Poems of Wordsworth (from Arnold's selections) Book

The first outing of the Brontë sisters as writers does indeed read like a first outing - Poems was published with the sole intention to establish a name for themselves before risking a work of fiction. But the sisters (or brothers?!!) remained unknown despite the poetry… actually, probably because of the poetry. Regardless of some very favourable reviews, only two copies were sold.

It’s quite evident why; there’s the odd gem here and there, but the overall collection is lukewarm. However, this volume is fascinating from a biographical perspective - for a seasoned Brontë fan it would be fairly easy to guess the author of each poem from either the style or content. Charlotte’s almost sentimental and fanciful poetry was more enjoyable than I had anticipated, especially since she is hailed as the least competent composer of the three. Emily’s was clearly darker and denser but, dare I say it, a little samey. Anne’s pieces are generally described as ‘boring’, but I thoroughly disagree - ‘charming’ would be a far more accurate epithet. Just because she generally chooses to focus on the twee rather than the sublime (like Emily, for example) or explicit passion (Charlotte) does not necessarily mean that she is less competent and deserves dismissal. The eloquent delineation of her religious doubt especially is compelling, but I can appreciate that the topic itself feels archaic and difficult to connect with in a far more secular society. Charlotte however did give a highly insightful commentary to the posthumous collection of her sisters’ poetry which serves to clarify some of Anne’s anxieties as well as Emily’s progressively outlandish compositions. It is also worth mentioning that many of Emily and Anne’s poems were originally written as part of their fantasy saga and were ‘degondalised’ for publication, so I recommend reading those in their intended format (ie. as juvenilia) rather than in this volume alone.

Probably not the best place to start with the Brontës; prioritize their novels first, then come back to this to see how it all began and appreciate their astounding growth as writers.