aligheri, author of la Divina Comedia and Vita Nuova (Everett, np). His obsession with Dante impacted his work, both literary and artistic; from his masterpiece "Beata Beatrix" to his poetry buried with wife Elizabeth Siddal, he lived and worked under the duality of beauty, the fight between the body and the soul, best expressed in "The House of Life," particularly sonnets 77 and 78, "Soul's Beauty" and "Body's Beauty" respectively.
Even early in his career, Rossetti's interest in Dante is apparent. In 1848, he translated portions of Aligheri's Vita Nuova, which details Dante's unconsummated love for Beatrice, a theme that also runs through the Divine Comedy. It is at this time that Rossetti changed the order of his name and initials, dropping "Charles" altogether. This would become a lifelong identification with the poet, emphasized by his relationship with Elizabeth Siddal (Rodgers, p 16).
In 1860, Rossetti married Siddal, a model and artist with whom he had an affair. This wasn't a happy marriage, both partners suffering from depression and drug addiction. Moreover, this was a "pity" marriage, done not out of love but out of loyalty to Siddal, believing he could save her from herself. Part of Rossetti's obsession with Dante became an identification of two kinds of love, one being chaste and spiritual and identified with the person of Beatrice, the other being earthly and physical. In marrying Siddal, Rossetti felt he was destroying her position as Beatrice, despite the fact that they were already lovers. The marriage was a short, tumultuous one, ending in the suicide of Siddal by way of a drug overdose of Laudanum, an opiate. Depressed, especially since the miscarriage of their only child, and no doubt also by Rossetti's infidelities, particularly with Jane Morris, wife of friend and fellow Pre-Raphaelite William Morris, Siddal is thought to have intentionally overdosed on the narcotic.
Friar Lawrence in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet "We still have known thee for a holy man"
Rossetti, Christina. The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti. With Memoir and Notes &c. Ed. William Michael Rossetti. London; New York: Macmillan, 1904.
Details of her life remain uncertain, but in La Vita Nuova, Dante describes how he fell in love with her as a young man. Although Dante married another woman, he continued to yearn for her after her sudden death. La Vita Nuova describes this tragic love for Beatrice, stating “Love quite governed my soul… an exultation of Love to subdue me,” (p.26). Dante continues, expressing how “love many times assailed [him] so suddenly and with such strength that [he] had no other life remaining… love did battle with me in this wise, I would rise up all colourless, if so I might see my lady, conceiving that the sight of [Beatrice] would defend [him] against the assault of love, and altogether forgetting that which her presence brought unto [him]” (p.67, Vita Nuova). Meanwhile, Beatrice’s role in Inferno is more limited. Even so, Dante’s entire journey through the afterlife aims to find Beatrice. In the Inferno, Beatrice is more of a symbolic representation of spiritual love. Dante describes Beatrice as a divine love when he writes, “Beatrice am I, who do bid thee go; I come from there, where I would fain return; Love moved me, which compelleth me to speak.”
suicide, which in my opinion is an easy way out but did he really have
Christina Rossetti is known as one of the primary female figures of the Victorian Period. The majority of her poetry falls into one of two categories: religion and relationships. Many of her poems on relationships included a theme of death, yet often centered on the relationship between the dead or dying and their loved ones. She wrote a number of poems on love, as well, but these often bring forth a sense of loss, avoidance, fear, or disbelief. Based on some of these love poems and the fact that she was reportedly in love twice during her lifetime, it seems clear that Christina Rossetti was no stranger to the desires of humanity. We, as people, tend to have a natural urge to be seen on a very personal level, to be understood for that which makes us unique, and to be loved in spite of these things. Rossetti’s “religious poetry acknowledged these longings and formed an outlet for them. Many of her ‘poems explore what she saw as the great danger that the Victorian cult of love and marriage posed to the souls of woman’” (Touché 4). She held very strongly to her faith and is reported to have turned down two men whom she dearly loved because of religious differences that she could not overcome. “As a deeply religious woman she was afraid somebody ‘could co...
