"Sudden Light" is a poem written by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in the 1850s but published over a decade later in Poems: An Offering to Lancashire in the 1863 volume. Dante Gabriel Rossetti was not only a British poet, but also a painter and artist who was one of the three founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as well as one main inspirations of this movement, as well as the European Symbolists and the Aesthetic movement. During the 19th century, Rossetti’s work was unique in its deep sensuality and medieval revivalism, even for what was typical during that time, as much of his early poetry was influenced by John Keats. Later, his poetry became increasingly reflective of his own art and paintings, as many of his sonnets complement some of his pictures; conversely, Rossetti also painted works to depict poems written by others, such as his sister Christina Rossetti.
As the reader works through Rossetti’s poem “Sudden Light,” they will experience the complex relationship that Rossetti creates between his thoughts and his feelings. Rossetti emphasizes the feelings of déjà vu and familiarity in contrast to doubt and loss. Touching on the themes of love and death in the midst of a deep and symbolic connection between lovers, Rossetti uses a curious tone of certainty that makes “Sudden Light” a unique poem to read and analyze.
