Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters

by Emily Brontë

Among the most talented siblings in English literary history, the Brontë sister are perhaps best known for their novels. It is less well known that the sisters also composed a great deal of fine poetry.

This volume contains a careful selection of 47 poems by all three.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Literature, Fiction, 19th Century, Victorian, British Literature

58 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1846

About the author

Emily Brontë was an English novelist and poet whose singular contribution to literature, Wuthering Heights, is now celebrated as one of the most powerful and original novels in the English language. Born into the remarkable Brontë family on 30 July 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, she was the fifth of six children of Maria Branwell and Patrick Brontë, an Irish clergyman. Her early life was marked by both intellectual curiosity and profound loss. After the death of her mother in 1821 and the subsequent deaths of her two eldest sisters in 1825, Emily and her surviving siblings— Charlotte, Anne, and Branwell—were raised in relative seclusion in the moorland village of Haworth, where their imaginations flourished in a household shaped by books, storytelling, and emotional intensity.
The Brontë children created elaborate fictional worlds, notably Angria and later Gondal, which served as an outlet for their creative energies. Emily, in particular, gravitated toward Gondal, a mysterious, windswept imaginary land she developed with her sister Anne. Her early poetry, much of it steeped in the mythology and characters of Gondal, demonstrated a remarkable lyrical force and emotional depth. These poems remained private until discovered by Charlotte in 1845, after which Emily reluctantly agreed to publish them in the 1846 collection Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, using the pseudonym Ellis Bell to conceal her gender. Though the volume sold few copies, critics identified Emily’s poems as the strongest in the collection, lauding her for their music, power, and visionary quality.
Emily was intensely private and reclusive by nature. She briefly attended schools in Cowan Bridge and Roe Head but was plagued by homesickness and preferred the solitude of the Yorkshire moors, which inspired much of her work. She worked briefly as a teacher but found the demands of the profession exhausting. She also studied in Brussels with Charlotte in 1842, but again found herself alienated and yearning for home. Throughout her life, Emily remained closely bonded with her siblings, particularly Anne, and with the landscape of Haworth, where she drew on the raw, untamed beauty of the moors for both her poetry and her fiction.
Her only novel, Wuthering Heights, was published in 1847, a year after the poetry collection, under her pseudonym Ellis Bell. Initially met with a mixture of admiration and shock, the novel’s structure, emotional intensity, and portrayal of violent passion and moral ambiguity stood in stark contrast to the conventions of Victorian fiction. Many readers, unable to reconcile its power with the expected gentility of a woman writer, assumed it had been written by a man. The novel tells the story of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw—two characters driven by obsessive love, cruelty, and vengeance—and explores themes of nature, the supernatural, and the destructive power of unresolved emotion. Though controversial at the time, Wuthering Heights is now considered a landmark in English literature, acclaimed for its originality, psychological insight, and poetic vision.
Emily's personality has been the subject of much speculation, shaped in part by her sister Charlotte’s later writings and by Victorian biographies that often sought to romanticize or domesticate her character. While some accounts depict her as intensely shy and austere, others highlight her fierce independence, deep empathy with animals, and profound inner life. She is remembered as a solitary figure, closely attuned to the rhythms of the natural world, with a quiet but formidable intellect and a passion for truth and freedom. Her dog, Keeper, was a constant companion and, according to many, a window into her capacity for fierce, loyal love.
Emily Brontë died of tuberculosis on 19 December 1848 at the age of thirty, just a year after the publication of her novel. Her early death, following those of her brother Branwell and soon to

Reviews

[Alex ☣ Deranged KittyCat ☣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray Bradbury says to read poetry every day of your life. So I started paying attention to him and took the opportunity when I came across Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters.



This short collection of poems felt perfect on this rainy day.

I have to confess I disliked both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre as they had been imposed on me in school. Actually, I dislike most classics. And, yet, this book made me feel guilty for the harsh treatment of the Brontë's works.

The poems are absolutely beautiful, and I can't believe that this anthology had sold only two copies when it was first published. They are beautiful and painful. They evoke the grieve, the loneliness, the dreams and the love of the sisters. Charlotte's two poems (each one written after Emily's and Anne's death) were heartbreaking. As was Anne's Last Lines, written after Emily's death, and shortly before her own demise.