Divine love is an essential moving block from a state of misery to one of happiness. We learn that Virgil has only come to Dante’s aid because he has been summoned by Beatrice. This is an example of relying on divine love. He says to Dante “Do not fear, the journey we are making none can prevent: such power did decree it. Wait here for me and feed your weary spirit with comfort and good hope; you can be sure I will not leave you in this underworld” (Dante pg.45). Despite fear Virgil reasures Dante with indirect and divine love. Virgil and Dante are anxious and weary about the journey that they are about to take on. However, Virgil reassures Dante that he will not leave him in the underworld. Instead they both will eventually ascend to paradiso. He believed that sometimes it is important to live through other people 's happiness in order to seek happiness. Dante felt that having knowledge of the divine love will eventually lead to happiness and get one through the hard times. Even in the inferno, divine love is still present and guides Dante through his battles, fears, emotions and
Pablo Picasso, a man with no inspirational limits, which has been portrayed throughout his art pieces. He was not only an amazing influential artist, Picasso was also a peace advocate. He brought new techniques and styles to the world of modern art. Political views and his desire for peace were shown throughout many of his now very famous pieces of artwork. Pablo Picasso influenced the world by changing the ways of art, and showing us that paintings can have a deeper meaning which can impact the lives of many.
Coleridge’s and Rossetti’s poems both had in various elements of supernatural, and symbolism, which connected well within the period it, was written. Coleridge utilizes the supernatural elements through his use of setting, characters and symbols. As for Rossetti the supernatural came out through her use of symbolism, setting and character as well. Both authors’ works fit in well with what society viewed and valued during the period. The cultural background of both works were valued and played a big role in both poems.
In Canto XVII, Virgil gives great insight to the two types of love. As asserted by Morgan “Dante learns of the goodness of natural...
Christina Rossetti was a pivotal key in the foundations of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, which can be seen, throughout her poetry. Rossetti, as a follower of the Pre-Raphaelite’s, endorsed ideas of unrequited love, acceptance of human mortality and redemption. These ideals both endorsed and challenged the Victorian morals of her era as Victorian morality was focused on repression, class structures, and religion often conflicting with the sexual desire and questioning nature of Rossetti’s poems. The poem Echo is a reflection of Rossetti’s view on the romance and grief in her life through her unwavering faith in religion that will reunite her with her love. Through her desire of a recreation of love in the poem, it is both accepted and challenged through her religious beliefs as the purity of distance in
Rossetti’s use of repetition emphasizes the idea that the artist is able to set expectations for women by controlling who they are, what they do, and what they feel by recreating them through art. Rossetti shows us a woman who is repeatedly being depicted in the artist’s paintings. Repetition of the word “one” (1,2,8) conveys a sense of homogenization: many women
Dante Alighieri was an Italian philosopher and poet born in 1265. He married Gemma Donati, but was in love with another woman, Beatrice Portinari, who eventually became the backbone and inspiration for his Divine Comedy. Dante was an important political figure holding many posts among which one of the six priors that governed the city of Florence. Some argue that Dante was a power-thirsty politician who banished rivals for political gain, but in 1302, he too fell out of favor and was exiled forever. Dante’s exile had profound implications for the poet. His deep regret and anger at the injustice to which he felt he had been subjected translated into the most creative time of his life, the writing of the three part Divine Comedy. What is noteworthy is that throughout the epic many of Dante’s “rivals” appear as seducers, greedy, lustful, and overall completely immoral people.
Beneath Christina Rossetti’s poetry a subtext of conflict between the world of temptation and the divine kingdom exists. Hugely aware of her own and others desires and downfalls her poetry is riddled with fear, guilt and condemnation however her works are not two dimensional and encompass a myriad of human concerns expanding beyond the melancholy to explore love and fulfilment.
...ence. Shortly after they moved to Florence and had four sons and one daughter. In Florence, Artemisia enjoyed huge success and was the first woman to be accepted into the Academy of Drawing. She also became good friends with the most respected artists of her time and was able to maintain good relations with them thought her lifetime. Despite Artemisia success the Florentine period was full of problems with her and her husband, and these problems later lead to her returning to Rome in 1621. The road of life is filled with countless twists and turns and Artemisia Gentileschi entire life shows exactly that. Artemisia’s life was one big struggle, but battered and bruised she made it through, and as a result of her lifetime of pain, she made an eternity’s worth of art works. Today she is regarded as one of the most progressive and expressionist painters of her generation
Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born on May 12th, 1828 in London England. Rossetti died of blood poisoning on April 9th, 1882 (Authors). Rossetti studied at various academy's and schools. Dante was also a painter and an Italian translator as well as a poet. Rossetti was of British Nationality with Italian roots. “After the death of his wife he became a reclusive drug addict” (Authors).