Christina Rossetti wrote 'Cousin Kate' in the 1800s and is best known for her holiday song 'In the Bleak Midwinter'.
'Cousin Kate' and 'The Seduction' are both narrative poems with distinct points of view. 'Cousin Kate' shares the story in first person narrative, while 'The Seduction', written by Eileen McAuley in the twentieth century, occurs in third person narrative. Despite their differences, both poems share a common theme where women were used by men and neglected after being left pregnant. These men ruined their lives and resulted in societal shaming. Even though having children out of wedlock is more accepted nowadays, women are still ostracized and judged.
The men in 'Cousin Kate' and 'The Seduction' use different methods to seduce the women. The former sees a wealthy lord seducing a maiden in a
...pleasant palace home, while in the latter, the girl is seduced in a sleazy, sordid, and squalid way utilizing alcohol and false promises. The contrast between the men is evident in their attitudes towards the women. While the lord portrays the maiden as pure and good, the man in 'The Seduction' suggests that it's better to turn away than to face whispers from neighbors who always thought she looked like the type to fall for such a trap.
'I'll bring you to the river where I spend my afternoons, skipping school and dinner, with my dad's magazines and a bag of shiny paint thinner.' The poems 'Cousin Kate' and the river scene differ in their subject matter. While 'Cousin Kate' involves two women, the lord, and a disregard for the cottage maiden, Kate was cautious and held out for a wedding ring.
In 'Cousin Kate', th
cottage maiden loved the lord truly, but in 'The Seduction', the girl was under the influence of alcohol and may have mistaken her intoxicated state for love. The boy kept offering her more drinks until she fell in love...
'The Seduction' and 'Cousin Kate' differ in their portrayal of the media, specifically through teenage magazines. The former illustrates this through the line "And she stifled a giggle, reminded of numerous stories from teenage magazines..."
In both poems, the young and innocent girls confront the challenging responsibility of raising a child amidst the scorn and gossip of society. Although both react differently, the cottage maiden expresses intense emotion towards her son, acknowledging the shame and pride that come with having him, as she says 'My fair-haired son, my shame, my pride. Cling closer, closer yet'. Meanwhile, the sixteen-year-old girl mourns the loss of her youth and throws her shoes at the wall in frustration, resulting in broken heels for her high white shoes.
The symbolism of the shoes in the poem 'Cousin Kate' suggests the theme of innocence and its loss, as the cottage maiden accepts it while the sixteen year old does not. The poem begins with a romantic mood but soon transitions to bitterness, tension, resentment and depression. Nonetheless, the ending is happier, depicting the pleasure that the child has brought to the mother and the pride and love she feels towards her offspring.
The cottage maiden boasts triumphantly, suggesting that her father would offer land in exchange for wearing a coronet. Meanwhile, the protagonist in 'The Seduction' holds a negative attitude towards her forthcoming motherhood and feels deceived as it has ruined her future aspirations. She is
filled with cynicism and bitterness, resulting in a cold and depressing mood throughout the poem.
The girl's pregnancy while being under the influence of alcohol had a negative impact on her feelings towards her child, indicating a lack of empathy and a sad outlook. A simile is used to describe the boy as having blue eyes similar in color to iodine, and his kisses are compared to the unpleasant taste of nicotine, suggesting a rough and unpleasant demeanor. A quote in the text expresses anger and hatred towards someone who threw their high white shoes against the wall and broke the heels on the carpet.
The poem conveys a sense of fear and betrayal felt by a girl who is disappointed by the false promises of beauty. She would rather suffer and starve than carry a child or walk around with a fully-formed belly. The shattered image of her wedding dreams is evident in how she tore apart her magazines, My Guy and Jackie photo comics, scattering the bright paper like confetti on the carpet.
Both poems have distinct structures. 'Cousin Kate' has a formal structure that mirrors its historical context and setting, consisting of six eight-line stanzas. Its rhyming scheme contributes to its fluidity.
The poem 'The Seduction' tells the story of a cottage maiden who was hardened by the sun and air and was content with her cottage mates but was not aware of her own beauty. However, a great lord found her and praised her flaxen hair, which ultimately filled her heart with care. The poem consists of sixteen four line stanzas, with each verse representing one year in the young girl's life. Although
'The Seduction' does have some rhyme, it is not as tight or as easy flowing as 'Cousin Kate', which was written during the nineteenth century. The language used in 'Cousin Kate' reflects the formality of that period and would not be commonly used nowadays.
The words used in the text are delightful and contribute to a storybook-like atmosphere. The verse 'He lured me to his palace home-Woes me for joy thereof-' adds to this effect. Although some of the words used, such as "Flaxen" hair and "mean estate," are no longer commonly used, they help to create an old-fashioned feel. Furthermore, the tone of the language showcases how society perceives young women.
In the nineteenth century, "an outcast thing" was a term used to describe those who were considered undesirable, which can be compared to the term "slag" used in a twentieth century poem. However, the latter is not as harsh. 'The Seduction' reflects the informal language used in modern times and how it reflects the decline in the way of life. The poem portrays a bleak picture of society, with lines such as "I'll take you to the river where I spend the afternoons/When I should be at school, or eating me dinner/Where I go, by myself, with me dads magazines/And a bag filled with shimmering, sweet paint thinner". The poem's language is vulgar, with phrases such as "He spat into the river" and "He handed her the vodka and she knocked it back like water".
The use of similes in 'The Seduction' creates a blunt, sleazy and hard-hitting image. The Mersey is described as 'green as a septic wound' which develops an image of
filth and vulgarity. While 'The Seduction' depicts the story of a young girl being seduced by a boy and left to bear a child, 'Cousin Kate' stands out as an interesting alternative. The latter is written in a more romantic style and offers a unique glimpse into the social norms of the nineteenth century, an era that I am currently studying in History. Although teenage pregnancies are a common occurrence nowadays, it is still the girl who often bears the brunt of criticism and blame. As someone who has encountered such situations before, I personally prefer reading 'Cousin Kate' as it presents a new perspective and imagery that is more pleasant to read.