I fell in love with Charlotte's Regret and The Teacher's Monologue, with Emily's The Night-Wind, and with (my absolute favorite) Anne's If This Be All.

If Life must be so full of care,
Then call me soon to Thee;
Or give me strength enough to bear
My load of misery.
(from If This Be All - Anne Brontë)

Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters is my first 2016-favorite book, and I highly recommend it to all poetry-lovers or fans of the sisters' works.

*I thank Dover Publications and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book contains a collection of poems from three of the most well-known women in literature.
The best known works are of course the novels Jane Eyre (Charlotte) and Wuthering Heights (Emily), but The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey (both by Anne) are known as well.
All in all, the three sisters definitely had talent, there is no denying it (which makes it even more sad that they had or thought they had to publish under male pseudonyms - Currer Bell for Charlotte, Ellis Bell for Emily and Acton Bell for Anne - at first)!

What I didn't know was that they had written poems as well. Since I love poetry I had to have this little collection of course - and I was not disappointed. As with the novels, the poems as well are pretty dark (they are about death, loss and regret mostly) but heartbreakingly beautiful, hauntingly beautiful.
So I started looking up the sisters' biographies and it became pretty clear WHAT causes the melancholy:

Originally there were six siblings - Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Patrick Branwell, Emily Jane and Anne.
Maria died of tuberculosis, which she had gotten at school, at the age of eleven. Since the second oldest, Elizabeth, joined her oldest sister at the college shortly before that, she unfortunately suffered the same fate (dying at age 10).
As far as I was able to find out, it was not unusual for schools to be a health risk back then. For example, several decades before the Brontë sisters' experience, Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra contracted typhus at a similar boarding school, and Jane nearly died! The Austen sisters' education, like that of the Brontë sisters, was continued at home after that.
Charlotte blamed the school for her sisters' deaths, especially its poor medical care (repeated emetics and blood-lettings) and the negligence of the school's doctor who was the director's brother-in-law. Charlotte's vivid memories were poured into her depiction of Lowood School in Jane Eyre.
Branwell had a lot of interests (it is rumoured that he was some sort of genius) like painting and writing but became addicted to alcohol and laudanum (an opium tincture) and eventually died of tuberculosis when he was 31 years old.
Thus, it is safe to say that the sisters knew loss and heardship.
Emily was the next to die (in 1848). She was, supposedly, the most talented of them all. She was very timid and loved wandering around the moors where they all lived. She never married. She also refused treatment when her health declined due to consumption.
Only one year later, in 1849, Anne died as well. However, she did try to fight it by insisting to be taken to a town near the sea (it was believed that salty air was helpful). However, as with all her siblings before her, there was nothing to be done. She was only 28.
In the end, it was only Charlotte, which definitely explains the darkness of her poems (she wrote one both for Emily and Anne after they died). Charlotte was in love with her publisher for some time. They never got into a relationship however. She also declined one of her father's curates, but changed her mind (despite saying that he was too conventional in his ways and that her status as "wife" terrified her) and married him in 1854. Maybe it was the loneliness that she wanted to get rid of because although he apparently was a good husband, I can't see Charlotte as a married woman. All biographer's describe her and her sisters as being very timid but also very emancipated.
She died one year later in 1855 (she was pregnant at the time, there was dirty water involved so it probably was tuberculosis combined with typhoid fever). She was only 38.

Thus, it is quite understandable that there is some sort of myth about this family, as if they had been blessed with extreme talent but also cursed with early deaths.
I always find biographical details important and very interesting. Sure, in this case (as with the novels and poems), it's also very tragic and saddening but it does explain the writing styles.

Anyway, this review is supposed to be about the poems. *lol*
The book contains 10 poems written by Charlotte, 23 by Emily and 14 by Anne. My favourites by Charlotte are Regret, Parting and the two about her sisters' deaths (I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to be the last one left of 6 siblings and to have to see them die one after the other). My favourites by Emily are Rememberence and Hope. My favourites by Anne are If This Be All and The Bluebell.
Yeah, they aren't the most optimistic poems to be sure, but they all have a distinct style, each their very own voice and they are all a thing of beauty!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read one novel by each sister so far, but given those, rank them Emily, Charlotte, and trailing by quite a ways, Anne. I didn’t expect to like Anne’s poetry--since I didn’t find her prose very poetic—but she took me by surprise.

