After many years in the Royal Academy art schools, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, believing his artistic career was not moving along as swiftly as it should be, developed an interest in the current Vic- torian poets and poetry writing. During his youth, Rossetti always read a great deal, but he did not write much. He and his brother, William, visited the National Gallery in London several times, but Rossetti was more impressed with Martin and Westall's Bible illustra- tions and cheap theatrical prints. "As could be guessed from his later work, his inspirations came largely from such literary and man-made sources--he drew sustenance neither from the dingy urban surroundings...nor from the rural landscapes..." (Dobbs 15). Rossetti's mother had significant impact on his young life with her insistence that he know and understand the Bible and the catechism. Though it's been assumed that Rossetti was influenced much by his father, he actually gained very little from him, and they began to drift apart when he turned sixteen. The Rossetti family was a typical middle-class Victorian family; they just got by on Papa Rossetti's salary from King's College and extra money received from friends. Like many middle class families of that era, they had "fears that a momentary relaxation, either of financial probity or of moral strin- gency, might plunge them into disaster...because its consequences were readily apparent all around them" (Dobbs 13). This was the setting for Dante Gabriel Rossetti as he set out in Victorian England to make a name for himself.

When Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, Great Britain was well into the Industrial Revolution, but it is wrong to believe that England was a completely modernized country with a contented lower and middle class populace. The lower class was desperately poor along with being illiterate and quite unaware of political matters. The middle class had a much keener sense of perception, and were able to organize themselves to promote their plea for equality and democracy. With the passage of the Reform Bill in 1832, the middle class began to make their mark. This Bill essen- tially represented a transfer of influence and power away from the aristocratic upper class and the landed gentry to the stable middle class. With their new rights, the middle class now had the ability to dominate the industrial economy; they also made their voices heard in other areas such as art and literature. The early forms of Vic- torian literature "consist of little more than all those dogmas which a victorious middle class had imposed on the nation" (Young 13). By the end of the 1830s, "significant writing had lost much of its aristocratic tone, its primary appeal to an intelligentsia of wealth educated in the arts of the gentleman amateur" (Buckley 27). The Reform Bill was able to bring about a change in artistic taste; a change that Britain's Academy Schools had been longing for since they always lagged behind in the development of current art trends. Through the 1830s, "knowledge was possessed by many and sought by all, and art was expected to reflect new general concerns" (Dobbs 33). The new concern was that art would reflect contemporary subjects executed by contemporary painters; previous taste based on classical art and literature was no longer desirable. In 1846 when Rossetti was a student at the Academy School called the Antique, his attempts to copy classical art and statuary proved that the new concerns had not yet reached Britain's most distinguished art school. Within a short period of time, Rossetti became disillusioned with the Antique School, and would never return to any of the Academy's other art schools.

Early Victorian England was a contrast of the very poor and the very wealthy, and in between there was a middle class held together by their own tenacity. The middle class was driven by the notion of rising above their station; they wanted to be closer to the wealthy upper class. In order to attain this new status, they needed to possess money. With this perspective it is no wonder the middle class became hardworking, diligent individuals. Characterized by thrift, industriousness, perseverance and self-denial, these virtues thrust the middle class into prosperity; "the middle classes throve because middle-class virtues paid" (Schneewind 110). There is no doubt, "the type of character produced by the middle-class attitude toward work was one which was much needed in the developing economy of Great Britain..." (Schneewind 110). With their puritanical outlook, it must be assumed one goal of the middle class was to serve God, and thus by their work, improve the whole of mankind. Christianity became a powerful element in the structure of social class. As Christians, "the Victorians often did feel the need to re-shape and re-formulate many of these older values, or to develop new ones, in order to cope with and make sense of the rapidly changing world around them" (Walvin 137). As old traditions were discarded, the Victorians were compelled to change to the new beliefs. Hence, it was the middle class that set the pace which gave Victorian England domestic tranquillity along with power and growth. Many of the aspects of Victorian England are far too numerous to mention in this milieu; further information can be found by linking to the Victorian Web.

