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Difficulty: MediumStructural Forms and Lineation

Read the following lines from Christina Rossetti’s poem "Remember," first published in 1862:

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Which of the following best describes the function of the structural transition (the volta) in line 9 ("Yet if you should...")?

  1. It marks a shift from the speaker's insistence on being remembered to a compassionate concern for the beloved's peace of mind.Answer
  2. B
    It reinforces the speaker's initial demand for constant remembrance by detailing the consequences of being forgotten.
  3. C
    It indicates a transition in the rhyme scheme that represents the physical separation between the speaker and the silent land.
  4. D
    It disrupts the strict iambic pentameter of the poem to mimic the speaker’s physical disintegration after death.
  5. E
    It provides a narrative summary of the timeline of the speaker's death and subsequent mourning period.

Answer

The correct answer states that the transition marks a shift from the speaker's insistence on being remembered to a compassionate concern for the beloved's peace of mind.
The transition at line 9 (marked by 'Yet') represents the traditional volta of the sonnet. Here, the speaker pivots from the octave's repeated, somewhat self-centered requests for remembrance ('Remember me') to a selfless willingness to be forgotten if remembering causes the beloved pain ('do not grieve').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first eight lines (the octave) of the sonnet.
The octave repeatedly uses the imperative 'Remember me' and describes the speaker's impending departure, focusing on the preservation of memory.
Understanding the starting point of the poem's thematic arc is necessary to analyze any subsequent shift.
2
Examine line 9 and the following lines (the sestet) for changes in direction.
The word 'Yet' signals a volta (turn), introducing the idea of the beloved forgetting the speaker, followed by the instruction 'do not grieve' and the conclusion that forgetting and smiling is better than remembering and being sad.
Identifying the transition word and the subsequent change in the speaker's message reveals the structural and thematic shift.
3
Synthesize the function of the transition.
The transition shifts the poem from a demand for remembrance to an act of selfless love, prioritizing the beloved's emotional well-being over the speaker's desire to be remembered.
Connecting the structural division to the changing tone and theme explains the function of the volta.

Key Concept

Analysing how structural transitions (such as the volta in a sonnet) signal shifts in tone, perspective, and theme.
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Topics

Structural Forms and Lineation

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