'Song (When I am dead, my dearest)' by Christina Rossetti

Attitudes Expressed in the Poem:

• contemplation
• calm 
• weary
• confident
• acceptance
• self-aware 
• tolerant (about death)
• curious
• melancholy
• solemn
• somber
• indifferent - nonchalant
• ambiguous towards death
• loss

Form and Structure:

• Rossetti structured the poem in two regular stanzas which have eight lines each. This even structure reinforces the confidence and self-awareness of the persona.
• Meter: 'Song (When I am dead, my dearest)' uses a trimeter (there are three metrical feet in each line) apart from the third line of each stanza where there's a metrical deviation. Here an iambic tetrameter is used, therefore there are four iambic feet in the metrical line, which contrasts the first, fifth and seventh line of each stanza. These metrical lines are composed of two iambs and an amphibrach. This again is different to the even-numbered lines of the stanzas which are all in iambic trimeter. This form of hymn meter with alternating longer and shorter lines gives the poem a song-like rhythm which gives the poem a confident tone.
• The sonnet uses a direct address which means that the first person persona (or the voice of the poem) is talking to an addressee. This allows the reader to develop an emotional connection with the persona. Evidence for this can be found immediately in the first line of the poem: "When I am dead, my dearest,".

Language Analysis:

TITLE:

• Significance of Title: The title, 'Song (When I am dead, my dearest)', suggests that poem can be sung. This is reinforced by the  rhythm that is created by the hymn meter. As a result, the poem is given connotations of funerals creating a somber and solemn mood. The (partial) repetition of the title foregrounds these attitudes.

STANZA ONE:

• Repetition: The persona repeats the phrase "And if thou wilt," in the last two lines of the first stanza. The use of the archaic term "wilt" (meaning will) suggests the persona's indifference to whether they'll be remembered after they die. This nonchalant attitude towards her legacy is emphasised not only by the repetition in these last two lines, but by the caesurae following the repeated phrase. This break in the metrical line creates a pause which allows the reader time to understand the persona's point of view. "And if thou wilt, remember, / And if thou wilt, forget."  This attitude may have been viewed as controversial as the persona goes against the conventions of her time (when everyone wanted to be remembered). 
• Alliteration: Throughout the first stanza, Rossetti also uses alliteration and sibilance to create a song-like tone. The alliterative phrase "sad songs" which consists of a an adjective followed by a noun, highlights the melancholic voice of the persona. On the other hand, the use of "green grass" a phrase that is structured in the same way as "sad songs" (adjective + noun), contrasts the gloomy mood of the previous phrase, bringing connotations of freshness and new life perhaps offering a comforting promise of life after death. The soft ‘sh' sound in the adjective "shady" and then again in the noun "showers" reinforce her weary tone. This perhaps makes the reader more sympathetic towards the persona.  
• Enjambment: The persona's use of enjambment between the fifth and the sixth lines of the first stanza creates a sense of spontaneity and foregrounds the idea that the speaker is freely expressing her controversial ideas about death and what comes after. This makes her seem brave in the eyes of the reader, especially since the persona is assumed to be a woman in the Victorian era.
• Use of the Preposition "Above": The persona uses the proposition "above" when she talks about where the addressee will be relative to her after her death. This suggests that the persona will remain in the grave - both her body and soul - after she dies. This contrasts the beliefs of the highly Christian society of Victorian Britain and the Anglo-Catholic faith of the poet herself which both teach of life after death. The idea of the persona staying in the grave after she dies eliminates the idea of a heaven and gives death a sense of finality. This is also suggested by the lack of words with religious connotations which is very different to many of Rossetti's other poems that focus on the topic of death.
• Use of the Noun "Cypress Tree": Cypress trees were planted typically in Victorian cemeteries and therefore carry connotations of death, mourning and funerals. When the persona tells the addressee not to plant a "cypress tree" by her grave the reader is given the expression that the persona doesn't want the addressee to mourn. Perhaps this is why she indifferent to whether they are forgotten or not - after all, she isn't the one that has to live on after a tragedy (a lover's death, assuming that the addressee is her lover). This creates a parallel between 'Song' and Rossetti's sonnet 'Remember'.

STANZA TWO:

• Caesura: The persona uses a caesura in the fourth line of the second stanza: "Sing on, as if in pain:" . This break in the metrical line reinforces her acceptance of death, her acceptance of not being able to experience any earthly wonders.
• Repetition of "I Shall Not": The persona repeats the negative modal verb "shall not" in the first three lines of the second stanza which highlights the difference between life and death. The repetition of "I shall not" highlights the transformation of the persona's senses after death (she will  no longer able to "see", "feel", or "hear" earthly phenomena), demonstrating this clear divide between the living and the dead. This foreground the idea expressed in the previous stanza that death is final and that the body simply stays in the grave for eternity.
• Use of the Archaic Adverb "Haply": The persona uses the archaic adverb "haply" , meaning perhaps, to express her uncertainty about death. This creates a sense of ambiguity towards what happens after death which brings about a sense of hope: perhaps there is a life waiting for us after death. This contrasts previous interpretations which imply the finality of death and the absence of a heaven. The ambiguity towards death is an attitude that is also suggested by the euphemism "twilight" in reference to the subject. The use of this euphemism hints at the possibility of an afterlife and also makes the persona seem curious about what awaits her after she dies. 
• Idea of a Nightingale's Song: The persona revisits the idea of songs in second stanza when she says "I shall not hear the nightingale / sing on, as if in pain:". Here, unlike in the first stanza where songs were given connotations of mourning and funerals, the idea of happy, cheerful bird chirping is given a bitter mood, creating a sense of loss. This implies that while the persona doesn't want her lover to mourn and sing sad songs when she dies, she will feel deprived of the nightingale's song which she will not be able to hear again after she dies. The contrast between the two different attitudes linked to songs is highlighted by the metrical deviation of the third line in which the persona mentions "the nightingale".

Contextual Research:

Death and Mourning in the Victorian Era

House of Mourning - Victorian Mourning & Funeral Customs

Ideals of Womanhood in Victorian Britain - BBC - History

Women in the Victorian Era - Wikipedia