Remembrance, an elegy written by Emily Bronte, is filled with negative imagery and a strong connection to nature. This connection can be attributed to Emily’s upbringing, where she developed a fascination for nature and enjoyed solitude. It was during these moments of solitude that she learned to appreciate the beauty of nature. In the second verse, Emily’s profound knowledge of nature is evident through references to “Over the mountains,” “that northern shore,” and “where heath and fern leaves cover.”
There are various other instances in the poem that I will discuss later in the essay. The poem revolves around the idea of someone losing a beloved person and the emotions they experience after their departure. The theme of losing a loved one is commonly seen in Emily’s poems, although typically it is focused on the mother figure. This choice creates a character that relates to Emily herself, since she also lost her mother at a very young age. The poem reveals how she is unable to love anyone else as deeply as she loved the one who is now lost. Personally, I believe that the loved one she refers to in the poem is her mother, and the poem reflects her emotions towards the women that Patrick Bronte had relationships with after her mother’s death. These women cannot replace her mother in Emily’s eyes.
I believe the poem is about Emily because it portrays her delight in being secluded in her own world, Gondal. The use of words like ‘dreams’ relates to Gondal as it is in her dreams that she visits Gondal. The phrase ‘No later light has lightened up my heaven’ could also symbolize Gondal. Her heaven, an ideal world, may be referencing Gondal. Moreover, Emily begins Remembrance with numerous negative images.
The poem describes the image of a cold dead body buried in the ground, symbolizing the loved one. The deep snow piled above represents winter and death, connecting with the initial image of the cold in the earth.
The world seems artificial, like snow that has been piled up unnaturally. The use of “thee” at the end of the lines indicates that it refers to a person buried in the ground, creating a more personal tone. The phrase “Far, far removed, cold in the dreary grave” emphasizes the loneliness and isolation of the body, with the repetition of “far” intensifying this feeling. The repeated image of “cold” from the beginning of the poem carries a stronger impact on the reader.
The irony in the line ‘Have I forgot my love, to love thee’ is that the speaker is asking if they have forgotten their love, but it is clear that they haven’t since they are talking about it. Emily employs personification in the last line of the opening verse with ‘Severed at last by times all severing wave?’ which symbolizes the death of the loved one. Additionally, despite ending with a question mark, there does not seem to be a clear question in this line. The purpose behind its inclusion is unclear to me.
‘Now, when alone, do my thoughts no longer hover.’ Emily finds comfort in solitude, feeling most at ease and true to herself when she is alone. However, when surrounded by others, she may feel anxious or intimidated, causing her to suppress her true self. This is the essence of her statement regarding her thoughts only being able to settle when she is alone. The second and third verses also feature references to angels, with the phrases ‘resting their wings’ and ‘spirit’ evoking strong religious imagery. These allusions are significant as they reveal Emily’s deep religious understanding, influenced by her father’s role as a priest.
In Remembrance, some other words that hold religious meaning are ‘Faithful’ and ‘Heaven’.
‘Faithful’ refers to loyalty to a subject in any religion. Emily exemplified faithfulness to her loved one and continues to demonstrate faithfulness to the spirit of her loved one.
‘Heaven’, on the other hand, carries a distinct meaning for Emily. While traditionally it is the abode of God and his angels, Emily envisions her heaven in her dreams and thoughts, which is likely to be Gondal.
Heaven could be the dwelling place of her and her loved one. Remembrance, like many of Emily Bronte’s poems, incorporates water imagery. Another Bronte poem, “Stars,” also contains strong water imagery. However, in “Stars,” the water imagery is negative, with words like “sank” and “sea” suggesting drowning.
When reflecting on the past, water imagery is prevalent, with words like “wave,” “shore,” “tide,” and “drinking.” Additionally, the concepts of snow, melting, and tears can also be interpreted as water-related motifs. In the midst of her contemplation, Emily composed two lines beginning with the phrase “All my life’s bliss.” While one line concludes with life and the other with death, both lines convey a sorrowful and disheartening message.
‘All my life’s bliss from thy dear life was given’ signifies that all the happiness she received came from her loved one. ‘All my life’s bliss is in the grave with thee.’ This implies that all her happiness is now buried with her loved one. These lines carry great weight and the repetition intensifies the melancholic tone, making them particularly impactful. This verse stands out as the most potent in the entire poem.
The poem starts by indicating that no individual has been able to replace the void created by the departed loved one. ‘No later light has lightened up my heaven/No second morn has ever shone for me.’ These lines portray contrasting images of happiness: ‘lightened up my heaven’ signifies intense joy, while ‘shone for me’ represents a more general form of happiness. Towards the end of the poem, the negative tone and imagery persist with expressions like despair, powerless, and destroy. These words carry great strength and leave an impact.
According to the verse, when the days of hope were over and even despair couldn’t overcome her, she discovered the ability to appreciate and nurture her existence without relying on happiness. I interpret this as her realization that, despite moving on with her life after accepting the loved one’s absence, she could never find complete fulfillment. The subsequent verse employs an assortment of intriguing terms, with passion being personified as useless.
The author’s assertion that one of man’s most intense emotions is useless is a bold statement that strongly conveys her pain. Additionally, she personifies her soul as it relentlessly pursues her, a peculiar notion that imbues her soul with an image of youth and innocence. This portrayal of the soul further characterizes the speaker or protagonist of the poem as young and innocent. Earlier in the poem, the concept of heaven and angels was introduced, but now there is a stark contrast with the word “burning,” which evokes a negative and often associated with the image of hell.
The word “tomb” was interesting to me in the poem. There were many references to tombs, graves, and brown hills throughout the poem. These images represent being close to nature, as if being eaten up by the earth and taken back by nature. In the final verse of “Remembrance,” the reader is told about the pain of remembering a lost loved one, and is warned not to dwell on memories. The final line connects with the opening line as the poet questions how she could possibly seek a world that feels empty without her loved one. The word “empty” relates to snow, which can make the world appear empty as it covers everything. However, in this context, the poet is referring to her loved one’s absence of people to love.