As stated above, the Rossetti family was middle class. With a yearly income at the most of 300 pounds, the family was just barely able to maintain their middle class standing. Originally residing at 38 Charlotte Street, they moved to 50 Charlotte Street (since renamed "Hallam Street"), a slightly larger dwelling, in December 1835 when the family numbered six, and it became necessary to separate girls from boys. Rossetti's relation- ship with his parents is due some consideration as generally it is believed his father was his greatest influence. Though his father made part of his living translating Dante's works from Italian, he was unable to transfer any of this interest to his young son. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when Rossetti became interested in poetry, but it is known that, "until he was about sixteen, he had not read twenty consecutive lines of Dante in English or Italian..." (Dobbs 8). Papa Rossetti made it clear that Dante Gabriel was his favorite child, but as a group the children preferred their mother. Mama Rossetti ran a strict household insisting her children be brought up with high standards and an extensive knowledge of the Bible.

Trained from the first in the Protestant faith, though inheriting on both sides the mental bias of Roman tra- dition, the children entered early into the age-long conflict between the tender mysticism and spiritual glamour of catholic piety and the robuster spirit of intellectual truth. (Wood 20-21)

The Rossettis did their best to live up to the established Victorian standards emphasizing a tight-knit family that was loyal, honest, industrious and secure. The family was held together by Mama Rossetti, best described as angelic and strong-willed with the ability to hold back her love. The second son, William, was the financial backbone of the family; a son who took on tedious tasks; one who was selfless, upright, decent. Maria, the oldest child, late in her teens devoted herself to God and the poor by becoming an Anglican nun; characterized by purity and modesty, she was the flaw- less Victorian spinster. The three remaining members represented the creative side of the family. Papa Rossetti was the Italian exile, political revolutionary with a bent for Dante almost to the point of fanaticism; his `vision' was to discover hidden meanings in his works. Sister Christina was the saddest family member whose poetry reflected her Christian beliefs, though many feel she was a woman who was never at peace with herself. And Dante Gabriel, born in the artistic vein like his father and sister, was "far too complex, far too imaginative, far too intelligent and far too full of contradictions, ever to be forced into the constricting strait-jacket of the role of a conven- tional Victorian youth" (Dobbs 26). Papa Rossetti, Christina and Dante Gabriel did not quite fit into the perfect Victorian image as did the rest of the family, but the Victorian era was used as a moti- vational tool to enchance their poetic insight.

While attending the Academy art schools Rossetti formed various relationships with fellow students who shared a general dissatisfac- tion with their current art education. His earliest friendships were with John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt. Millais was a gifted artist encouraged by his ambitious mother, and years ahead of Rossetti in talent and style. Hunt, on the other hand, was a much slower, more careful artist characterized by his moral purpose and integrity. The name, "Pre-Raphaelites," was originally given to Millais and Hunt because of their extreme dislike for followers of Raphael who were unable to demonstrate and project his perfect techni- que. Rossetti's friendship with these two fellow students deepened as they discussed art and literature, and their disenchantment toward the Academy's doctrines. Within a short period of time, the group of three had grown to seven with the addition of William Rossetti, Thomas Woolner, James Collinson and Frederic Stephens. All agreed to the formation of a secret society based on their aligned taste of what was truly art. The name, "Pre-Raphaelite," was chosen from Millais and Hunt's earlier encounter; the addition of "Brotherhood" to the title came from Rossetti. It was late summer of 1848 when this group took shape, "an almost conspiratorial society of young men dedicated to a secret canon of art and signing their works with the cryptic initials, P.R.B." (Rosenbaum 220). According to Virginia Surtees, compiler of Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828-1882 The Paintings and Drawings, Rossetti's The First Anniversary of the Death of Beatrice shows "the pecularities characteristic of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood" (Dobbs 46).

