My heart
is like a singing bird Whose heart is in a watered shoot: My heart is like an apple-tree Whose
boughs are bent with thickset fruit; My heart is like a rainbow shell That Paddles in a halcyon sea; My heart
is gladder than all these Because my love is come to me.
Raise me
dais of silk and down; Hang it with vair and purple dyes; Carve it in doves and pomegranates, And
peacocks with a hundred eyes; Work it in gold and silver grapes, In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys; Because
the birthday of my life Is come, my love is come to me.
One
can get the idea that she is pessimistic and unhappy yet after reading for the first time “A birthday”, it was
as if a light had scared the darkness that was recurring from her previous poems that I had read. I mark this poem one of
my favorites because it’s easy to interpret and is very imaginative. It includes metaphors that give a vibrant image
for the reader. The line such as, “my heart is like a rainbow shell that paddles in a halcyon sea” denotes her
stress-free outlook about love. The heart being a “rainbow shell” is a cheerful symbol and most times Christina
is prevalent about not mentioning any sorts of joyful denotations that occur to her.The image of a “halcyon sea” is tranquil and care-free and especially with a heart in the midst of it all
is alludes a happiness that is elusive. Despite when this poem was written the poem is gives me a sort of settling that the
speaker got what she has longed for all along.
Chee's Favorite
Song
by Christina Rossetti
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.
I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain;
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.
“Song” is not just a poem about singing anything
that comes to mind, but to Christina and to me, as a reader. I think the word “Song” is a symbol of how one feels
about one self and the life that person once had or encountered. This is the reason why I choose this poem as one of my favorites.
I think that this poem has a lot of meaning to life. We only see the things that we do today but tomorrow and the future we
do not know about. I think that this goes for every person and thing in life. This is the reason why we are sad at times and
cry about things.
Zong's Favorite
No, Thank You John
I never said I loved you, John: Why will you tease me day by day, And
wax a weariness to think upon With always "do" and "pray"?
You Know I never loved you, John; No fault of mine
made me your toast: Why will you haunt me with a face as wan As shows an hour-old ghost?
I dare say Meg or Moll
would take Pity upon you, if you'd ask: And pray don't remain single for my sake Who can't perform the task.
I
have no heart?-Perhaps I have not; But then you're mad to take offence That don't give you what I have not got: Use
your common sense.
Let bygones be bygones: Don't call me false, who owed not to be true: I'd rather answer "No"
to fifty Johns Than answer "Yes" to you.
Let's mar our pleasant days no more, Song-birds of passage, days of
youth: Catch at today, forget the days before: I'll wink at your untruth.
Let us strike hands as hearty friends; No
more, no less; and friendship's good: Only don't keep in view ulterior ends, And points not understood
In open treaty.
Rise above Quibbles and shuffling off and on: Here's friendship for you if you like; but love,- No, thank you, John.
This is my favorite poem from Christina Rossetti. Why? Because you
can feel the tone of her writing through this poem. Not only was it romantic in its own ways of being a rejection letter to
someone who probably had, or thought he had something special going on with her, but they way that it was put out there in
the words that she chose: “I'd rather answer "No" to fifty Johns Than answer "Yes" to you,” was both bludgeoning,
yet it’s its own way very darkly humorous. Most of her other poems are about feelings, love, lust, or some other type
of emotion, while this poem pokes at the other ones with a sharp, thin needle.
