Final answer:
In Rossetti's "Dead before Death," women may feel bitter and defeated due to societal pressures restricting their freedom and power. The struggles of femininity, racial, and social dynamics in the literature of the period reflect these sentiments, as evidenced by the works of the Pre-Raphaelites, Dickinson, and other contemporaneous authors and artists.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the text, it appears that Christina Rossetti's "Dead before Death" may convey a sense of bitterness experienced by women in her society. These women could likely feel defeated by the persistent societal pressures and the limitations placed on their personal power and freedom. In the context of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, as exemplified in Dante Gabriel Rossetti's works with medieval romance themes and the depiction of women like in the painting of Proserpine, there is this nuanced treatment of the female experience. Similarly, considering the exploration of gender roles in Dickinson's poems, where death and isolation are significant themes, we gather that societal constructs surrounding femininity often left women feeling trapped or 'dead before death' emotionally or socially.
William Blake's irony, Mary Shelley's creative portrayals, and Charlotte Smith's activism indicate that the struggles tied to gender, racial, and social dynamics made it difficult for individuals to exercise genuine freedom and power, often resulting in a sense of defeat and bitterness. Moreover, rejections of societal expectations or traditional roles—like the chime of "nay" throughout Rossetti's "Love From the North"—suggests a resistance that could also embody a bitter acknowledgement of women's circumscribed agency in that era. These literary and artistic expressions serve to underscore the tensions between the individual's desires and societal constraints, enhancing our understanding of the complex emotions of women during that time.