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A Sonnet for Mother’s Day by Christina Rossetti

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

I’ll be busy celebrating Mother’s Day with my ninety-five year old mother, my daughter, and granddaughter–and also with my husband and son-in-law.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers who frequent this blog! I’m dedicating the following poem to my dear mother.

Christina_Rossetti_3

A Poem by Christina Rossetti

Sonnets are full of love, and this my tome

Has many sonnets: so here now shall be

One sonnet more, a love sonnet, from me

To her whose heart is my heart’s quiet home,

To my first Love, my Mother, on whose knee

I learnt love-lore that is not troublesome;

Whose service is my special dignity,

And she my loadstar while I go and come

And so because you love me, and because

I love you, Mother, I have woven a wreath

Of rhymes wherewith to crown your honored name:

In you not fourscore years can dim the flame

Of love, whose blessed glow transcends the laws

Of time and change and mortal life and death.

**********

Christina Rossetti (Academy of American Poets)

25 thoughts on “A Sonnet for Mother’s Day by Christina Rossetti”

  1. nick,

    Grandma doesn’t drink mimosas any longer–just a little wine every once in a great while. Fortunately, she is still in excellent health.

  2. Lobster rolls! One of my favorites. Only New Englanders, for the most part, are aware of that simple, yet delicious treat. I saw the weather turned nice, I was watching the Red Sox get their butts kicked on tv. Does grandma[the 95 year old one] drink mimosas?

  4. rafflaw and nick,

    Today began gray and rainy here–and then the sun broke through just after noontime. We spent a lovely afternoon sitting outside in the garden at my daughter’s house sipping on mimosas and eating lobster rolls.

    P. S. Happy Birthday, Larry! I bet you’re not as old as I am.

  7. Happy b-day, Raf. It’s the coldest Mother’s Day I remember.

  8. Great poem Elaine!
    I just returned from celebrating Mother’s Day with two of my daughters after spending yesterday with my oldest daughter and son in law and grandsons. Today is also my birthday so we have had a double celebratory weekend. If it would only warm up here it would help!!

  9. Elaine, Thank you for your contributions and Happy Mother’s Day to you, Blouise, and everyone else.

  10. Elaine,

    Thank you for the good wishes and a Happy Mother’s Day to you!

  12. Thank you for this Elaine.

    No one knows how special mother’s and wives are until they are no longer there.

  15. Cultural Evolution is initiated by the human bonding and communications that are inherently enacted as nurturing through the Mother / child relationship. Mother’s ARE the cultural foundation of civilization.
    God Bless you all, and the most happy Mother’s Day to each and every one!

  16. Elaine, Thanks for those beautiful words from Ms. Rossetti. I had never heard of her, and read the link. Happy Mother’s Day to you, and all the moms here. And Elaine, w/ that longevity evidenced by your mom, you’ll probably be dancing on most of our graves! It’s a different day when your mom is dead. The first couple of Mother’s Days are tough, but they get easier. Life is beautiful, and life goes on.

  17. I was pick of the litter and I thank my ma dog today for all she did.

  18. Annie: Remember, it’s Mother’s Day, so please contact your mother
    Posted: May 7, 2011 – 4:18pm
    Remember, it’s Mother’s Day, so please contact your mother

    DEAR ANNIE: I cut out this piece that appeared in an old Ann Landers column and am hoping you will print it for Mother’s Day. It made a huge impression on me all those years ago. — Loving Daughter

    With pleasure. Here it is:

    Prayer for My Mother (author unknown)

    Dear God: Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them.

    I am blessed with a dear mother who is still alive. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do. As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is. How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen.

    How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes how wise her mother really is?

    How does a grown woman thank a mother for continuing to mother? For being ready with advice (when asked) or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying, “I told you so,” when she could have uttered those words dozens of times? For being essentially herself — loving, thoughtful, patient and forgiving?

    I don’t know how, dear God, except to ask you to bless her as richly as she deserves — and to help me live up to the example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine. — A Daughter

    DEAR ANNIE: I wrote this a year ago, but things haven’t changed. I hope you will print it so my family will see it.

    Today is Mother’s Day and I am so sad and alone. My daughter is 31 and my son is 27. Yesterday, my daughter promised we would go for brunch and she would spend the day with me. Instead, this morning both of my children gave me Mother’s Day cards and then my son announced he was going out for dinner but would bring over pizza for my husband and me. Soon after, my daughter announced that she was going out to eat with a friend.

    I was shocked. When I reminded them that it’s Mother’s Day and I wanted to spend time with them, my son replied that he is a grown man and can spend time with whoever he wants.

    Annie, I am so hurt. It hurt even more when some of my friends told me about their plans with their sons, daughters and daughters-in-law. Where did I go wrong? I worked hard to provide a good life and decent educations, and my husband and I always put their needs before our own.

    I can’t stop crying. I am their mother and it’s Mother’s Day. Am I asking too much to want one day a year together with my children? — Heartbroken in Canada

    For anyone who is reading this, please call your mother today. Just say you are thinking of her. If you are estranged, use this as an opportunity to reconcile. Or send a card or a note, or even an email. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Anything that says you are thinking of her would be appreciated, and it only takes a few minutes.

    ANNIE’S MAILBOX is written by Kathy Mitchell, top, and Marcy Sugar, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611, or anniesmailbox@comcast.net.

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