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chris_dech's review
3.0
Nothing too special, nothing particularly striking. Brontë has a distinct voice and ethereal style, but it is unfortunately hampered by overdone themes.
lizziestudieshistory's review against another edition
3.0
This is an excellent collection with, I believe, most of Emily Bronte's poetry included by Washington as the editor*. I have a love hate relationship with poetry, every now and again I find a poem I adore for it's beauty and power, but nine times out of ten I find poetry dull, probably because I've been unable to perfect the art of finding the correct rhythm to read poetry. When someone reads it to me, properly, I can truly appreciate the artistry that goes into a brilliant poem, but on my own they end up being bland and remind me far too much of English lessons at school...
Saying this, there are a few poems in here that took my breath away with how much feeling they displayed! Some of the more gritty and even bleak poems reminded me of the sheer weight of emotion and power that fills the pages of Wuthering Heights! I absolutely adored these and have marked them to go back and read them time and time again. It's astounding how much some of these poems are evocative of Wuthering Heights to me (particularly when I'd much rather read a novel...) They're full of passion, emotion, and an untameable wildness that I cannot help but adore.
However, most of the time I really couldn't care less, and unfortunately the vast majority of the poems in here came under that category... For example, I'm sorry Emily but personally I don't care enough about bluebells to enjoy those particular poems... Even if the bluebells are meant to symbolise something else (and I'm not good enough with poetry, nor have I spent enough time with these poems to work out whether they are or not) I'm just not a fan.
Bronte is a magnificent poet and when she captures an emotion it's so vibrant and visceral that I can feel it through a medium I generally don't like. Her poetry is well worth reading and I would highly recommend giving them a go if you've read and loved Wuthering Heights!
*I should note I haven't read every poem in this collection, I have an unfortunate habit of skipping poems if the first verse doesn't work for me...
Saying this, there are a few poems in here that took my breath away with how much feeling they displayed! Some of the more gritty and even bleak poems reminded me of the sheer weight of emotion and power that fills the pages of Wuthering Heights! I absolutely adored these and have marked them to go back and read them time and time again. It's astounding how much some of these poems are evocative of Wuthering Heights to me (particularly when I'd much rather read a novel...) They're full of passion, emotion, and an untameable wildness that I cannot help but adore.
However, most of the time I really couldn't care less, and unfortunately the vast majority of the poems in here came under that category... For example, I'm sorry Emily but personally I don't care enough about bluebells to enjoy those particular poems... Even if the bluebells are meant to symbolise something else (and I'm not good enough with poetry, nor have I spent enough time with these poems to work out whether they are or not) I'm just not a fan.
Bronte is a magnificent poet and when she captures an emotion it's so vibrant and visceral that I can feel it through a medium I generally don't like. Her poetry is well worth reading and I would highly recommend giving them a go if you've read and loved Wuthering Heights!
*I should note I haven't read every poem in this collection, I have an unfortunate habit of skipping poems if the first verse doesn't work for me...
meg_dyer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
emleemay's review
4.0
Come, Walk With Me
Come, walk with me,
There's only thee
To bless my spirit now -
We used to love on winter nights
To wander through the snow;
Can we not woo back old delights?
The clouds rush dark and wild
They fleck with shade our mountain heights
The same as long ago
And on the horizon rest at last
In looming masses piled;
While moonbeams flash and fly so fast
We scarce can say they smiled -
Come walk with me, come walk with me;
We were not once so few
But Death has stolen our company
As sunshine steals the dew -
He took them one by one and we
Are left the only two;
So closer would my feelings twine
Because they have no stay but thine -
'Nay call me not - it may not be
Is human love so true?
Can Friendship's flower droop on for years
And then revive anew?
No, though the soil be wet with tears,
How fair soe'er it grew
The vital sap once perished
Will never flow again
And surer than that dwelling dread,
The narrow dungeon of the dead
Time parts the hearts of men -'
Come, walk with me,
There's only thee
To bless my spirit now -
We used to love on winter nights
To wander through the snow;
Can we not woo back old delights?
The clouds rush dark and wild
They fleck with shade our mountain heights
The same as long ago
And on the horizon rest at last
In looming masses piled;
While moonbeams flash and fly so fast
We scarce can say they smiled -
Come walk with me, come walk with me;
We were not once so few
But Death has stolen our company
As sunshine steals the dew -
He took them one by one and we
Are left the only two;
So closer would my feelings twine
Because they have no stay but thine -
'Nay call me not - it may not be
Is human love so true?
Can Friendship's flower droop on for years
And then revive anew?
No, though the soil be wet with tears,
How fair soe'er it grew
The vital sap once perished
Will never flow again
And surer than that dwelling dread,
The narrow dungeon of the dead
Time parts the hearts of men -'
itsnarms's review
3.75
Emily Brontë certainly had a way with words. She could deliver melancholy in such a beautiful way.
My personal favorites were Remembrance, poem 22, poem 29, and poem 85.
Personally I didn't care much for the Gondal poems though.
My personal favorites were Remembrance, poem 22, poem 29, and poem 85.
Personally I didn't care much for the Gondal poems though.
brendarusso's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
pbraue13's review against another edition
3.0
Beautiful, dark, and cool like the moors Bronte wrote on and about, this little collection is an interesting array of work from an author I wish we had heard more from.