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There are several meanings that can be drawn from CR's poem. On the most obvious level, CR is speaking of an artist (in whose studio we the readers are at) who paints numerous paintings of the same "girl". She is described as "A queen in opal or in ruby dress," so obviously the woman is a beauty, and hence the reason behind the artist's fascination with her. Reading on however, readers discover this may not be a picture of an ideal love. The girl in question is nameless, and as the artist "feeds upon her face by day and night", she merely looks back at him "with true kind eyes..." This portrayal of the girl being devoid of name or personality is supposed to be a critique of women's objectification done by the male gaze. This idea is further supported by the lines: "Not as she is, but was when hope shone bright;

Not as she is, but as she fills his dream." Here, we heard specifically the poet's voice, i.e. this is Rossetti making a commentary about what she thinks is the truth, which is that the artist is not creating a true representation of the girl, rather as he imagines her to be. This brings to the theme of idealized beauty - "...A queen in opal or in ruby dress.../ A saint, an angel..." This is not Rossetti speaking, but is how the artists views his subject. Many have wondered what Rossetti is trying to say with this poem. I think she is saying a number of things with this very short poem. I think, in addition to the above points, Rossetti is also specifically commenting on Victorian men's fascination with subdued, idealized beauty. But also, on a final note, she is probably also critiquing her brother's over-zealous love affair with Lizzie Siddal, which she probably deemed hypocritical.

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16y ago

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