CONTEXT
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Attitudes towards women and independence
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Rossetti’s experiences of love
There’s two very different women described here competing for
Thomas’s affections – and his mother, too. In Rossetti’s portrayal, does anyone
seem “the one” we should be rooting for?
INTERPRETATION / ANALYSIS
Out
of the church she followed them With a lofty step and mien: His bride was like a village maid, Maude Clare was like a queen.
Using a ballad form, this
narrative poem tells the story of Nell and Thomas, newly-weds, who are accosted
by Maude Clare as they leave the church who, it emerges, had a relationship
with Thomas. The woman is initially simply referred to as “She” – but we can
perhaps infer from the title that this is Maude Clare. Throughout there’s a
question as to who we’re supposed to identify with: is it the woman of the
title and beginning, or the woman who has the last word? Rossetti immediately
contrasts the two women in a way that sets up the conflict of the rest of the
poem; Maude Clare is “lofty”, superiority in everything about her, while “his
bride” isn’t even named and is “like a village maid”, which sounds quite
condescending and patronizing. It’s also ironic that a bride would usually, on
her wedding day, be the “queenly” woman, so to give this title to someone else
implies that there is something wrong here. When first published, this poem was
accompanied by an illustration which placed Maude Clare in rich finery in the
centre of attention in the middle of a crowd as she accused the couple. There
was some discussion at the time over the role of women in marriage, and that
with an imbalance of single women there was more competition – yet women
weren’t supposed to pursue men.
“Son
Thomas, ” his lady mother said, With
smiles, almost with tears:
“May Nell and you but live as true As we have done for years;
Thomas’s mother is suitably
emotional for a wedding day and her blessing is quite typical, wishing her son
and his bride the happiness she has had with his father. That she is “almost with tears” seems on a
first reading natural – what mothers don’t cry at weddings?! But then again, is
she aware that there is something wrong? Her blessing might also be a way to
comfort Nell if she knows how her son truly feels, and to reassure them
both.
“Your
father thirty years ago
Had
just your tale to tell;
But
he was not so pale as you,
Nor I so pale as Nell.”
This stanza further introduces
doubt when Thomas’s mother points out that the couple are “pale”, and unexpectedly
so – what could be causing it? Immediately there seems to be something wrong,
particularly with the use of “but” and “nor” indicating the unlikely nature of
their appearance. This comment about the father is also interesting, implying
that the mother and father’s relationship, too, might not have been ideal when
they married, but that they are now very happy and so can Thomas and Nell
be.
My
lord was pale with inward strife,
And
Nell was pale with pride;
My lord gazed long on pale Maude Clare Or ever he kissed the bride.
Is the “my lord” here mocking
Thomas? The speaker, after all, knows what is about to happen. The paleness of
the two is picked up on as well; while Nell is “pale with pride” – also ironic
maybe given the story of the ballad – Thomas is “pale with inward strife.” It
almost seems like there’s a tone of glee here, that Thomas is going to get what
he deserves. Maude Clare, too, is pale – but here is the paleness a sign of
prettiness, of anger, or something else? The second couplet – “My lord gazed
long on pale Maude Clare/Or ever he kissed the bride” is a play on the idea.
While it could imply she’s interrupted at the perfect moment, just as they were
about to kiss in front of the church, it also tells us that he gazed on her before he was in a relationship with
Nell.
“Lo, I have brought my gift, my lord,
Have brought my gift, ” she said:
To bless the hearth, to bless the board,
To bless the marriage-bed.
