The Convent Threshold
A speaker says her father's and brother's blood separates her from her beloved, renounces their shared sin, and urges repentance. She recounts dreams of a spirit learning love's worth and of her beloved seeking her in the grave, then describes a night of struggle and prayer. She hopes they will meet again in Heaven.
By Christina Georgina Rossetti · Genre: Dramatic Monologue, Religious Poetry, Love Poetry · 1,625 words
First lines
There's blood between us, love, my love, / There's father's blood, there's brother's blood; / And blood's a bar I cannot pass: / I choose the stairs that mount above, / Stair after golden skyward stair, / To city and to sea of glass. / My lily feet are soiled with mud, / With scarlet mud which tells a tale / Of hope that was, of guilt that was, / Of love that shall not yet avail; / Alas, my heart, if I could bare / My heart, this self-same stain is there: / I seek the sea of glass and fire / To wash the spot, to burn the snare; / Lo, stairs are meant to lift us higher: / Mount with me, mount the kindled stair.
Genres
- Dramatic Monologue — One speaker addresses a silent beloved, recounting their shared sin, her repentance, and her dreams.
- Religious Poetry — The speaker urges prayer and forgiveness and imagines Heaven, angels, and purification from sin.
- Love Poetry — The speaker turns away from earthly intimacy while longing to renew familiar love with the beloved in Heaven.
Tags
repentance · renunciation · spiritual struggle · dreams · heavenly reunion · love and knowledge
What this Textopian page supports
The Convent Threshold is listed on Textopian as a poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Christina Georgina Rossetti
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Dramatic Monologue, Religious Poetry, Love Poetry
- Length: 1,625 words
- Structure: 1 section, 12 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Convent Threshold by Christina Georgina Rossetti
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