Comparing Cousin Kate and Seduction :: Elaine McAuley Christina Rossetti Essays

Comparing Cousin Kate and SeductionCousin Kate is set in the Victorian ages. It is ab step to the fore a young,beautiful working class maiden, who is taken external from her simple lifeby a churchman, to a life of riches and luxuries. She lives a very shamefullife because she lives with him and is sexually active with the lord ahead marriage. She even has a child with him. The maidens much moreattractive cousin appears and the lord is intrigued by her. He leavesthe maiden for Kate. The poem has a twist at the end Cousin Kate isonly interested in his money, but she cannot conceive any children forhim, and the maiden already has a son of the lords and he pass oninherit his fathers wealth and land as his heir. A once poor cottagemaiden will now live the life of luxury once again but in the right way.In I was a cottage maiden, by using I, I can tell that the poem isin first person and is being told from the victims perspective thisalso gives the reader access code to the vote coun ters thoughts and feelings.The poem is in past tense. Cottage emphasises that she is from aworking class background and maiden suggests that she is a virgin,but being in past tense, the use of the word was indicates that sheis no more. Hardened by the sun and air suggests that she is anoutside worker hardened suggests that she is weather beaten. Thiscould mean that her skin could be tanned from working in the hot sun.This also indicates that she is lower class. Contented with mycottage mates suggests that she is informal and ordinary. This linealso tells me that she is happy with her life. In the undermentioned line thenarrator says not mindful I was fair suggesting that she is unawareof her beauty. She then asks a rhetorical question why did the greatfind me out? The narrator uses this to show her regret over the lord.On the next line she says and praises my flaxen pig. This shows thelords pathetic attempts to impress the maiden the words flaxen hairsuggest that her hair was stri ngy, dry and a pale yellow colour. Thenarrator repeats the rhetorical question why did the great lord findme out? again to emphasise her regret and mis-judgement over thelord. To fill my heart with care is ambiguous the first is that sheloves him the second is that the lord brings the maiden worries.In second verse the narrator is very critical towards her supposed