Charlotte’s poems were, I don’t know … annoying. Even the few I liked were very preachy.

I agree with the majority opinion that Emily’s poetry is best. It’s probably not surprising, given her intense style, that I loved some and others did absolutely nothing for me.

I’d love to memorize her “To Imagination.” Here’s a taste from the middle of the poem:
But, thou art ever there, to bring
The hovering vision back, and breathe
New glories o’er the blighted spring,
And call a lovelier Life from Death,
And whisper, with a voice divine,
Of real worlds, as bright as thine.

My favorite of Emily’s was probably “The Night Wind.” As most of her poems, it’s a beautifully woven little story, so you have to read the whole thing. Haunting.

Anne’s poetry was the most consistently enjoyable for me, and also to my surprise, the saddest.

I liked all of them, but had two favorites. “Past Days,” that begins:
‘Tis strange to think, there was a time
When mirth was not an empty name,
When laughter really cheered the heart,
And frequent smiles unbidden came,
And tears of grief would only flow
In sympathy for others’ woe;

The book ends with Anne’s last poem, “Last Lines,” with a note from Charlotte at the end: “These lines written, the desk was closed, the pen laid aside – for ever.” So tragic, the brevity of their lives.

Even though this style of poetry is not my favorite, I loved spending more time with the Brontё sisters through their verse. Well worth trying.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these women so much. This little collection is very well worth a read.

Favourite Poem by Charlotte: Parting

Favourite Poem by Emily: The Night Wind

Favourite Poem by Anne: The Captive Dove

[Amalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Bronte had said "The bringing of our little book was hard work. As was to be expected, neither we nor our poems were at all wanted." When I read the poetry I found it so puzzling why so. The Bells' poetry is absolutely marvelous. And for those of you who don't know, this collection is the occasion for the adoption of their pen names Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.

Anne’s poems (keeping up with the prose styles) compared with Emily's are composed more carefully and less dramatic like "A Reminiscence" while Emily's are more impassioned, evocating the sense of feelings and landscape like in "Remembrance". Out of all I find Emily’s poetry is the best. One stanza in "The Teacher’s Monologue" gives the homesickness Charlotte (and perhaps her sisters as well) felt for Haworth.

"Sweet dreams of home my heart may fill
That home where I am known and loved"

The collection gives you a better insight into the Bronte sisters. Though they are mostly emotional and heartfelt with a sense of loneliness and solitude they are also sad and melancholy but not miserable in any way whatsoever. My favourite is Emily Bronte’s "The Caged Bird".

[Sherien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading these poems by the amazing Bronte sisters widens my knowledge about their character and life. Through what they express we can sense their feelings of loneliness, solitude, hopes, dreams, love for their family and home, and most heartbreakingly, their grieve and despair. Reading their poems has a bit of a different tone than reading their novels. Beautiful, emotional, and heartfelt yet never optimistic. Sad and sympathetic. Their poems give us a clearer view of how these three notable literary sisters’ lives were like. Out of the three Emily has the finest ability. Anne’s poems were also fabulous showing ability almost-like Emily. However, Charlotte’s two poems about the death of her two sisters are the ones that brought tears to my eyes.

Achingly Beautiful! A must read for those who love the Bronte sisters!

[Ayu Palar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brontë Sisters are highly praised for their novels, however I just found out that they also composed great poems as well. When reading this, I was in this melancholy situation (thanks to the rain, hah!), so the lines that each of them wrote really grabbed my soul. I can’t mention which one of them is my favourite because all of them are great poets and did know how to scribble down their emotion.

One thing in common is that how the sadness of parting paints their poems. Not surprising since through their lives, the Brontë sisters had to face many early and unexpected deaths. Charlotte even wrote two poems as her way to say goodbye to Emily and Anne who had to leave before her. What heartbreaking poems, showing how these sisters really loved and supported each other.

The Teacher’s Monologue by Charlotte Brontë finely describes the feeling of a governess (most likely her own experience) trying to survive during the hard times. I can imagine Charlotte wrote this down in an empty room, only accompanied by the sound of silence. Parting is also a gem. It holds you up when you are about to part with someone that you love:

There’s no use in weeping,
Though we are condemned to part:
There’s no such thing as keeping
A remembrance in one’s heart.

