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One face looks out from all his canvases, One selfsame figure sits or walks or leans: We found her hidden just behind those screens, That mirror gave back all her loveliness. A queen in opal or in ruby dress, A nameless girl in freshest summer-greens, A saint, an angel — every canvas means The same one meaning, neither more nor less. He feeds upon her face by day and night, And she with true kind eyes looks back on him, Fair as the moon and joyful as the light: Not as she is, but as she fills his dream. He portrays her, not as she is but as he sees her, adds a tint Of his own soul to her youth and loveliness.
Content Analysis
The poem describes an artist's studio where every painting features the same woman. She is depicted in various guises—as a queen, a girl, a saint, an angel—but it is always her. The speaker observes that the artist is not painting the woman as she truly is, but rather an idealized version from his own dreams. He 'feeds upon her face,' projecting his own soul onto her image.
- Objectification
- The Male Gaze
- Art and Reality
- Idealization of Women
Repetition: "The repetition of 'one face' and 'one selfsame figure' emphasizes the artist's obsession with a single subject."
Simile: "The model is described as 'Fair as the moon and joyful as the light'."
About the Author
Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems. She is best known for her long poem 'Goblin Market'.
Writing Style: Her poetry is known for its musicality, vivid imagery, and exploration of themes like love, death, and religious faith.
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What does the line 'He feeds upon her face' suggest about the artist?