Pre_Raphaelite_Poetry

Now you all know the story of Adam and Eve…the first humans on Earth…The creators of sin. But were they really the first humans on Earth' Or was there someone before Eve…maybe a previous wife for Adam' Something you may not have heard of is the concept of Lilith. In pre-Raphaelite times, the notion of Lilith was interpreted in many different ways. She could be interpreted as an evil, seductive and sexual creature much like a villain or a strong determined woman which was filled with beauty and love. Not only is this concept of Lilith featured in Eden Bower by Dante Gabriel Rossetti published in 1868 but it is also explored in many other pre-Raphaelite texts. In Rossetti’s concept of Lilith she is characterized as this seductive woman who Adam is in a sexual relationship with however she is responsible for the creation of sin…not Adam and Eve. Lilith exemplifies traits of the serpent featured in Genesis. It is evidentiary that the evil yet seductive perspective of Lilith is exposed throughout the poem. “Not a drop of her blood was human but she was made like a soft sweet woman”. The contrasting ideas and the utilization of the simile allow the responder to gain an insight of what Lilith is really like however there is still some uncertainty. The juxtaposition between blood and soft and sweet really emphasizes the paradoxical point of view about women…that they may be widely attractive yet very dangerous which is also emphasized by her being a snake. Lilith’s aim in the poem is to seek revenge on Adam and Eve which portrays a warped view of the story in Genesis. This twisted perception in the Garden of Eden is created just within the title-Eden’s Bower. The word Bower means a private sheltered chamber and has connotations with secrets. This contrasts to Eden which is a beautiful open garden. The irony here creates confusion to the reader as it is portraying a different view of what we normally would refer to as the beautiful Garden of Eden. There is a distinct difference between these two scenarios which may fore-shadow some sort of conflict in the Garden of Eden. Rossetti’s use of Nature weaved into a supernatural idea demonstrates a characteristic of the Pre Raphaelites. The extreme quantity of detail in relation to nature also allows the responder to gain some understanding of what this differing perception of Eden is. The vivid use of descriptive detail when Eve is clinging to Adam presents an image of supernatural themes, “driven forth as the beasts of his naming by the sword that is forever flaming”. There is also a large use and emphasis on spiritual and religious objects and it somewhat has a narrative structure. Through the repetition of words such as God, Lord and Garden of Eden we can view these spiritual and religious connotations however there is also repetition of words such as lips and breasts which pull away from the emphasis of religion and the traditional pre-Raphaelite techniques. There are two constantly repeated lines that are utilized within the poem. In every 2nd stanza it features “and o the bower of the hour” and in every other stanza it repeats “Eden Bower’s in flower”. This emphasizes a wide use of contrasting and conflicting emotions through out the poem as “Eden bower’s in flower” creates a positive and peaceful tone and “O the bower of the hour” is much more negative maybe even somewhat woeful. This constant seesaw of emotions confuses the responder and creates suspense as it is uncertain as to what is to happen. Rossetti’s imagination, strong use of word textures and meaningful language makes him an icon in pre-Raphaelite poetry and art. It is clear that Rossetti’s Christian ideas a little distorted yet still apparent because he was raised as a strict Anglican yet turned away from his religion. Rossetti’s upbringing is made visible through the poem Eden Bower. It is clear that the strong mystical themes, the rich descriptive detail, the supernatural ideas and religious and spiritual contexts all contribute to this poem as pre Raphaelite key features and allow the reader to consider what if Lilith did exist'