Such a strong remark from someone who had lost many of her beloved people!

Like Charlotte, Anne and Emily also talked about death and separation in their poems. You can’t help thinking about how gloomy their lives were. However, these talented women also showed that no matter how hard the situation was, they stood strong. And even though Charlotte wrote this last note: These lines written, the desk was closed, the pen laid aside – forever, we know that their talents will be remembered and cherished forever.

[Crissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quintessential Bronte feelings in these poems. Emily is generally the strongest poet but Anne's poems were also heart-wrenchers!

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters' introduced me to poems written by the three literary sisters. It's a short collection but was enjoyable to read.

The Brontë's famous for writing were among six siblings. They originally published the poems under the names of Currer, Acton and Ellis Bell, perhaps thinking the poems would sell better if buyers thought the authors were men. Perhaps it's fortuitous that the poems didn't sell well, because the Brontës moved on to writing novels. That's not to say the poems aren't good, but I think their prose is more enduring.

The poems are very much of the century they lived in. There are odes to nature such as places in the woods or windy days. There are also some darker poems written about the loss of their siblings. There is joy here, but much sorrow and darkness too. The poems are not something I would have thought of as something the Brontës would do well, but I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST POEMS OF THE BRONTE SISTERS
Written by Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte
Edited by Candace Ward
1899 (reissue January, 2016); 64 Pages
Genre: poetry

★★★★★

(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.)

I have read the Bronte sisters' poetry for a few years now - in collections and online - and have enjoyed it. Now that I have read some of the Brontes' novels I can see more of the individual style they had. The one thing they all have in common is that their poetry has little stories. Another collection living in my eReader.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’ve never really read poems before but maybe I should because these are everything

a selection of favourite quotes:

“There cast my anchor of desire
Deep in unknown eternity;
Nor ever let my spirit tire,
With looking for what is to be!”
- Anticipation

“And murmur, summer-streams —
There is no need of other sound
To soothe my lady’s dreams.“
- Song

“But, when the days of golden dreams had perished,
And even Despair was powerless to destroy;
Then did I learn how existence could be cherished,
Strengthened, and fed without the aid of joy.“
- Remembrance

“Oh, stars, and dreams, and gentle night;
Oh, night and stars return!
And hide me from the hostile light,
That does not warm, but bum;
That drains the blood of suffering men;
Drinks tears, instead of dew;
Let me sleep through his blinding reign,
And only wake with you!”
- Stars

“And I could utter no reply;
In sooth, I did not know
Why I had brought a clouded eye
To greet the general glow.
So, resting on a healthy bank,
I took my heart to me;
And we together sadly sank
Into a reverie.“
- A Day Dream

“What matters it, that, all around,
Danger, and guilt, and darkness lie,
If but within our bosom’s bound
We hold a bright, untroubled sky,
Of suns that know no winter days?“
- To Imagination

“How clear she shines! How quietly
I lie beneath her guardian light;
While heaven and earth are whispering me,
“To morrow, wake, but, dream to-night.”
Yes, Fancy, come, my Fairy love!
These throbbing temples softly kiss;
And bend my lonely couch above
And bring me rest, and bring me bliss.“
- How Clear She Shines

“Or, would I mock the wolf’s death-howl,
Because his form is gaunt and foul?
Or, hear with joy the leveret’s cry,
Because it cannot bravely die?
No! Then above his memory
Let Pity’s heart as tender be;
Say, “Earth, lie lightly on that breast,
And, kind Heaven, grant that spirit rest!”
- Stanzas to ——

[Kattiah Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm trying to get more into poetry and have a bunch of these over thrift editions from different poets. I'm going to try to understand better and see how these correlate to my world in preparation for uni classes where I will have to read poetry!

[Gigi ༓☾✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i dare you to name a bigger mic-drop quote than "Can I love? Oh, deeply — truly —/ Warmly — fondly — but not thee"

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of poetry by the Bronte sisters. Really enjoyed this one and I discovered a new favorite poem—“To Imagination” by Emily Bronte.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't think these were very good. They are almost all in the same pentameter so it became quite repetitive quickly. I like variety.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I definitely preferred Anne’s poems out of this compilation.

