The idea of ​​romantic love presented as invariably negative in 19th-century literature is questionable to some extent. Romantic love is often characterized as harmful and painful in Rossetti's poetry through the contrast with divine love in poems such as "Soeur Louise de la Misericorde" and "Twice", supported by his religious devotion and dedication to God. However in other poems such as "A Birthday", romantic love is presented as something that brings a newfound vitality to the speaker's life. Through a more careful analysis of these three poems, it becomes possible to refute the idea that romantic love is always presented in a negative light. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This idea of ​​romantic love being invariably negative is explored in the poem “Soeur Louise de la Misericorde.” The poem focuses on a woman who recently became a nun, to distance herself from her identity with earthly love: "I have desired and have been desired." The first line immediately creates a melancholic tone, suggesting that the speaker is unable to recall his experiences with earthly love without feeling the emotional pain attached to it. Likewise, the use of the past tense indicates that the speaker is desperately trying to distance himself from his previous desires to escape judgment. This is especially relevant to Rossetti and women of the Victorian era, where they would have been shamed and sometimes even ostracized for expressing their romantic and sexual desires. This ridiculousness is also present when the speaker says that “the dying embers mock my fire.” This is perhaps a metaphor to show the public ridicule he received, as fire is often synonymous with desires. The transition from past to present also shows that the speaker has repressed her desires and that they are now "dying embers", relating to the vow of chastity taken before a woman becomes a nun. The punishment of desires is also shown in ' Goblin Market', where despite being warned by her sister that 'their evil gifts would harm us', Laura is unable to repress her desire to taste the goblin fruit. This has strong biblical undertones, linked to the fall of man in Genesis when Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit. The idea of ​​the fallen woman was also relevant in Rossetti's life, as she devoted much of her time to a home for fallen women in Highgate. This shows that Rossetti had first-hand experience of how love and desire can impact women, which may have influenced his writing, and provides a hint as to why romantic love is invariably presented to us as negative . Romantic love is also presented as invariably negative in "Twice," where the speaker turns to God following the rejection of a male suitor. From the beginning of the poem, a sense of the speaker's vulnerability is immediately apparent: "I took my heart in my hands." This shows the speaker's fragility and nervousness, suggesting that he has little experience in confessing his true emotions to someone. The emphatic positioning of the “I” also presents a character who is active in expressing her feelings, which contrasts with the shy image a Victorian woman was expected to present. This sense of defiance is also present when she asks her lover, “This time let me speak,” suggesting that she is a typically submissive character whose desires are overshadowed by her male counterparts. It also shows that the speaker had to defer to male judgment in order to feel validated..