It must be remembered that the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was not a revolutionary group; they did not want to overthrow the establish- ment; they simply wanted to experiment with their renewed style of art; they "had in general a far ampler concept of artistic truth" (Buckley 137). All the members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were from the middle or lower class, and this status was evident in their attitude toward authority and the criticism they received. Though they, "tacitly pleaded with our elders for toleration of our new experiment," they were "easily wounded by harsh words in print" (Dobbs 49). Even their our publication, The Germ, caused them grief. Since the Brotherhood never stated the real purpose of their magazine, it easily came under attack from The Times and other newspapers. "The English public interpreted "PRB" to mean an open attack on not only Raphael but all of contemporary British Art" (Johnston 24). John Ruskin, writer and art critic, was urged to come to their defense and provide outside support. Even Charles Dickens lashed into the Brotherhood, saying, "`The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is the dread Tribunal' and `this terrible Police that is to disperse all Post- Raphael offenders...'" (Rosenbaum 241). Since the Victorian era was defined by class values, ridicule from any higher social class posed a definite setback; their success was gauged by the approval society bestowed on them. Never during its existence did the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood learn to resolve its contradictions. Each member even- tually chose another path to promote his art, and by 1855 the Brotherhood began to completely disband.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's poetry is the main objective of this milieu, and in particular, "The Blessed Damozel." Today this poem exists in four different versions, the earliest composed in 1847 with additions and deletions made in 1850, 1856, and 1870. The copy called the Morgan Manuscript, written in Rossetti's own hand and dated 1847, actually was not written in 1847. For one reason or another, Rossetti had recopied his poem initialing it at the bottom, "DGR." It is known that in 1847 Rossetti was not going by the name Dante Gabriel Rossetti, but instead used other variations such as Gabriel C. Rossetti or Gabriel C. D. Rossetti. This copy of the poem is believed to have been written in 1873 when he was known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and when he was beginning his drawings for The Blessed Damozel. "Obviously his mind was much occupied with the idea of the Blessed Damozel, and naturally turned back to the earliest composition of the poem" (Baum xi).

Rossetti's interest in poetry developed not by inspiration from his father, but purely from chance. As a child, "Dante enjoyed Shakespeare, the tales of Walter Scott, and the rich resounding lines of "Marmion" and "The Lady of the Lake" (Pedrick 64), but no serious interest appeared until he was sixteen. By this age, Rossetti was a steady visitor to the British Museum Reading Room, and was able to purchase from a reading room attendant, for the small sum of 10 shil- lings, an original manuscript of William Blake criticizing Sir Joshua Reynolds' views on art. This was just the catalyst Rossetti needed; he became a relentless researcher digging through volumes of medieval Italian and French poetry looking for ideas to support his newest interest. Poetry had taken such a tight grip on him that he was now, "aware of his twin abilities in art and poetry, the slowness of his progress at his chosen career in art made him question continually the wisdom of his choice--should he be a poet after all?" (Dobbs 35). By the age of nineteen, he had written early versions of "The Blessed Damozel," "My Sister's Sleep," and "Jenny."

Though he highly respected Blake, in 1847 he turned his eye to Robert Browning, writing an enthusiatic letter expressing his admira- tion for the poem, "Pauline." A courteous response from Browning quickly made him Rossetti's favorite poet. Later in November 1847, Rossetti's second fan letter went to Scottish poet, William Bell Scott. Even more flowery than Browning's letter, Bell Scott replied reassuring Rossetti of his talent, to which he then received a parcel of Rossetti drafts including "The Blessed Damozel." This initial communication led to a lifetime friendship with Rossetti and his family. Rossetti continued writing his letters, this time to Leigh Hunt, poet, critic and discoverer of John Keats. Confessing to Hunt his dilemma between art and poetry, enclosing some of his original poems, and hoping for approval, Rossetti received Hunt's reply praising his poetry, but also advising him of the difficulties of being a poet. As a man who wanted fame and fortune in his lifetime, Rossetti was dealt a slight setback by Hunt, but Rossetti never gave up, either in painting or poetry.

But what was the basis for Rossetti's poetry, who influenced him and what spurred him onward? To understand his poetry one must look at several poems by other poets, and other aspects of the Victorian era. Many of Rossetti's poems consist of dramatic characters and their self-expression which drew him to the "self-expressive aesthetic of the romantic tradition generally and more particularly of Shelley and the Browning of `Pauline'" (Riede/Revisited 24). A variety of poets reflected in Rossetti's works include Dante, Poe and Bailey, and to a lesser extent Keats and Tennyson. Without a doubt, it is easy to see the resemblance of the "The Blessed Damozel" to several other works.

One poet who dominated Rossetti's work was the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri. Dante's work, Vita Nuova, proved to be a very powerful influence on Rossetti when writing "The Blessed Damozel." In Dante's subtle and penetrating work, the theme appears to be similar to that of "The Blessed Damozel;" in both, the female character is in heaven and the lover is still on earth. The time of separation for both couples has been ten years, but beyond that, both writings take a different turn. Early on Rossetti was completely absorbed by Dante, and it is no wonder that one of this first poems reflects what he had gained from Dante in idea and spirit. "The Blessed Damozel" is significant because it allowed, "the Pre- Raphaelite program to recover a mode of awareness that they associated with the Catholic Middle Ages and to make it accessible to their Victorian contemporaries" (Bentley 42).