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Poems of the Bronte Sisters published by Dover Publications is a collection of poetry from the three sisters best known for their prose. Although classics Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall they do not complete the sister’s range of works.

There is a similarity in style between the sisters and it holds to the form of 19th century English poetry. There are several poems that were written on the spur of the moment. Poems are written on a windy afternoon or from a place in the woods. There is, without a doubt, plenty of the romantic movement in their collective writing.

Emily Bronte’s poems seem to take a darker tone than the other sisters, but it is Charlotte who writes the poems in eulogy for her sisters. There is a turn in Charlotte outlook as she seems drained and suffering loss in her later poems. This is a well-collected selection of poetry that demonstrates the best of 19th-century writing and, more importantly, the works of women in poetry. Ask most people, even those who took English literature in college, to name a 19th-century female poet and perhaps they may mention Mary Shelley but little mention of anyone else. The Bronte sisters, although famous for their novels, should have their fair share fame for their poetry.

This is a great collection for those interested in poetry. English 19th-century poetry is almost the ideal of poetry in most people’s minds. This collection will introduce readers to a great period of literature and great women poets.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

For as short as it is, this book is seriously heartfelt. This is a collection of 47 poems written by the Brontë sisters. My favorites from each sister were “On the Death of Emily Jane Brontë” by Charlotte, “Hope” by Jane Brontë, and “Reminiscence” by Anne Brontë. During last September, I had made the goal to read all the Brontë sisters had ever written (specifically novels though, I’m not entirely insane). A book like this was very nice to get to know all of them a bit more individually. If there was one thing I would like to have been added, I would have liked poems from some of their novels as well. There was only one poem from Wuthering Heights. The book collection said there are poems in Jane Eyre, but just decided not to include them. I feel like I would’ve felt an even deeper connection to them if they were included. I would recommend this to people wanting to get to know these sisters better and also if you’re looking for a small thing to read. I love you so much Charlotte, Emily, and Anne!

[rinabeana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Break my heart in a million pieces! Not only could they write fantastic novels, but the Brontës could write poetry! I have to agree with the critics that I like Emily's poems the best. They are extremely well written and evoke such emotions. From the perspective of someone familiar with the lives of the Brontës, however, Charlotte's two poems (written after Emily died and after Anne died) about the loss of her sisters nearly killed me. Also, Anne's Last Lines (written shortly after Emily died and shortly before she died) were gut-wrenching. I'm a sucker for sad poems, anyway. There are definitely worth reading!

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful collection of poems, written by Charlotte, Emily & Anne Bronte. They are wonderful poems, intensely emotional. I have never been much of a fan, when it came to poetry, in general. However, since I loved the novels written by each of the Bronte sisters, I decided to read their poems as well. I was certainly not disappointed, but pleasantly surprised. I have read this book several times over already. I had taken this book out of the public library, but I would like to buy a copy for myself. I do plan to read it again, in the future. :)

[Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourites were
Sympathy by Emily
Appeal and self-congratulation by Anne
But overall I liked them all !
3 ⭐️

[Hila · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3,5
poetry: emily>anne>charlotte

“(...)
No; while the sun shone kindly o’er us,
And flowers bloomed round our feet, —
While many a bud of joy before us
Unclosed its petals sweet, —

An unseen work within was plying;
Like honey-seeking bee,
From flower to flower, unwearied, flying,
Laboured one faculty, —
(...)”

p. 14, “Winter stores”, Charlotte Brontë


“(...)
Blow, west-wind, by the lonely mound,
And murmur, summer-streams—
There is no need of other sound
To soothe my lady's dreams.”

p. 25, “Song”, Emily Brontë

“There should be no despair for you
While nightly stars are burning;
While evening pours its silent dew,
And sunshine gilds the morning.
There should be no despair—though tears
May flow down like a river:
Are not the best beloved of years
Around your heart for ever?

They weep, you weep, it must be so;
Winds sigh as you are sighing,
And winter sheds its grief in snow
Where Autumn’s leaves are lying:
Yet, these revive, and from their fate
Your fate cannot be parted:
Then, journey on, if not elate,
Still, never broken-hearted.”

p. 34, “Sympathy”, Emily Brontë


“(...)
Oh, list! 'tis summer's very breath
That gently shakes the rustling trees—
But look! the snow is on the ground—
How can I think of scenes like these?

