Promises like Pie-Crust CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI The Peom Promise me no promises, So will I not promise you: Keep we both our liberties, Never false and never true: Let us hold the die uncast, Free to come as free to go: For I cannot know your past, And of mine what can you know? You, so warm, may once have been Warmer towards another one: I, so cold, may once have seen Sunlight, once have felt the sun: Who shall show us if it was Thus indeed in time of old? Fades the image from the glass, And the fortune is not told. If you promised, you might grieve For lost liberty again: If I promised, I believe I should fret to break the chain. Let us be the friends we were, Nothing more but nothing less: Many thrive on frugal fare Who would perish of excess. Annotation Paraphrasing Analysis In “Promises like Pie-crust” the poet Christina Rossetti directly and fact fully speaks about the weak promises, boundedness, and captivity in serious relations. She in the poem has...
1) Medieval and Early Modern literature (450-1500) The literature after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 5 th century and the Renaissance 15 th century is the medieval literature. Based on the development of English language this period can be divided into two periods The Old English Period and The Middle English period. Written Old English dates from the 7 th century, it is almost an alien language for the modern reader. The known literary work from the old English is a heroic poem Beowulf about 3000 lines long. And it is so old that its author is unknown. Few lines from the poem are Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon . ( Rainsford 76). So, this language is almost unreadable. In old English poetry Christian and pagan ideas are at war. In old English poetry there is greater emphasis on rituals, royal authority, and storytelling. Canterbury Tales Image source:...