Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · English Literature
Course version: 9ET0 · Version from Sept 2015
Poetry – Section B: Specified Poetry Pre- or Post-1900 – Pre-1900 – The…
Full specification wording
Component 3: Poetry – Section B: Specified Poetry Pre- or Post-1900 – Pre-1900 – The Victorian Period – Christina Rossetti Selected Poems, editor Dinah Roe (Penguin, 2008): Babylon the Great
'Babylon the Great' is a powerful sonnet where Christina Rossetti uses apocalyptic imagery from the Book of Revelation to critique earthly corruption, materialism, and the deceptive allure of sin.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9ET0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 18 of 18
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
'Babylon the Great' is a powerful sonnet where Christina Rossetti uses apocalyptic imagery from the Book of Revelation to critique earthly corruption, materialism, and the deceptive allure of sin. By personifying Babylon as a seductive yet destructive female figure, Rossetti explores the dichotomy between outward beauty and internal moral decay. The poem serves as a stark theological warning against secular temptations, contrasting the toxic pleasures of Babylon with divine purity.
What earns the marks
- Analysis of the biblical allusion to the Whore of Babylon and its function as a critique of Victorian materialism and moral decay.
- Exploration of the contrast between the seductive, alluring exterior of the female figure and her grotesque, corrupt interior.
- Evaluation of the sonnet form, noting how its strict parameters contrast with the chaotic and excessive nature of the sin being described.
- Discussion of the poem's sensory language, particularly the use of visual and tactile imagery to convey the toxicity of earthly temptations.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Reading the poem as a literal description of a historical city.
Put it right: It must be analysed as an allegorical representation of sin and worldly corruption.
Failing to connect the poem to Rossetti's broader theological beliefs, specifically her Anglo-Catholic emphasis on renunciation and the dangers of the flesh.
Exam tips
- Link the grotesque imagery in 'Babylon the Great' to the descriptions of the goblin fruits in 'Goblin Market' to discuss Rossetti's recurring theme of deceptive temptation.
- Focus on the volta in the sonnet to demonstrate how Rossetti shifts the narrative from the allure of sin to its inevitable destruction.
- Incorporate contextual knowledge of Victorian anxieties surrounding urbanisation, consumerism, and moral decline to deepen your analysis.
Try the lesson
The start of the Component 3: Poetry – Section B: Specified Poetry Pre- or Post-1900 – Pre-1900 – The Victorian Period – Christina Rossetti Selected Poems, editor Dinah Roe (Penguin, 2008): Babylon the Great lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Rossetti's speaker describes Babylon's merchants, treasures and luxury before announcing the city's downfall. What does this pattern of lavish description followed by a prophecy of ruin most clearly suggest about the poem's attitude to worldly wealth?
Listen
Babylon the Great' is a powerful sonnet where Christina Rossetti uses apocalyptic imagery from the Book of Revelation to critique earthly corruption, materialism, and the deceptive allure of sin. By personifying Babylon as a seductive yet destructive female figure, Rossetti explores the dichotomy between outward beauty and internal moral decay. The poem serves as a stark theological warning against secular temptations, contrasting the toxic pleasures of Babylon with divine purity. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Analysis of the biblical allusion to the Whore of Babylon and its function as a critique of Victorian materialism and moral decay. Exploration of the contrast between the seductive, alluring exterior of the female figure and her grotesque, corrupt interior. Evaluation of the sonnet form, noting how its strict parameters contrast with the chaotic and excessive nature of the sin being described. Discussion of the poem's sensory language, particularly the use of visual and tactile imagery to convey the toxicity of earthly temptations. Exam tip: Link the grotesque imagery in 'Babylon the Great' to the descriptions of the goblin fruits in 'Goblin Market' to discuss Rossetti's recurring theme of deceptive temptation.
Key words
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Temptation and sin
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Earthly corruption versus divine purity
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Deceptive appearances
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Apocalyptic destruction
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See every definition
- Temptation and sin
- The secular allurements the poem warns against, contrasted with divine purity and presented as toxic pleasures.
- Earthly corruption versus divine purity
- The dichotomy the poem explores between materialism and moral decay on earth and the purity of the divine.
- Deceptive appearances
- The contrast between the seductive, alluring exterior of the female figure and her grotesque, corrupt interior.
- Apocalyptic destruction
- The inevitable destruction of sin, drawn from the Book of Revelation, to which the sonnet's volta shifts the narrative.
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