Contents
“Remember” by Christina Rossetti ......................................................................................... 2
“Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare .................................................................................. 11
“Poem of Return” by Jofre Rocha........................................................................................... 19
Vultures – Chinua Achebe..................................................................................................... 30
Talk to the Peach Tree – Sipho Sepamla ................................................................................. 41
Solitude – Ella Wheeler Wilcox .............................................................................................. 53
The Shipwreck – Emily Dickinson .......................................................................................... 65
The Morning Sun is Shining – Olive Schreiner ......................................................................... 75
At a Funeral – Dennis Brutus ................................................................................................. 84
It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free – William Wordsworth ............................................ 95
Fern Hill – Dylan Thomas .................................................................................................... 103
This Winter Coming – Karen Press ....................................................................................... 115
,“Remember” by Christina Rossetti – In-Depth but Simple Study Notes
Background of the Poet
• Christina Rossetti was an English poet.
• She lived from 1830–1894.
• She suffered from illness during her life.
• Many of her poems focus on:
o love
o death
o loss
o memory
o religion
Title: “Remember”
• The title is a command.
• “Remember” is an imperative verb (a command).
• At first, the speaker strongly wants to be remembered after death.
• However, later in the poem she changes her mind slightly and says it is okay to forget if
remembering causes pain.
Importance of the Title
The title introduces the main themes:
• remembrance
• death
• grief
• love
• letting go
Summary of the Poem
The speaker talks to someone she loves before she dies.
She asks the person to remember her after her death.
,Later, she realizes that remembering her may cause sadness.
She then says it is better for the person to forget her and be happy than remember her and
suffer.
Main Themes
1. Death
• The speaker knows she is going to die.
• Death is spoken about gently through euphemisms.
Examples:
• “gone away”
• “silent land”
These phrases soften the harshness of death.
2. Remembrance and Memory
• The speaker fears being forgotten.
• She wants her loved one to remember her.
• Later, she accepts that forgetting is natural.
3. Love
• The poem shows deep love and care.
• The speaker becomes selfless.
• She puts her loved one’s happiness before her own wish to be remembered.
4. Grief and Loss
• The poem explores how painful memory can be.
• Remembering someone who died can cause sadness.
, Structure of the Poem
Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet
The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet.
Features:
• 14 lines
• Split into:
o Octave (first 8 lines)
o Sestet (last 6 lines)
Octave (Lines 1–8)
Focus:
• the speaker strongly asks to be remembered
Tone:
• serious
• commanding
• emotional
Sestet (Lines 9–14)
Focus:
• the speaker changes her thinking
• she accepts forgetting
Tone:
• softer
• reflective
• comforting
Volta (Turning Point)
The word:
“Yet”
in line 9 is called the volta.
It marks a major shift in:
“Remember” by Christina Rossetti ......................................................................................... 2
“Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare .................................................................................. 11
“Poem of Return” by Jofre Rocha........................................................................................... 19
Vultures – Chinua Achebe..................................................................................................... 30
Talk to the Peach Tree – Sipho Sepamla ................................................................................. 41
Solitude – Ella Wheeler Wilcox .............................................................................................. 53
The Shipwreck – Emily Dickinson .......................................................................................... 65
The Morning Sun is Shining – Olive Schreiner ......................................................................... 75
At a Funeral – Dennis Brutus ................................................................................................. 84
It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free – William Wordsworth ............................................ 95
Fern Hill – Dylan Thomas .................................................................................................... 103
This Winter Coming – Karen Press ....................................................................................... 115
,“Remember” by Christina Rossetti – In-Depth but Simple Study Notes
Background of the Poet
• Christina Rossetti was an English poet.
• She lived from 1830–1894.
• She suffered from illness during her life.
• Many of her poems focus on:
o love
o death
o loss
o memory
o religion
Title: “Remember”
• The title is a command.
• “Remember” is an imperative verb (a command).
• At first, the speaker strongly wants to be remembered after death.
• However, later in the poem she changes her mind slightly and says it is okay to forget if
remembering causes pain.
Importance of the Title
The title introduces the main themes:
• remembrance
• death
• grief
• love
• letting go
Summary of the Poem
The speaker talks to someone she loves before she dies.
She asks the person to remember her after her death.
,Later, she realizes that remembering her may cause sadness.
She then says it is better for the person to forget her and be happy than remember her and
suffer.
Main Themes
1. Death
• The speaker knows she is going to die.
• Death is spoken about gently through euphemisms.
Examples:
• “gone away”
• “silent land”
These phrases soften the harshness of death.
2. Remembrance and Memory
• The speaker fears being forgotten.
• She wants her loved one to remember her.
• Later, she accepts that forgetting is natural.
3. Love
• The poem shows deep love and care.
• The speaker becomes selfless.
• She puts her loved one’s happiness before her own wish to be remembered.
4. Grief and Loss
• The poem explores how painful memory can be.
• Remembering someone who died can cause sadness.
, Structure of the Poem
Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet
The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet.
Features:
• 14 lines
• Split into:
o Octave (first 8 lines)
o Sestet (last 6 lines)
Octave (Lines 1–8)
Focus:
• the speaker strongly asks to be remembered
Tone:
• serious
• commanding
• emotional
Sestet (Lines 9–14)
Focus:
• the speaker changes her thinking
• she accepts forgetting
Tone:
• softer
• reflective
• comforting
Volta (Turning Point)
The word:
“Yet”
in line 9 is called the volta.
It marks a major shift in:
