On the Death of Anne Bronte

“On the Death of Anne Bronte” by Charlotte Bronte (Victorian)

There's little joy in life for me,

      And little terror in the grave;

I 've lived the parting hour to see

      Of one I would have died to save.

Calmly to watch the failing breath,

      Wishing each sigh might be the last;

Longing to see the shade of death

      O'er those belovèd features cast.

The cloud, the stillness that must part

      The darling of my life from me;

And then to thank God from my heart,

      To thank Him well and fervently;

Although I knew that we had lost

      The hope and glory of our life;

And now, benighted, tempest-tossed,

      Must bear alone the weary strife.

Charlotte Brontë’s poem “On the Death of Anne Brontë” highlights the strength of a bond rooted in family but also the emotional destruction the loss of such a bond can cause. Brontë’s poem regarding her sister describes the grief that she feels over her sister’s death, but also her relief that her sister has stopped suffering. Through her use of contrast, Brontë shows how the end of a familial bond can destroy a person, but also how the strength of such a bond allows Brontë to long for Anne’s suffering to end, even if through death. In her first stanza, Brontë states, “I’ve lived the parting hour to see / Of one I would have died to save.” With this line, Brontë underscores the devastating sorrow that love can lead, and the intensity of the emotional bond and destruction that comes when that bond is broken. However, she quickly contrasts her desire to save her sister with the line, “Wishing each sigh might be the last / Longing to see the shade of death / O’er those beloved features cast.” These lines illustrate that while Charlotte has suffered the loss of an intimate human connection, she still wished for an end to Anne's suffering. Her loss of her sister only further underscored the care and affection she felt for her sister, to pray that she’d pass on, so that she would stop suffering—even if that meant the end of her life.