A Triad By Christina Rossetti Analysis - 942 Words

Three women sit in a room and idly chat about their love lives. One wears a mini skirt with a low-cut blouse and ruby-red lipstick. She places her heels on top of the table and speaks of the many men she has loved. Another dons golden hair that falls in soft waves against her rosy-pink cheeks and blue eyes. She speaks in a low voice and gushes about how much attention she receives from the opposite sex and her particular affection for one young man. The third wears faded layered garments with unkempt grey locks loosely fitted into a braid. She describes the life of an old woman knitting needles and still waiting on the right man to knock on her door. These three distinct women can all be found in society today. Though they are different in†¦show more content†¦Though the woman may believe love lies in this precarious mode of living, she never finds true love and ends up feeling lost and empty. Rossetti capitalizes on the appearance of a beautiful woman to address the vain pursuit of beauty in place of love. In the poem, Rossetti writes, â€Å"And one there sang who soft and smooth as snow / Bloomed like a tinted hyacinth at a show† (4-5). A graceful singer has always been considered an emblem of beauty to the world. In addition, fairer complexions, similar to the color of snow, characterize delicate and attractive women. Rossetti also uses the brilliant colors of hyacinth flowers to further describe the woman’s alluring nature. Because the woman has such an appealing appearance, she most likely attracts a lot of male attention, so it should not be surprising to readers that out of the three women, the beautiful one seeks love through marriage. Rossetti states, â€Å"one temperately / Grew gross in soulless love, a sluggish wife† (9-10). Since the man only married the woman for her beauty, he neglects her when she grows old and unattractive. The woman d wells in soulless love because the man’s love for her was only skin deep and did not involve her heart. Rossetti depicts the life of a loveless old maid to illustrate the negative effects of a life in sole pursuit of love. Rossetti says, â€Å"And one was blue with famine after love, / Who like a harpstring snapped rang harsh and low / The burden of what those were