The repetition of “brought my
gift” almost brings to mind a fairytale, suited to the ballad narrative – it
feels more like the wicked fairy’s curse! Calling him “my lord” seems a little
mocking, and although it places her in a slightly subservient position she’s
about to dramatically challenge him in front of
his bride and their families. The triadic anaphora “to bless the
hearth/board/marriage bed” also has fairytale qualities to it, but sounds more
like a curse than a blessing. The “hearth” symbolizes the warmth and comfort of
the couple’s future home, It represents their future happiness and wellbeing,
is the centre of their house. The “board” refers to the dining table (meals
were often served on the sideboard as
we now call it): Maude Clare is ‘blessing’ the family’s togetherness. Finally,
by blessing the marriage bed, Maude Clare is inserting herself between the
couple – they’ll never be able to enjoy the marriage bed without her blessing
and reminder of her. The ironic tone of “blessing” these three essential places
puts Maude Clare a the centre of Thomas and Nell’s relationship, casting a
shadow over every facet of it.
“Here’s
my half of the golden chain
You
wore about your neck,
That
day we waded ankle-deep
For lilies in the beck
Here, we reach Maude Clare’s reasons for being there – the
“golden chain” has evidently been shared between them, a lover’s promise. It
seems through the poem that their relationship was in secret, but didn’t stop
Maude Clare believing that there might be more to it. Especially considering
Victorian expectations of relationships, this is essential.
There’s an interesting contrast between the “golden chain” and wading “for
lilies in the beck” – both romanticised, intimate images, but the difference
between the wealth of the chain and the beautiful natural imagery of the lilies
provides a suggestion of how all-encompassing Maude Clare saw the relationship.
She is also implying that Thomas still has the other half – she’s returning
hers so it can be whole again. Considering again Victorian expectations of
propriety, “wading” together could be considered potentially scandalous,
including removal of shoes and stockings, raising skirts and so on.
“Here’s
my half of the faded leaves
We plucked from the budding bough,
With
feet amongst the lily leaves, -
The
lilies are budding now.”
The symbolism of different flowers was well-established in
Victorian England. Lilies are white, pure and also frequent wedding flowers,
used to symbolize fertility. By suggesting that they’re now “budding”, Maude
Clare casts an ironic comment on Thomas’s wedding day, and suggests her own
earlier hopes of marriage. They walked together among the lilies, and so she
brings the idea of the two of them together. The leaves gathered, though, were
already “faded” when the pair picked them which might be an acknowledgement of
the futility of this relationship but also blames Thomas for allowing her to
focus on the “budding bough” instead.
He
strove to match her scorn with scorn, He
faltered in his place:
“Lady,
” he said, - “Maude Clare, ” he said- “Maude Clare, ” – and hid his face.
Thomas is unable to argue with her – he barely manages to
speak, never mind “match her scorn with scorn”. Instead he falters and
stammers. Hardly the strong patriarchal authority figure he’s supposed to be!
Whereas Maude Clare continues to be hold herself as regal, authoritative and
righteous, Thomas is a stumbling child in comparison, who seems by his halting
speech to know he has done wrong and be unable to justify himself. We have to
ask – when did he break it off with Maude Clare? Or, indeed, has he? Hiding his
face is also a childish gesture, as though he can hide from what he’s done and
the situation he’s in by simply refusing to acknowledge it. Here, think about
Rossetti’s experience with fallen women at the penitentiary (see context,
later). She came across so many women who had believed men and then, when they
were in trouble, had been abandoned – while she didn’t absolve women, who had
known what they were doing was wrong, she also believed men too were
responsible for their predicament and should be held to account.
She
turn’d to Nell: “My Lady Nell,
I
have a gift for you;
Though, were it fruit, the blooms were gone, Or, were it flowers, the dew.
Addressing Nell as “My Lady”
should be a mark of respect, but how could we not hear the sarcasm dripping
from Maude Clare’s voice here? The “gift” being designated for her implies
that, so far, the blessings and gifts have been for Thomas alone, although obviously
they will affect the marital home and relationship for both of them. Here, the
simplicity of the language – “flowers”, “fruit” – should have a romantic,
joyful impact but they’re quickly ruined. Giving her the freshness of fruit and
flowers which would be suggestive of fertility is quickly diminished by the
comment that the “blooms were gone” along with the dew; all Maude Clare has to
offer is old, withered and dying – long past their best.
