Christina Rossetti

She was born in London in 1830 to a family of Italian-English scholars and artists. She was closely connected to the Pre-Raphaelite movement through her brothers, the poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the critic William Michael Rossetti. Her poetry is characterized by a blend of sensuous imagery and religious devotion, often reflecting Anglo-Catholic themes. She wrote extensively about love, loss, nature, and the fleetingness of earthly life. Her most famous work is the narrative poem 'Goblin Market,' a richly allegorical tale of temptation and sisterly sacrifice. Other notable collections include 'The Prince's Progress and Other Poems' and 'A Pageant and Other Poems.' She also composed devotional prose and hymns, such as the well-known carol 'In the Bleak Midwinter.' Her sonnet sequence 'Monna Innominata' reimagines the Petrarchan tradition from a female perspective. After a long illness, she died in 1894. She remains a central figure in Victorian literature, admired for her technical mastery and emotional depth.