Form - Passing and Glassing

• The poem 'Passing and Glassing' is written in 3 Heterometric Octaves, this mirrors a temporal triptych: past, present, and future - Each stanza becomes a reflective panel in time, reinforcing the theme of transience through varied line lengths and rhythmic shifts - The structural triad evokes a life cycle, where the fragmentation of meter echoes the unpredictability of human experience
• The poem 'Passing and Glassing' is written in 3 Heterometric Octaves, this may reflect the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which permeates Rossetti’s religious worldview - The first octave speaks to the body and its inevitable decline, potentially linked to the incarnate Son; the second touches on emotional consolation, resonating with the Holy Spirit as comforter; and the third addresses divine order and moral judgment, aligning with God the Father - The irregular meter underscores the mystical nature of this divine unity - three forms, distinct yet interconnected - just as each stanza addresses a different facet of spiritual and earthly reflection
• The poem 'Passing and Glassing' is written in 3 Heterometric Octaves, this can be interpreted through the lens of Greek mythology, specifically the Moirai: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos - The first stanza, focused on youth and the bloom of life, aligns with Clotho who spins the thread of life; the second, which preserves memory and emotional resonance, reflects Lachesis who measures life’s span; the final stanza, emphasizing inevitability and predestination, echoes Atropos who cuts the thread - The shifting line lengths enhance the idea of life’s unpredictability, as though the Fates themselves weave an irregular, uncontrollable rhythm through human existence
• The poem 'Passing and Glassing' is written in 3 Heterometric Octaves, this can represent a symbolic phase in the Victorian woman’s life - maidenhood, maturity, and old age - each framed through societal expectations of femininity - The first focuses on physical beauty and societal value placed on youth; the second offers a melancholic yet sentimental view of emotional attachment and memory, typical of the nurturing woman; the third transitions into moral reflection and wisdom, aligning with the often overlooked but spiritually insightful older woman - The heterometric form destabilises the smooth progression between these stages, revealing the pressures and contradictions embedded in gendered life cycles
• The poem 'Passing and Glassing' is written in 3 Heterometric Octaves, this can be read as a spiritual journey: the first expresses anxiety over decay and mortality, the second finds solace in preserved emotions and memory, and the third ultimately accepts the divine order and repetitive nature of human actions - The irregular meter reflects the emotional turmoil and gradual progression from despair to understanding - This triadic movement mirrors Rossetti’s own spiritual contemplations, moving from personal grief to a broader theological acceptance of life’s transient but purposeful design