Sound the Deep Waters: Women's Romantic Poetry in the Victorian Age

by Pamela Norris (Editor)

"Romantic souls too shy to write a sentimental line to their loved ones on Valentine's Day may choose to proffer this compact and marvelously illustrated treasury instead. Selections from such Victorian poets as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emma Lazarus, Emily Dickinson and Emily and Anne Bronte express carefree, bittersweet or melancholy moods; the poems are illustrated with dramatic, glowing portraits of classical beauties draped in sumptuous garments..." from Publishers Weekly

Genres: Poetry, Art, Classics, Victorian, 19th Century

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given to me by my parents on my sixteenth birthday, this anthology of 19th-century women poets served as my introduction to the work of many of the authors included, from Elizabeth Barrett Browning to Christina Rossetti. It also served as my introduction to the Pre-Raphaelites, as the artwork accompanying the poetry is taken from that school. Some of the authors - particularly Emily Dickinson and the Brontë sisters - were already known to me, although in the case of Anne, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, this was solely through their prose works.

Although I have not picked it up in years, I read and reread Sound the Deep Waters: Women's Romantic Poetry in the Victorian Age countless times as an adolescent, and derived significant enjoyment from both poetry and artwork. I must have been more romantically inclined, in those days! My favorite, of the pieces included by editor Pamela Norris, is Anne Brontë's "Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day", which still retains its power over me, despite the years:

"MY soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring
And carried aloft on the wings of the breeze;
For above and around me the wild wind is roaring,
Arousing to rapture the earth and the seas.

The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing,
The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;
The dead leaves, beneath them, are merrily dancing,
The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky.

I wish I could see how the ocean is lashing
The foam of its billows to whirlwinds of spray;
I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing,
And hear the wild roar of their thunder today!"

[Mary Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sound the Deep Waters is a wonderful collection of women’s Victorian poetry. There is a wide variety of poets and I was happy to see the poetry of Anne Bronte, Elizabeth Siddal and especially Amy Lowell. The Pre-Raphaelite paintings accompanying the poems are very fitting and my favorite artists were Marie Spartali Stillman and Sophie Anderson. This was my second read and it’s a collection worth treasuring. I loved reading this and it’s a great way to begin the New Year.

[Overlook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This out-of-print book is available on amazon: http://amzn.to/1PlUSkj! The pub date is February 2, 2016.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just read this book from cover to cover, what an absolute delight. Illustrated throughout with glorious Pre-Raphaelite art, it contains selected poems written by women in the Victorian age, many of which were completely unknown to me, both the poems and the poets, at the end of the book there is a brief biography for each of the poets. There are some really beautiful and very poignant poems in this small book and be warned while some will make you smile some may bring a lump to the throat. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poetry and the art side by side make a beautiful collection. There are more poets here I need to look into, especially Christina Rossetti (I know only the ones from here and "The Goblin Market" as well as a poem or two of hers that popped up in a Christmas book I read recently). And of course, Elizabeth Barrett Browning is still A+. I liked this collection enough that I want to look into the other collections the editor published that are "packaged" in a similar style.

[Meredith]

Sound the Deep Waters is a collection of romantic poetry written by women from the victorian era. It is a very pretty book: each page is decorated with an old painting, usually of a woman. Definitely a collector's item for sure.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

High school graduation present from my friend, also named Becky, many years ago. Love the poetry; sometimes you just need some lyrical and overwrought Victorian poetry. The artwork is also gorgeous.

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good selection of poems mixed with some really lovely paintings.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this poetry anthology! The combination of poetry and paintings really worked for me. Most of the poems were lovely, and I just found myself really compelled to keep reading.

[Britanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited for this and maybe I just need to give it time, but I wasn’t really impressed by the poems chosen. None of the poems resonated with me.

[Zuha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the poems didn’t really resonate with me, maybe I’m not the target audience. Perhaps I will read it again.

[Bella ( Zephyrakyryze ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up for a dollar at a swap meet this morning, reading it in the cloudy gloom before a hurricane has been a nice experience.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

so pretty, very cohesive, the art and poems together made me examine both more closely

[Cathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to love in this keepsake volume: lush prints of Pre-Raphaelite portraits, inclusion of cherished literary muses such as the Brontë sisters and Christina Rossetti, the overall feel of sitting in a warm garden, lyrical expressions of a woman's heart. All true, but I will most be grateful for the introduction to Alice Meynell, especially for "A Shattered Lute".

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of women's romantic poetry in the Victorian age, and yes that's the subtitle of this book. I've been looking into reading more poetry and this one piqued my interest with the art alongside it. I don't think this is a bad collection but I don't think it's the one for me. Maybe I'm more into poetry from the 20th century to now.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could be backwards reincarnated as Emily Bronte.

A few gems, but not much that blew me away. Overall, pretty good if you're in the mood for Victorian romantic-style poetry (which I mostly wasn't, apparently). The accompanying paintings were a nice touch.

[butterflygloss · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite poetry book of all time. So enchanting. Do wish it didn't just contain European people though!

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite lovely. I enjoyed many of the passages. Very lyrical and the artwork was beautiful too. A neat little book.