Context - May

• Victorian poetry, especially in the mid-19th century, often grappled with themes of impermanence, emotional loss, and the passage of time - 'May' reflects this cultural mood by focusing on a moment of joy that cannot be explained or recovered, symbolising the transience of happiness in a rapidly changing world
• Christina Rossetti lived a life marked by emotional restraint, religious devotion, and personal sacrifice - refusing multiple marriage proposals for spiritual reasons - This sense of loss and renunciation is embedded in 'May', where a beautiful experience fades inexplicably, leaving only emotional coldness and regret
• Rossetti was closely associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group that favoured vivid imagery, medievalism, and emotional intensity - In 'May', the rich natural imagery of spring is typical of this style, yet it serves to heighten the speaker’s eventual sense of emptiness, suggesting beauty is fleeting and bittersweet
• As a devout Anglo-Catholic, Rossetti often viewed earthly pleasures with suspicion, believing true fulfilment lay in spiritual salvation - In 'May', the fading of nature and warmth may reflect the soul’s separation from divine joy or the inevitable decay of worldly attachments, aligning with her religious worldview
• 'May' by Rossetti employs the extended metaphor of the month of May to symbolise a fleeting moment of beauty, innocence, or emotional awakening that the speaker cannot fully grasp or articulate - The lush imagery of spring - tender corn, unhatched eggs, and a “bright and breezy day” - evokes a period of natural and emotional blossoming that is short-lived and elusive - As May passes, so too does this unnamed experience, leaving behind a stark contrast between the warmth of youth and the desolation of age - This extended metaphor captures the ephemerality of joy and the inevitable descent into emotional or spiritual barrenness - Rossetti touches on the idea that while earthly pleasures are ephemeral, life devoted to spiritual values or divine purpose provides enduring fulfilment, suggesting that eternal happiness lies in the divine rather than in the fleeting joys of the material world