This paper explains that the "The Portrait", a complex poem, operates on two different levels: First, the reader becomes
aware of the relationship of the
artist and his piece of work; and then the poem probes the connection existing between the artist, his sense of self and how those
emotions shape the creation of art. The author points out that the rhyme scheme in this poem is ababccddc, which allows the poem to read smoothly, and the poet's use of words forces the reader to read slowly. The paper relates that Rosette includes the mythological story of Narcissus to further the idea that the poet is just as attached to his art as he is to the memory of his lover.