Life by Charlotte Bronte
LIFE, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?
Rapidly, merrily,
Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly!
What though Death at times steps in
And calls our Best away?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope, a heavy sway?
Yet hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!
Horace said in his work, Ars Poetica,
“It is enough for poems to be fine; they must charm, and draw the mind of the listener at will.”
Charlotte Bronte, with a new kind of heroine defiantly virtuous, morally courageous and fiercely independent, brought about change in the style of fiction of the day, presenting an unconventional woman to be admired for her ability to overcome adversity. In her poem entitled, Life, readers can depict what kind of person wrote it and it really manifests the attitude of Bronte. She chose the notion in which she finds herself powerful and enriched and this is what helped her do the poem in placid. Horace said,
“You writers, choose a subject that is within your powers, and ponder long what your shoulders can and cannot bear. He who makes every effort to select his theme aright will be at no loss for choice words or lucid arrangements.” and
“I shall bid a clever imitator look to life and morals for his real model, and draw thence language true to life.”
Thus her poem, Life, stimulates the mind of the readers into an optimistic and charming lift which reflects what of Horace’s idea of an art in poetry.
The poem generally talks about life: its wonders and realities. It is only subjected to what happens within a span of life. Trials, fears, hopes, joys and success are those compose a meaningful life. Bronte, presented her subject as it is and in context of what it in reality. She let it reflect on the simple events in life like the little morning rain and roses bloom. Horace said,
“In short, be your subject what you will, only let it be simple and consistent.”
Her choice of words is direct or straight forward but enticing. Also, some of the words are rejected to find a place for a new, good one. It stimulates the reader’s senses with the help of imageries. These imageries are used to depict life. Here are the imageries present in the poem:
Kinaesthetic: Enjoy them as they fly!
Visual: Sometimes there are clouds of gloom.
Still buoyant are her golden wings.
The use of personification is rampant. Here are examples:
Life's sunny hours flit by,
Can courage quell despair!
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
This style is what Horace trying to tell in his Ars Poetica, citation follows:
“Careful and nice, too, in his choice of words, the author of the promised poem must reject one word and welcome another: you will have expressed yourself admirably if a clever setting gives a spice of novelty in a familiar word.”
Charlotte Bronte made the poem reflect her personality. She made it as an optimistic progress until the end. In the end of the poem, courage is stressed as a source of power to conquer despair. It ended the poem nicely and still with charm and optimism. It states there that,
“Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!”
Hence, Bronte’s attitude towards her subject of life was contextualized to a life that is full of simplicity, contentment and courage. It fully equipped her poem to mirror what of Horace ideas of a good one. In the end, the author produced an exceptional poem.
Horace said,
“…the man who mingles the useful with the sweet carries the day by charming his reader and at the same time instructing him.”
As conclusion, the author, Charlotte Bronte, weaved with her passion and attitude. Through this, she inculcated in the poem what should be of legal claim about life. The poem manifested such delightful and fascinating things about life yet she did not forget to include the burdens and hurdles such as death to depict the reality as it is. Moreover, the poem not only is charming but also it is didactic for it teaches man that hope and courage are the keys to overcome any causes of sorrow.
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