Poems Without Frontiers

Christina Rossetti was born in London, the daughter of the poet Gabriele Rossetti. Her three brothers were all artists. She suffered depression, leaving school at age 14 and was educated by her mother. She remained single throughout her life, became greatly interested in the Anglo-Catholic movement and assisted at the House of Charity, a refuge for prostitutes.

She began to write poetry as a child but her first poem, Goblin Market, was not published until the age of 31. She succeeded Elizabeth Barrett Browning as the leading female poet upon the latter's death, but her reputation faded with the onset of new trends; and interest in her works wavered until revived in recent decades.

She died of cancer in December 1894.