19th Century - Eden's Bower by D.G. Rossetti

Another poem that Rossetti wrote about Lilith was “Eden’s Bower.” The poem is quite lengthy and I will not repeat it here, but it is a more vivid description of Lilith than what is described in Body’s Beauty.

Again, in the opening lines, it is repeated that Lilith is Adam’s first wife. Immediately, Rossetti portrays her as a malevolent force again, saying “With her was hell and with Eve was heaven.” In addition, here, the snake of the garden appeals to Lilith to be his lover, cementing her as an evil woman. In addition to this, she is also portrayed as a more dominating figure, with Rossetti calling her “Queen of Adam.”

There is also a theme of revenge in this particular work that is not found elsewhere, with Lilith appealing to the serpent for revenge on Adam. She takes the snake’s form and proceeds to cause the fall of man. It is not uncommon for the snake in the garden to become associated with Lilith, but it is Christians who first made the connection between the serpent in Eden and the Devil, not the Jewish tradition that Lilith rose out of.