Structure - Memory

• The poem 'Memory' is written in 2 Parts (in Part 1, the Rhyme Scheme ABAB, whilst in Part 2, this shifts to the Rhyme Scheme ABBA), this can reflect a transition from a structured, more controlled emotional state to one of greater inner turmoil or confusion - The ABAB structure in Part 1 suggests the speaker’s attempt to maintain order in the face of grief, while the ABBA rhyme in Part 2 implies that the speaker’s emotional world has become more complex and intertwined - Rossetti’s shift in form mirrors the loosening of control over grief, reflecting the unravelling of the speaker’s emotional defences over time
• The poem 'Memory' is written in 2 Parts (in Part 1, the Rhyme Scheme ABAB, whilst in Part 2, this shifts to the Rhyme Scheme ABBA), in Part 1, this could symbolize the speaker’s active engagement with her grief, striving for balance and resolution through emotional expression - In contrast, the change to ABBA in Part 2 suggests a more introspective, contemplative mode of reflection as the speaker moves beyond immediate emotional responses and begins to process her grief more deeply - The shift in rhyme scheme thus signals a transition from the outward expression of sorrow to an inward, meditative approach
• The poem 'Memory' is written in 2 Parts (in Part 1, the Rhyme Scheme ABAB, whilst in Part 2, this shifts to the Rhyme Scheme ABBA), the change in rhyme scheme may signify the speaker’s evolving spiritual journey, moving from a state of external struggle to a deeper, more internalized form of reconciliation - The ABAB structure of Part 1 emphasizes a more surface-level approach to grief, while the ABBA rhyme in Part 2 suggests the emergence of a more profound spiritual insight, where the speaker reconciles herself with the pain and memory - This change in form highlights how spiritual growth often comes through the reflection and reordering of the self
• The poem 'Memory' is written in 2 Parts (in Part 1, the Rhyme Scheme ABAB, whilst in Part 2, this shifts to the Rhyme Scheme ABBA), Part 1’s ABAB rhyme scheme suggests the speaker’s engagement with external realities, as the rhyme is relatively straightforward and balanced - As the poem shifts to ABBA in Part 2, this change in structure mirrors a retreat into the inner world, where emotions and memories are more complex and less easily contained - The ABBA pattern, with its enclosing rhyme, suggests a more introspective, enclosed emotional state, where the speaker is more concerned with the intimate experience of memory and grief
• The poem 'Memory' is written in 2 Parts (in Part 1, the Rhyme Scheme ABAB, whilst in Part 2, this shifts to the Rhyme Scheme ABBA), the shift in rhyme scheme from ABAB to ABBA could also represent how grief becomes less predictable as time passes - In Part 1, the regular ABAB pattern suggests that grief, while painful, follows a predictable course, while the move to ABBA in Part 2 implies that grief no longer follows a logical, orderly path - Rossetti uses the change in rhyme to show how, over time, grief transforms from something manageable into an experience that disrupts and encloses the speaker’s emotional landscape, no longer adhering to the simplicity of early mourning