“Take
my share of a fickle heart, Mine of a
paltry love:
Take
it or leave it as you will,
I wash my hands thereof.”
She claims the ownership of
Thomas’s “fickle heart” and calls his love “paltry”, insulting him but firmly
turning her attention to Nell and warning her about his lack of loyalty – adding
to the likelihood that the relationships were at the same time. Giving her the
choice is almost underhanded at this point as they are already married –
they’re leaving the church and Maude Clare could
have spoken up earlier. Her choice to leave her warning until later therefore
appears a deliberate act to punish the couple. The final line of the stanza –
“I wash my hand thereof” – is Maude Clare’s final line, a defiant and angry
comment.
“And what you leave, ” said Nell, “I’ll
take,
And
what you spurn, I’ll wear;
For he’s my lord for better and worse,
And him I love Maude Clare.
Although following the last stanza
we might expect Nell to be cowed, or intimidated, by Maude Clare’s angry
revelations, the woman who steps forward to speak next is Nell is defiant –
“for better and worse”, part of the marriage vows she has just spoken, seem to
be true for her. Her syndetic triad - “and what you leave / and what you spurn
/ and him I love” – speaks of anger, and it seems that either she already knew
about Maude Clare’s relationship or is proud enough to not let the revelation
upset her. Using “leave” and “take” also suggests she knows others might see
her as a second choice, but her love for Thomas means she doesn’t care. The
inversion “And him I love” puts the
rhythm’s emphasis on Thomas, just as Nell is doing.
“Yea, though you’re taller by the head,
More wise and much more fair:
I’ll love him till he loves me best,
Me best of all Maude Clare.
Nell acknowledges Maude Clare’s qualities – tall, graceful,
beautiful – but also that she has ‘won’ Thomas. Her last two lines, with their
emphatic repetition “Me best” reminds Maude Clare that she is the one who’s
married and that, eventually, Thomas will love her – more importantly, he has
made the choice of her instead. The reader’s left at the end with a strange
ambiguity; Nell isn’t the weak second-best we might expect but is defiant that
she is victorious in this competition. Yet is Rossetti suggesting the
competition is worth fighting, or are we supposed to pity Nell for her
misguided sense of victory – is Thomas a prize worth winning? Yet by giving her
the last words and positioning Maude Clare as the silent onlooker again, is
Rossetti implying that women who conform to feminine expectations can expect to
succeed in the marriage game?
STRUCTURE AND FORM
Ballad form: The poem uses the ballad form, but with some
differences – an abcb rhyme scheme instead of the usual abab. It has a similar
rhythm, and tells a story. It’s written in 12 quatrains, with a generally
linear narrative but the interjection of Maude Clare brings the past to the
forefront as she describes their previous relationship.
Rhythm and rhyme
are both regular, adding to the story-like qualities of the poem, and its
spoken-sounding nature.
CRITICAL INTERPRETATIONS
Christina Rossetti’s “Maude Clare”
engages in a discourse on hegemonic definitions of Victorian femininity. This
issue is dealt with on multiple layers which in turn either reinforce or
challenge these gendered ideals in their reflections on the position of women.
The illustration in combination with the text as well as the layout challenge
these ideals, however the explicit and implicit meanings of the text itself
lessen this challenge and create a more ambiguous position. Perhaps this
ambiguity is more reflective on the actual position of women at the time
however as the demographics in the population made it impossible for all women
to accomplish the goals set for them by society, placing them in an ambiguous
position indeed.
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Victorian Femininity in "Maude Clare", Andrew Stewart and Alexandra Russel
CONNECTIONS
Male and female relationships:
No Thank You John; Shut Out; Soeur Louise
Imagery of Nature: Shut
Out; Birthday; Remember
Love: No Thank You John;
Remember; Song; Goblin Market
Narrative form:
Goblin Market
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