Rosamund

Rosamund is based on Rosamund Clifford, or "The Fair Rosamund." Both the historical woman, about whom little is known, and the folkloric character clearly affect how Rosamund is portrayed in the poem. However, because the poem is primarily narrated by Rosamund directly, she is also given a rich characterization not seen in the original folktales or in the history. Rosamund describes herself as a very beautiful but naive young girl from the countryside. In court, the admiration she receives goes to her head, and she freely admits that she became vain and proud of her power. However, she is also, at heart, a moral person who wants to do the right thing, and who is capable of deep feeling and true regret for her actions. Rosamund means "Rose of the World," an indicator of her beauty.

Speaker

Unusually for poetry, the speaker is not the central character of...