Pre Raphaelite Poetry

Now you all know the story of Adam and Eve…the first humans on Earth…The creators of sin. But were they really the first humans on Earth? Or was there someone before Eve…maybe a previous wife for Adam? Something you may not have heard of is the concept of Lilith. In pre-Raphaelite times, the notion of Lilith was interpreted in many different ways. She could be interpreted as an evil, seductive and sexual creature much like a villain or a strong determined woman which was filled with beauty and love. Not only is this concept of Lilith featured in Eden Bower by Dante Gabriel Rossetti published in 1868 but it is also explored in many other pre-Raphaelite texts.
In Rossetti’s concept of Lilith she is characterized as this seductive woman who Adam is in a sexual relationship with however she is responsible for the creation of sin…not Adam and Eve. Lilith exemplifies traits of the serpent featured in Genesis. It is evidentiary that the evil yet seductive perspective of Lilith is exposed throughout the poem. “Not a drop of her blood was human but she was made like a soft sweet woman”. The contrasting ideas and the utilization of the simile allow the responder to gain an insight of what Lilith is really like however there is still some uncertainty. The juxtaposition between blood and soft and sweet really emphasizes the paradoxical point of view about women…that they may be widely attractive yet very dangerous which is also emphasized by her being a snake. Lilith’s aim in the poem is to seek revenge on Adam and Eve which portrays a warped view of the story in Genesis.
This twisted perception in the Garden of Eden is created just within the title-Eden’s Bower. The word Bower means a private sheltered chamber and has connotations with secrets. This contrasts to Eden which is a beautiful open garden. The irony here creates confusion to the reader as it is portraying a different view of what we normally would refer to as the beautiful Garden of Eden. There is a distinct...