Maude Clare

The poem "Maude Clare" by Rossetti is about a woman, Maude Clare who had a relationship with Sir Thomas, but he has married another woman, Lady Nell. Throughout the poem we hear Maude Clare's account of their relationship, however the poem ends with Lady Nell telling Maude Clare "he's my Lord for better and worse," which is Nell telling Maude Clare that her husband's past does not matter to her because he is her husband now.

One of the most interesting aspects of the poem "Maude Clare" is the order in which the narrator and speakers talk. For instance, Rossetti has decided that the first stanza should be the narrator speaking, this is because she wants to reflect the author's power and control over the poem. It also means the poem begins with a neutral speaker, who has presumably no bias, although at one point in the fourth stanza the narrator says "My Lord" so it could be inferred that perhaps the narrator is a servant or maid who was aware of Maude Clare's and Lord Thomas' relationship.