Information on Rossetti

Life: 5 December 1830-29 December 1894 (Died aged 64)

Rossetti was born and raised in London by her parents Gabriele Rossetti and Frances Polidori. Her father was a poet and a political exile from Italy where as her mother was a writer. She’s from a family of six and is the youngest daughter who became a poet that expressed her views on nature, political issues and women rights.

In the 1840’s her family suffered financial issues due to her father’s ill health. As a result of her father’s illness, her mother had to take up teaching to provide for the family. This meant at the age of 14, Rossetti dropped out of school after a breakdown and became depressed. During this period, herself, her mother and sister became interested in An Anglo-Catholic movement. In her late teens, Rossetti was engaged to a painter called James Collinson, who is known for painting religious works and like her bothers was a part of avant-garde artistic group. Their engagement finished in 1850 due to religious reasons. Rossetti was then asked by two more suitors but refused both Charles Cayley and John Brett. In 1848 Rossetti modelled as the Virgin Mary in an oil painting by her brother Dante Rossetti. Rossetti was a very private person and didn’t enjoy being painted however did pose for various characters. Her first poem was published 1842 and was printed in a private press by her granddad.

Education:

Rossetti did not attend school but was home schooled by her mother and father who only taught her religious works, classics, fairy tales and novels. She became very interested in Italian writers. Their mother read the bible often to them and inspired them to become independent and expand their knowledge on religious topics, poetry, painting and reading. The Rossetti’s shifted from an Evangelical to an Anglo-Catholic orientation, and this change influenced nearly all of Christina Rossetti’s poetry.

 

Status of women:

Between the dates 1674-1913 English life was very much influenced by gender. The genders were split up by the thought that mean were considered the stronger sex, intelligent, courageous and determined where as Women were thought to of struggled with their emotions and so were expected to be gentle, modest and compassionate. Women in the 19^th century were expected to stay at home and become mothers, which contradicts Rossetti’s poems. Many of her poems were from a female’s point of view and expressed the need men have on women, what they thought and a woman’s power on rejection.