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The
Three Enemies
by
Christina Rossetti
THE
FLESH
"Sweet, thou art pale."
"More pale to see,
Christ hung upon the cruel tree
And bore His Father's wrath
for me."
"Sweet, thou art sad."
"Beneath a rod
More heavy, Christ for my sake trod
The winepress of the wrath
of God."
"Sweet, thou art weary."
"Not so Christ:
Whose mighty love of me suffic'd
For Strength, Salvation,
Eucharist."
"Sweet, thou art footsore."
"If I bleed,
His feet have bled; yea in my need
His Heart once bled
for mine indeed."
THE WORLD
"Sweet, thou art young."
"So He was young
Who for my sake in silence hung
Upon
the Cross with Passion wrung."
"Look, thou art fair."
"He was more fair
Than men, Who deign'd for me to wear
A
visage marr'd beyond compare."
"And thou hast riches."
"Daily bread:
All else is His: Who, living, dead,
For
me lack'd where to lay His Head."
"And life is sweet."
"It was not so
To Him, Whose Cup did overflow
With
mine unutterable woe."
THE DEVIL
"Thou drinkest deep."
"When Christ would sup
He drain'd the dregs from
out my cup:
So how should I be lifted up?"
"Thou shalt win Glory."
"In the skies,
Lord Jesus, cover up mine
eyes
Lest they should look on vanities."
"Thou shalt have Knowledge."
"Helpless dust!
In Thee, O Lord, I put
my trust:
Answer Thou for me, Wise and Just."
"And Might."--
"Get thee behind me. Lord,
Who hast redeem'd
and not abhorr'd
My soul, oh keep it by Thy Word."
This is one of my least favorite poems,
which was written by Christina Rossetti. The reason why I did not like the poem was because I did not believe what Christina
wrote was all true. I think that two out of the three enemies in the poem are not true and they are the “Flesh and the
World.” The other enemy is about the “Devil,” which I think it (he) is an enemy to everyone for those who
believe that he and/or it is bad person and/or thing. I do not think the titles for the poem three enemies should be names
like that because it can draw some confusion in what is actually good and what is bad.
IN THE ROUND TOWER AT JHANSI
By Christina Rossetti
- A HUNDRED, a thousand to one; even so;
- Not a hope in the world remained:
- The swarming howling wretches below
- Gained and gained and gained.
-
- Skene looked at his pale young wife:--
- 'Is the time come?' -- 'The time is come!'--
- Young, strong, and so full of life:
- The agony struck them dumb.
-
- Close his arm about her now,
- Close her cheek to his,
- Close the pistol to her brow--
- God forgive them this!
-
- 'Will it hurt much?' -- 'No, mine own:
- I wish I could bear the pang for both.'
- 'I wish I could bear the pang alone:
- Courage, dear, I am not loth.'
-
- Kis and kiss: 'It is not pain
- Thus to kiss and die.
- One kiss more.' -- 'And yet one again.' --
- 'Good-bye.' -- 'Good-bye.'
- Interpretation: The poem passes to me in wonder, this married couple
couldn't survive the realities of the world. What had drawn them to want to kill themselves? They could no longer withstand
what had occured around them that they gave in, that they let one another give in and surrendered to death.
In today's society I believe that relationships such as these can be portrayed in a better light, portrayed as a fight that
two people are both facing so that they don't feel the pressures to let one another down the way this poem had seemed. It's
a weak poem and a poor message; they are "so full of life" yet he "close(d) the pistol to her brow". The message is an unhappy
and weak thought for today's couples of rough times.
Christina Rossetti
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