Rossetti was also quite taken by Edgar Allan Poe, and confessed his admiration for "The Raven" at a young age. Out of this admiration for Poe's poem, "The Blessed Damozel" could have originated. However, in "The Raven," the one doing the grieving is on earth, not in heaven; Rossetti simply reversed the conditions. Not until later in his life did Rossetti hint at this connection, so consequently this association was not made when the poem was first written. From Poe, Rossetti also "learned to use the supernatural to explore vague and indefinable psychic states" (Riede/Revisited 24).

Another poet who possibly had a direct effect on Rossetti at the time of "The Blessed Damozel" is Philip James Bailey. Bailey's poem, "Festus," which is rarely read now, was quite popular during the 1840s, and it is known that Rossetti read it over and over again while writing "The Blessed Damozel." Again the connection between these two poems is the love between a woman in heaven and a mortal with a heavenly backdrop that seems more earthly than celestial. "Festus" has many more characters than the Rossetti poem, but the similarity "of the lover's unworthiness to join his beloved in heaven" (Baum xliv), exists in both.

Rossetti's feeling toward Percy Bysshe Shelley's writing is reversed and detrimental. Rossetti did not dislike Shelley, but he was distressed and "expressed gratification that Shelley died young and so ceased to hatch `yearly universes'" (Riede/Reflections 167). To Rossetti, these "yearly universes" represented the immeasurable volumes of Shelley's poetry; Rossetti felt limited in his poetic output. Shelley's writing is mirrored in many of Rossetti's poems, and in "The Blessed Damozel" the connection lies in the tragic despair and restlessness projected by the lovers.

The Victorian age was an extremely religious one, almost a return to puritanism especially in the middle class. During Rossetti's youth, his mother provided an imposing example of religious and moral standards, which Rossetti, no matter how hard he tried later in life, could never uphold. But religion did leave an impression which can be seen in many of his paintings and his poetry. In 1847 Rossetti named his first collection of poems "Art-Catholic," a reference to the fact that he and his family had been attending Christ Church on Albany Street; a church known "at this time for its High Church ritual and Catholic appearance" (Riede/Revisited 27). "The Blessed Damozel" was part of his "Art-Catholic" collection, and "is best understood as a medievalist and Art-Catholic poem, as an expression of nineteenth-century nostalgia for an age of faith rather than of an actual faith" (Riede/Revisited 32). Rossetti makes religion appear aesthetic and mystical, and his subjects are not saintly, but more natural and human.

Rossetti is at his best when projecting his sense of religion into completely artificial, amoral dichotomies, not describing characters who conform to religious pre- cepts. The blessed damozel is not blessed because she is religious in act but because she is pure in love. (Saunders Boos 165)

Much of the true meaning and significance of Rossetti's poems is hidden behind a religious cover-up; a concealment that was needed for the prudish Victorians. If a poem projected a less than honorable image, it was hoped "the cherished respectability of the Victorian audience would insure that the revealed meanings would never be heeded" (McGowan 51).

Dante Gabriel Rossetti is correctly defined as a Victorian Romantic. He was caught in the Victorian era, but alien to it; his heart belonged to Romanticism. In both of his chosen fields, Rossetti worked to present elaborate imagery and unique symbolism often beyond the grasp of the reader of pictures or poems. Rossetti is fascinating and sagacious, but his works are not universally appreciated.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti still remains a minor poetic figure, of interest mainly to Victorian specialists. This estimate is partly justified by the size of his canon, by the limitation of style and subject matter, and by the fact that his poetic heirs are few and not very significant. (Fletcher 1)

"The Blessed Damozel" was written early in Rossetti's career when he "was searching not only for an `idea of the world' and a coherent system of aesthetic values; he was also searching with extreme caution for a secure idea of a discrete self" (Harrison 757). Rossetti's double talents express a complexity of the man, and he believed his poetry was more perfect than his paintings. Rossetti's poetry projects the beauty and love of the spiritual, moral world. His "poems individually exalt purely aesthetic valuation above political or social or religious valuation" (Harrison 760). Whether Rossetti is judged to be a Victorian or a Romantic, another term which must be considered with regard to his accomplishments is genius.