Passing Away
Passing away, saith the World, passing away:
Chances, beauty, and youth, sapped day by day:
Thy life never continueth in one stay.
Is the eye waxen dim, is the dark hair changing to grey
That hath won neither laurel nor bay?
I shall clothe myself in Spring and bud in May:
Tou, root-stricken, shalt not rebuild thy decay
On my bosom for aye.
Then I answered: Yea.
Passing away, saith my Soul, passing away:
With its burden of fear and hope, or labour and play,
Hearken what the past doth witness and say:
Rust in thy gold, a moth is in thine array,
A canker is in thy bud, thy leaf must decay.
A midnight, at cockcrow, at morning, one certain day
Lo the Bridegroom shall come and shall not delay;
Watch thou and pray.
Then I answered: Yea.
Passing away, saith my God, passing away:
Winter passeth after the long delay:
New grapes on the vine, new figs on the tender spray,
Turtle calleth turtle in Heaven’s May.
Though I tarry, wait for Me, trust Me, watch and pray:
Arise, come away, night is past and lo it is day,
My love, My sister, My spouse, thou shalt hear Me say.
Then I answered: Yea.
By: Christina Rossetti (1862)
Synopsis:
The Speaker watches time affect the world and souls that inhabit the Earth, while remembering God’s influence on life.
Major Themes and Motifs:
- Religion
- Autonomy
- Time (including Seasons)
- Love
Literary Terms Applicable to “Passing Away”:
- Allusion
- Ambiguity
- Archaism
- Caesura
- Character
- Characterisation
- Connotation
- Denotation
- Diction
- Euphoney
- Figurative Language
- First Person Narrative
- Imagery
- Literal Language
- Metaphor
- Meter
- Mood
- Motif
- Register
- Repetition
- Rhyme
- Rhythm
- Setting
- Simile
- Speaker
- Stanza
- Structure
- Symbol
- Symbolism
- Syntax
- Theme
- Tone
- Visual Imagery
Characters:
(in order of appearance)
The Speaker-
A religious person, who observes the world and time flashing by him. He starts with a pessimistic voice as he waits to become ripe for society. Some time passes, and his soul becomes tormented by emotions as he becomes a Bridegroom. The Speaker is optimistic in the last stanza as he prays with his wife while time flies. Based on Rossetti’s religious opinions, it can be inferred that the speaker is male.
“My love, My sister, My spouse”-
An important figure in the Speaker’s life, and based on the lack of “and,” it can be presumed that this phrase refers to three names for one person rather than three different people.
Detailed Description of the Events within the Poem:
- The world says it’s passing away.
- Time depletes youth, beauty, and the chances that humans have.
- Life will eventually fade away.
- The Speaker will blossom after a few months.
- The Speaker’s soul says it’s passing away.
- It’s burdened with emotions.
- Time and the past continue to affect the present.
- The Speaker resolves to prayer as time flies by.
- The Bridegroom appears.
- God says it’s passing away.
- Winter ends, and spring has arrived.
- The Speaker prays with his wife as time passes by.
Uncommon Words:
(Definition from: Oxford Dictionary of English)
- Laurel- Any of a number of shrubs and other plants with dark green glossy leaves.
Significance of the Text:
Religious allusions are prominent throughout the the poem, such as the references to prayer, God, and “New grapes on the vine.” Rossetti was a devoted High Church Anglican, and this had been an influence on a lot of her work after her mental breakdown when she was fourteen. Looking at her poems from a new historical lens, there is a clear reflection of her perspective and dedication to God within her characters, such as the Speaker in “Passing Away.”
Interesting Tidbit:
As mentioned, Rossetti has a strict and unique perspective on God, which caused her to decline two marriage proposal because of religious differences. Her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, was also a prominent poet.
Where More of Christina Rossetti’s Work can be Found:
https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Georgina-Rossetti/e/B001IXTYK0
Works Cited:
Bloom, Harold. The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer through Frost. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print.
Words: 650
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