Christina Rossetti Part 1

This week I am super busy with end of the semester homework so I may not have time to write about my date last weekend. So between doing homework and working on that new post I've decided to share with you some poems from one of my favorite poets: Christina Rossetti. She is amazing. She's a Victorian era poet and she's super spunky in her writing, which is one of the main reasons why I love her. Enjoy!

This first poem is one that makes me laugh out loud. I've found myself in this situation and I'm pretty sure I attempted to handle it somewhat this way. It's hard to let someone down!

Isn't kind of funny to realize that the types of dating trouble we have now have been around for hundreds of years? Some things never change.

"No, Thank you, John"

By Christina Rossetti

I never said I love you, John:

    Why will you tease me day by day,

And wax a weariness to think upon

    With always "do" and "pray"?

You know I never loved you, John;

    No fault of mine made me your toast:

Why will you haunt me with a face as wan

    As shows an hour-old ghost?

I dare say Meg or Moll would take

    Pity upon you, if you'd ask:

And pray don't remain single for my sake

    Who can't perform that task.

I have no heart? - Perhaps I have not;

    But then you're mad to take offence

That I don't give you what I have not got:

    Use your own common sense.

Let bygones be bygones:

    Don't call me false, who owed not to be true:

I'd rather answer "No" to fifty Johns

    Than answer "Yes" to you.

Let's mar our pleasant days no more,

    Song-birds of passage, days of youth:

Catch at today, forget the days before:

    I'll wink at your untruth.

Let us strike hands as hearty friends;

    No more, no less; and friendship's good:

Only don't keep in views ulterior ends,

    And points not understood

In open treaty. Rise above

    Quibbles and shuffling off and on:

Here's friendship for you if you like; but love,-

    No, thank you, John.