'Tis but the frost that clears the air,
And gives the sky that lovely blue;
They're smiling in a winter's sun,
Those evergreens of sombre hue.

And winter's chill is on my heart—
How can I dream of future bliss?
How can my spirit soar away,
Confined by such a chain as this?”


p.46, “The Arbour”, Anne Brontë


Personal faves:
Charlotte: “Winter Stores”
Emily: “Stars” (!!!), “Remembrance”, “Song”, “Hope”, “Sympathy”, “Stanzas”
Anne: “The Arbour”, “Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day”

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironically, this is the first Brönte anything that I've read. Granted, these poems have been curated to reflect the prowess of each writer, so, from this collection alone, it's unknown precisely when each of these was written in their lives with the exception of the death poems and if the editor(s) supplied the dates.

What each of these groupings reveals are three young people trying to make sense of their thoughts and emotions as they make their way into a wider world of early adulthood. The Bröntes' poetry comes at a crossroads of Romantic and Sentimental poetry. What I found most interesting is each's meditations on the same subject matter, whether it be death, transitions through movement of some kind, loss/leaving/parting, and moments with nature. Many of the sentiments are truly universal, which is why these poems have likely stood the test of time.

I also appreciate that, though each was using the conventions of traditional poetry in her time, often many of the points being made are straightforward instead of being completely lost in the linguistic sauce of diction and form. I feel the Bröntes are a must-read for any poet or lover of poetry, and this collection works well because it is easily digestible in one sitting and doesn't overstay its welcome.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the groups I belong to was sharing poetry and there's one that is very autumnal that is tickling my brain but I can't locate it or remember enough to Google it. The poet was a woman and for some reason I thought it might be one of the Brontes, so I checked this out from the library.

It was quickly apparent that none of them have the same poetic voice as the forgotten poem. The poetry of each of the sisters definitely corresponds with their prose style. I confess to loving Jane Eyre and despising Wuthering Heighrs. I have not read The Tenant of windfall hall by Anne, but I will add it to my list because I enjoyed Anne's poetry best. None in the book would go in my personal list of favorites though.

[J.E. Stanway · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Before me rose a lofty hill,
Behind me lay the sea;
My heart was not so heavy then
As it was wont to be.”
- Anne Brontë, The Bluebell

According to the description of this book, Emily Brontë has generally been regarded as the best poet of the three Brontë sisters, but I personally found the most connection to Anne’s lovely and melancholy verse. I love her style of prose and her poetry was just as delightful to read.

I wasn’t overly drawn in by the poetry of Charlotte or Emily, though both wrote some lovely verses; I personally feel those two sisters absolutely shine with their prose.

Overall, this was a lovely read and I’m sure I’ll revisit this collection again!

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of poems by Charlotte, Emily and Anne. While they are more famous for their novels, fans of their work will enjoy adding this small volume to their collection.
My favorites were:

Charlotte -
Preference
Winter Stores
On the Death of Anne Bronte

Emily -
Hope
Plead for Me
Self-Interrogation
The Old Stoic
No Coward Soul is Mine

Anne -
The Penitent
If This Be All *(My favorite of the collection.)
Past Days
Appeal

[a heron ♡︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, although Emily is considered by critics to be the better poet of the three Brontes, I found Anne’s pieces to be all the more moving by comparison. In reflection of their stylistic choices, Emily employs more exaggerant language and dramatic gestures whereas gentler words and images are Anne’s conduit of emotions. Her poems thus contain multitudes while maintaining an airy quality. It’s akin to walking alone in an expansive field of wildflowers.

[Poet for fun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es un regalo exquisito a la humanidad, de parte de una familia excepcional, y me atrevo incluso a afirmar que ni siquiera lo merecemos como especie. Terminé de leerlo con la piel de gallina, ¡cuánta belleza! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PS: Descubrir los versos de Anne fue una experiencia gratificante, serendipia pura.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowing the history of the Brontës made reading their poems a little too depressing for me - the hopelessness and loneliness were all too real. Of course, the poetry was interesting and well done, but often the subject matter was melancholy.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of poetry for anyone who is fan of the Bronte sisters. These are very straightforward gothic poems, often ranging on topics like love and death. There are also some evocations of the famous moor landscape on which they lived.