“Twice” Summary

“Twice” Themes

• 

  Earthly Romance vs. Divine Love

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• 

  The Transformative Power of Faith

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• 

  Victorian Sexual Hypocrisy

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Twice”

• Lines 1-4

  I took my heart in my hand
  (O my love, O my love),
  I said: Let me fall or stand,
  Let me live or die,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 5-8

  But this once hear me speak—
  (O my love, O my love)—
  Yet a woman's words are weak;
  You should speak, not I.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-12

  You took my heart in your hand
  With a friendly smile,
  With a critical eye you scanned,
  Then set it down,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 13-16

  And said: It is still unripe,
  Better wait awhile;
  Wait while the skylarks pipe,
  Till the corn grows brown.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 17-20

  As you set it down it broke—
  Broke, but I did not wince;
  I smiled at the speech you spoke,
  At your judgement I heard:

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 21-24

  But I have not often smiled
  Since then, nor questioned since,
  Nor cared for cornflowers wild,
  Nor sung with the singing bird.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 25-27

  I take my heart in my hand,
  O my God, O my God,
  My broken heart in my hand:

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 28-32

  Thou hast seen, judge Thou.
  My hope was written on sand,
  O my God, O my God:
  Now let thy judgement stand—
  Yea, judge me now.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 33-36

  This contemned of a man,
  This marred one heedless day,
  This heart take thou to scan
  Both within and without:

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 37-40

  Refine with fire its gold,
  Purge Thou its dross away—
  Yea, hold it in Thy hold,
  Whence none can pluck it out.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 41-42

  I take my heart in my hand—
  I shall not die, but live—

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 43-48

  Before Thy face I stand;
  I, for Thou callest such:
  All that I have I bring,
  All that I am I give,
  Smile Thou and I shall sing,
  But shall not question much.

  

  

  

  

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“Twice” Symbols

• 

  The Skylark

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“Twice” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Apostrophe

  

  

  

  

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• Parallelism

  

  

  

  

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• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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• Juxtaposition

  

  

  

  

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“Twice” 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.

• Skylarks
• Pipe
• Cornflowers
• Thou/Thy
• Contemn’d
• Marred
• Heedless
• Dross
• Whence
• Callest

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Twice”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Twice” Speaker

“Twice” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Twice”

More “Twice” Resources

• External Resources

  • Rossetti and Gender — Learn more about Rossetti's beliefs about the gender dynamics of the Victorian era. 

  • The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of "Twice."

  • Rossetti and Religion — Check out an article that presents close readings of two of Rossetti's religious poems to learn more about her quest for spiritual fulfillment.

  • A Brief Biography — Learn more about Rossetti's life and work at the British Library's website.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Christina Rossetti

  • A Birthday

  • An Apple Gathering

  • Babylon the Great

  • Cousin Kate

  • Echo

  • From the Antique

  • Good Friday

  • In an Artist's Studio

  • In the Round Tower at Jhansi, June 8, 1857 (Indian Mutiny)

  • Maude Clare

  • No, Thank You, John

  • Remember

  • Shut Out

  • Sister Maude

  • Soeur Louise de la Miséricorde

  • Song (When I am dead, my dearest)

  • Up-Hill

  • Winter: My Secret