Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855)
On the Death of Anne Brontë
1THERE 's little joy in life for me,
2 And little terror in the grave ;
3I 've lived the parting hour to see
4 Of one I would have died to save.
5Calmly to watch the failing breath,
6 Wishing each sigh might be the last ;
7Longing to see the shade of death
8 O'er those belovèd features cast.
9The cloud, the stillness that must part
10 The darling of my life from me ;
11And then to thank God from my heart,
12 To thank Him well and fervently ;
13Although I knew that we had lost
14 The hope and glory of our life ;
15And now, benighted, tempest-tossed,
16 Must bear alone the weary strife.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: Charlotte Brontë, The Complete Poems of Charlotte Brontë, ed. Clement Shorter, collected by C. W. Hatfield (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1923). PR 4165 A5S5 1923 Robarts Library
First publication date:
1896
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 1996-2000.
Recent editing: 2:2002/2/6
Composition date:
21
June
1849
Form: quatrains
Rhyme: abab
Other poems by Charlotte Brontë
