Victorian Context & Themes
What tension shaped Victorian religious thought?
Faith vs. doubt
What shape is the road in “Up-Hill”?
Up-hill (up road)
Who is speaking in “Remember”?
A dying speaker / someone facing death
Tone of “A Birthday”?
Joyful / celebratory
Why were women discouraged from writing poetry?
Seen as “too high and great” for women
Why did many Victorians struggle with faith?
Science & social change
The poem is written as a _________.
Question-and-answer dialogue
What does the speaker ask first?
To be remembered
“My heart is like a singing bird” is an example of what?
Simile
Rossetti showed _______ toward emotional suffering.
Empathy / compassion
Name one Victorian value.
Duty, morality, perseverance, faith (any one)
What does the “inn” symbolize?
Heaven / spiritual rest
Why does she later say “forget and smile”?
Love should bring peace, not pain
What does the poem celebrate: earthly love or spiritual joy?
Spiritual joy / divine love
Which poet wrote about motherhood?
Katherine Tynan
Why did Victorians fear death but also hope for it?
Uncertainty + belief in heaven/afterlife
What feeling does the speaker have at first?
Uncertainty / doubt / tiredness
What major theme appears in the poem?
Death / memory / letting go / acceptance
Name one symbol used.
Garden, birds, fruits, rainbow, dais
Which poet used ocean imagery for spiritual longing?
Alice Meynell
Explain how Victorian women challenged social limits through poetry.
They expressed emotion + faith despite gender expectations
How does the poem resolve the speaker’s doubt?
Promises rest + comfort = faith + reassurance
How does this poem show spiritual maturity?
Self-sacrifice, peace > ego, trust in afterlife
How is this poem different from “Remember”?
Joy vs. sorrow / celebration vs. farewell
How did women poets support each other?
Writing for each other, dedicating poems, literary network