Victorian poet Christina Rossetti's "Sister Maude" is a tale of jealousy, vengeance, and the bitterest sibling rivalry. The poem's speaker, crazed with grief after her secret (and forbidden) lover is murdered, knows exactly who she blames: her sister Maude, who squealed to their parents. The poem reflects that desire and envy alike are dangerous and irrepressible forces, and that sisterhood can be a breeding ground for deep hatred. Rossetti first published this poem in her 1862 collection Goblin Market and Other Poems.
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The Full Text of “Sister Maude”
1Who told my mother of my shame,
2Who told my father of my dear?
3Oh who but Maude, my sister Maude,
4Who lurked to spy and peer.
5Cold he lies, as cold as stone,
6With his clotted curls about his face:
7The comeliest corpse in all the world
8And worthy of a queen's embrace.
9You might have spared his soul, sister,
10Have spared my soul, your own soul too:
11Though I had not been born at all,
12He'd never have looked at you.
13My father may sleep in Paradise,
14My mother at Heaven-gate:
15But sister Maude shall get no sleep
16Either early or late.
17My father may wear a golden crown,
18My mother a crown may win;
19If my dear and I knocked at Heaven-gate
20Perhaps they'd let us in:
21But sister Maude, oh sister Maude,
22Bide you with death and sin.
The Full Text of “Sister Maude”
1Who told my mother of my shame,
2Who told my father of my dear?
3Oh who but Maude, my sister Maude,
4Who lurked to spy and peer.
5Cold he lies, as cold as stone,
6With his clotted curls about his face:
7The comeliest corpse in all the world
8And worthy of a queen's embrace.
9You might have spared his soul, sister,
10Have spared my soul, your own soul too:
11Though I had not been born at all,
12He'd never have looked at you.
13My father may sleep in Paradise,
14My mother at Heaven-gate:
15But sister Maude shall get no sleep
16Either early or late.
17My father may wear a golden crown,
18My mother a crown may win;
19If my dear and I knocked at Heaven-gate
20Perhaps they'd let us in:
21But sister Maude, oh sister Maude,
22Bide you with death and sin.
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“Sister Maude” Summary
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“Sister Maude” Themes
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Sibling Rivalry
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The Dangerous Power of Passion
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Sister Maude”
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Lines 1-4
Who told my mother of my shame,
Who told my father of my dear?
Oh who but Maude, my sister Maude,
Who lurked to spy and peer. -
Lines 5-8
Cold he lies, as cold as stone,
With his clotted curls about his face:
The comeliest corpse in all the world
And worthy of a queen's embrace. -
Lines 9-12
You might have spared his soul, sister,
Have spared my soul, your own soul too:
Though I had not been born at all,
He'd never have looked at you. -
Lines 13-16
My father may sleep in Paradise,
My mother at Heaven-gate:
But sister Maude shall get no sleep
Either early or late. -
Lines 17-22
My father may wear a golden crown,
My mother a crown may win;
If my dear and I knocked at Heaven-gate
Perhaps they'd let us in:
But sister Maude, oh sister Maude,
Bide
you
with death and sin.
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“Sister Maude” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Repetition
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Anaphora
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Imagery
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Alliteration
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“Sister Maude” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Lurked
- Clotted
- Comeliest
- Bide
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Sister Maude”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Sister Maude” Speaker
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“Sister Maude” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Sister Maude”
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More “Sister Maude” Resources
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External Resources
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Rossetti's Portraits — See images of Rossetti throughout her life, from young poetic wunderkind to established literary giant.
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The Poem Aloud — Listen to actor Harriet Walter performing the poem.
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A Brief Biography — Learn more about Christina Rossetti through the Poetry Foundation.
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More Rossetti Resources — Find a wealth of information on Rossetti at the Victorian Web.
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Goblin Market — Take a look at an early edition of Goblin Market and Other Poems, the collection in which "Sister Maude" first appeared.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Christina Rossetti
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