“All of My Peaches Are Ruined”: Christina Rossetti, Lana Del Rey, and the Feminine Comfort in Fruit and Floral Aesthetics
Poster Number
049
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Faculty Mentor
Casey Cothran, Ph.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to analyze the expression of feminine angst, the aesthetic of fruit, and the metaphorical use of the female body as a vessel for consumption in Christina Rossetti’s poetry and Lana Del Rey’s song “Cherry.” Specifically, these works use fruit as a symbol of female sexuality. The kinds of fruit that Rossetti mentions, particularly in “Goblin Market,” are exotic, yonic in appearance, and abundant. The exotic nature of fruits, such as peaches, cherries, and apples, heightens the metaphor of the female body being a ground for masculine interest. I examine how Rosetti's poetic choices showcase the ways in which female sexuality is simultaneously regulated and admired.The yonic appearance of the fruit is representative of female genitalia and sometimes homoerotic affections. Furthermore, the connection between fruit as a metaphor for sex and the use of fruit to maintain (or regain) feminine comfort is clear in modern works. Exploring Lana Del Rey's "Cherry," I will compare how the metaphors signify ruination, betrayal, and social scorn. This is significant in comparison to Rossetti’s works in which women fall victim to masculine betrayal and social scorn. This presentation emphasizes how Christina Rossetti and Lana Del Rey make use of the feminine aesthetic by employing fruit as a metaphor for the female body and aim to create a visual rhetoric in which women have often been used specifically for male consumption.
Course Assignment
ENGL 503 – Cothran
Previously Presented/Performed?
World of Food Interdisciplinary Conference, Winthrop University, February 2019
Start Date
12-4-2019 2:15 PM
End Date
April 2019
“All of My Peaches Are Ruined”: Christina Rossetti, Lana Del Rey, and the Feminine Comfort in Fruit and Floral Aesthetics
Richardson Ballroom – DiGiorgio Campus Center
The purpose of this presentation is to analyze the expression of feminine angst, the aesthetic of fruit, and the metaphorical use of the female body as a vessel for consumption in Christina Rossetti’s poetry and Lana Del Rey’s song “Cherry.” Specifically, these works use fruit as a symbol of female sexuality. The kinds of fruit that Rossetti mentions, particularly in “Goblin Market,” are exotic, yonic in appearance, and abundant. The exotic nature of fruits, such as peaches, cherries, and apples, heightens the metaphor of the female body being a ground for masculine interest. I examine how Rosetti's poetic choices showcase the ways in which female sexuality is simultaneously regulated and admired.The yonic appearance of the fruit is representative of female genitalia and sometimes homoerotic affections. Furthermore, the connection between fruit as a metaphor for sex and the use of fruit to maintain (or regain) feminine comfort is clear in modern works. Exploring Lana Del Rey's "Cherry," I will compare how the metaphors signify ruination, betrayal, and social scorn. This is significant in comparison to Rossetti’s works in which women fall victim to masculine betrayal and social scorn. This presentation emphasizes how Christina Rossetti and Lana Del Rey make use of the feminine aesthetic by employing fruit as a metaphor for the female body and aim to create a visual rhetoric in which women have often been used specifically for male consumption.
