Monday, July 30, 2012

Happy Birthday Emily Brontë!

Emily Brontë, 
as depicted by her brother Branwell

Today is my beloved Emily's 194th birthday! May she be just as loved and venerated for the next 194. On this occasion, the final stanza of her poem 'No Coward Soul Is Mine' comes to mind...

There is not room for Death,
Nor atom that his might could render void:
Since thou art Being and Breath,
And what Thou art may never be destroyed.

According to Charlotte, Emily wrote these words shortly before she died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty. Although Wuthering Heights caused quite the uproar in Victorian society during her lifetime, I wonder if she had any idea that so many years later her words would continue to inspire readers the world over. For through her words, she is immortal.

Today I will be perusing some of my favourite Emily passages, dipping into the iconic biography on this literary family and fancying that Emily's spirit is wandering the moors where she felt most at home.  





6 comments:

JoAnn said...

Happy Birthday, Emily! Thanks for this post - love the photos.

Caro said...

I had never read that poem. It's wonderful- as well as your plans for the day.

Diana said...

Jo Ann: Thank you. The moors are truly inspiring. :)

Diana said...

Caro: Yes, Emily is quite the poet. It's a shame they're not as widely read as Wuthering Heights (not that I can't understand the pull people feel towards that novel).

Anne's poetry isn't bad either, though it's definitely not Charlotte's strong suit.

Cassandra said...

Hah! I finished Wuthering Heights exactly on Emily's 194th birthday! (It's a complete coincidence, but let's pretend I planned it that way.)
Emily is so cool, she is the one author where I wish most that she had written another book.

Unknown said...

I'm not the type of person to give up just because something gets rough. That's a coward. That's not me. See the link below for more info.


#coward
www.ufgop.org