I lock my door upon myself, And bar them out; but who shall wall Self from myself, most loathed of all?
Interpretation
This quote explores the struggle of self-exile and internal conflict, suggesting that one can be their own worst enemy.
In this quote, Christina Rossetti reflects on the profound sense of isolation and self-alienation. Although one can physically shut out the world, the inner turmoil and loathing one feels towards oneself can create a prison that is inescapable. It speaks to the complexity of human nature and the challenges of self-acceptance, emphasizing how isolating oneself may lead to confronting an even greater adversary: oneself.
In practice
During a mental health seminar, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of addressing internal struggles rather than just external circumstances.
When I am dead, my dearest, Sing no sad songs for me; Plant thou no roses at my head, Nor shady cypress tree: Be the green grass above me With showers and dewdrops wet: And if thou wilt, remember, And if thou wilt, forget. I shall not see the shadows, I shall not feel the rain; I shall not hear the nightingale Sing on as if in pain: And dreaming through the twilight That doth not rise nor set, Haply I may remember, And haply I may forget.
We must not look at goblin men, We must not buy their fruits: Who knows upon what soil they fed Their hungry thirsty roots?
To her whose heart is my heart's quiet home,_x000D_ _x000D_ To my first Love, my Mother, on whose knee_x000D_ _x000D_ I learnt love-lore that is not troublesome.
Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live My very life again though cold in death; Come back to me in dreams, that I may give Pulse for pulse, breath for breath: Speak low, lean low, As long ago, my love, how long ago
Lie still, lie still, my breaking heart; My silent heart, lie still and break: Life, and the world, and mine own self, are changed For a dream's sake.
When I am dead, my dearest,_x000D_ _x000D_ Sing no sad songs for me
Americanization means the process of becoming an American. It means civic incorporation, becoming a part of the polity - becoming one of us. But that does not mean conformity. We are more than a melting pot, we are a kaleidoscope, where every turn of history refracts new light on the old promise.
A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind, and another woman shall bear me.
Today I live on an island, in a house that is sad, hard, severe, that I built for myself, solitary on a sheer rock over the sea: a house that is the spectre, the secret image of prison. The image of my nostalgia. Maybe I never desired, not even then, to escape from jail. Man is not meant to live freely in freedom, but to be free inside a prison.
What grieves me most in my past offenses, O my loving God, is not so much the punishment I have deserved, as the displeasure I have given You, Who are worthy of infinite love.
You are the sum total of your dominating or most prominent thoughts.
There is no escape - we pay for the violence of our ancestors.
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