"No, Thank You, John" is a poem by Victorian poet Christina Georgina Rossetti. In it, the speaker addresses a man named John who has long been pursuing her romantically. She refutes all of his arguments for his love and politely, but quite firmly, declines all his entreaties and offers.
Key Aspects of No, Thank You, John
Tone
The poem's tone is direct, fluctuating between kindness and dismissiveness.
Setting
The poem is likely set at the time and in the place in which the author lived, the mid-nineteenth century in Victorian England.
Point of view
The poem is narrated in the first person by an unnamed female speaker.
Character development
The speaker begins by dismissing John's...