Poem of the Week: Remember - Christina Rossetti

To all my faithful readers out there,
I apologise for getting this out a day late. I know how you all log on on a Monday to read Poem of the Week, and here we are Tuesday afternoon.
This one was worth waiting an extra day for. Christina Rossetti might be one of my favourite poets of all time. She's an English poet (with Italian parents) from the Victorian Era (late 19th century). So old-school, in my way of thinking. That means that she sticks to conventions that have since been left behind by most contemporary poets; yet she writes such free-flowing verses full of symbolism and energy.
This poem has an odd rhyming structure (ABBAABBACDDECE), and reflects the sombre subject matter in its meter. In my opinion, its a good reflection of Rossetti's best poems, and short and sweet for the blogosphere!
Enjoy this one, and I'll see you all next week. (Monday I hope!)



Remember
by Christina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away,
  Gone far away into the silent land;
  When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
  You tell me of our future that you planned:
  Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
  And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
  For if the darkness and corruption leave
  A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
  Than that you should remember and be sad.