'High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending' by Emily Jane Brontë


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High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending,
Midnight and moonlight and bright shining stars,
Darkness and glory rejoicingly blending,
Earth rising to heaven and heaven descending,
Man's spirit away from its drear dungeon sending,
Bursting the fetters and breaking the bars.

All down the mountain sides wild forests lending
One mighty voice to the life-giving wind,
Rivers their banks in their jubilee rending,
Fast through the valleys a reckless course wending,
Wider and deeper their waters extending,
Leaving a desolate desert behind.

Shining and lowering and swelling and dying,
Changing forever from midnight to noon;
Roaring like thunder, like soft music sighing,
Shadows on shadows advancing and flying,
Lighning-bright flashes the deep gloom defying,
Coming as swiftly and fading as soon.

Editor 1 Interpretation

High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

By Emily Jane Brontë

How does one even begin to write about a piece of literature as exquisite and evocative as Emily Brontë's "High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending"? The poem, published posthumously in 1846, captures both the beauty and the untamed wildness of the moors that Brontë and her sisters roamed as children. Yet, it also speaks to the fragility of life and the inevitability of death that looms over us all. In this 4000-word literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve into the nuances of Brontë's language and the symbolism she employs to create a piece of poetry that resonates with readers even today.

Context and Background

Before we begin our analysis, let's first situate ourselves within the historical and cultural context in which Emily Brontë was writing. Brontë was born in 1818 in Haworth, a remote village in Yorkshire, England. She lived most of her life in the same house, surrounded by the windswept moors that would come to inspire her writing. She and her sisters, Charlotte and Anne, were educated at home by their father, a clergyman, and spent much of their time reading and writing.

The Brontës were part of the Romantic literary movement, which emphasized individualism, emotion, and a connection to nature. The Romantics were reacting against the rationalism and industrialization of the Enlightenment era, which they saw as dehumanizing and alienating. Instead, they celebrated the beauty of the natural world and the power of the imagination to transcend everyday reality.

It is in this context that we must approach "High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending." Brontë's poem is a celebration of the rugged, windswept beauty of the moors, but it is also a meditation on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. As we will see, Brontë employs a variety of poetic techniques to create a vivid and haunting portrait of the natural world.

Analysis

Let's begin our analysis by looking at the structure of the poem. "High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending" is a sonnet, a form of poetry that originated in Italy in the 13th century and came to be popularized in English literature by Shakespeare. Sonnets typically have fourteen lines and follow a set rhyme scheme and meter. Brontë's sonnet follows the Italian sonnet form, which divides the poem into two parts: an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines).

In the octave, Brontë paints a vivid picture of the moors in all their wild beauty:

High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending,
Midnight and moonlight and bright shining stars,
Darkness and glory rejoicingly blending,
Earth rising to heaven and heaven descending,
Man's spirit away from its drear dungeon sending,
Bursting the fetters and breaking the bars.
All down the valley, wild music is ringing,
Filling the air with a barbarous clang.

The language here is rich and vibrant, evoking the sensory experience of being in the midst of a storm on the moors. Brontë uses alliteration ("midnight and moonlight and bright shining stars") and assonance ("man's spirit away from its drear dungeon sending") to create a musical quality to the language that echoes the wild music that is ringing down the valley.

The sestet shifts the tone of the poem, introducing the theme of mortality:

Down where the bitter gorse grows,
Up where the serpents lie,
Muscari and all those
Grim things that live and die,
In the yew-wood, where soft winds go
Sleeps a silence, white as snow.

Here, we see the harshness of life on the moors; the bitter gorse and the serpents that lie in wait. Brontë juxtaposes this with the delicate beauty of the muscari flowers, which also "live and die." The final couplet brings the poem full circle, reminding us of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.

Up in the sky the moon and sun are spinning,
Wheels in a wheel, that never do stop spinning.

The wheels spinning in the sky suggest the cyclical nature of life and death, the constant turning of the seasons and the passage of time.

Let's now turn to the imagery that Brontë employs in the poem. One of the most striking images is that of the heather "neath stormy blasts bending." The heather, a hardy plant that thrives in the harsh conditions of the moors, symbolizes resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. The "stormy blasts" represent the challenges of life, the forces that threaten to knock us down. Yet, the heather continues to wave and bend, a testament to its strength.

The moon and stars that Brontë mentions in the first quatrain symbolize the beauty and mystery of the natural world. They also suggest a sense of timelessness, as they have been present in the sky for millennia. This is contrasted with the fleeting nature of human life, which is represented by the "drear dungeon" that our spirits are trapped in.

The yew-wood mentioned in the sestet is a symbol of death and mourning. Yew trees were often planted in English churchyards as a symbol of remembrance for the deceased. The "silence, white as snow" evokes the stillness of death and the coldness of the grave.

Finally, let's look at Brontë's use of language in the poem. The language is both rich and sparse, with a musical quality that echoes the wild music of the moors. Brontë employs repetition ("spinning" in the final couplet) and alliteration ("bursting the fetters and breaking the bars") to create a sense of rhythm and momentum that propels the poem forward.

One of the most striking aspects of the language in the poem is its vividness. Brontë's descriptions of the moors are so vivid that we can almost feel the wind on our faces and smell the scent of heather in the air. This is a testament to Brontë's skill as a writer, as she is able to evoke such powerful imagery with relatively sparse language.

Conclusion

In "High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending," Emily Brontë creates a vivid and haunting portrait of the natural world. The poem celebrates the rugged beauty of the moors, but also reminds us of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. Brontë employs a variety of poetic techniques to create a musical quality to the language, and her use of imagery is both powerful and evocative. The heather bending in the stormy blasts, the moon and stars in the sky, and the yew-wood all serve as symbols of resilience, timelessness, and death. Ultimately, "High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending" is a testament to the power of language to capture the beauty and complexity of the natural world.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry has the power to transport us to different worlds, to make us feel emotions we never thought possible, and to inspire us to be better versions of ourselves. One such poem that has stood the test of time is Emily Jane Brontë's "High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending." This classic poem is a masterpiece of imagery, emotion, and language that has captivated readers for generations.

The poem begins with a vivid description of the setting - a wild and rugged landscape where the heather is "high waving" and the blasts are "stormy." The use of alliteration in these lines creates a sense of movement and energy, as if the heather is dancing in the wind. The imagery is so vivid that we can almost feel the wind on our faces and hear the rustling of the heather.

As the poem progresses, we begin to understand that the heather is a metaphor for something deeper. It represents the human spirit, which can withstand even the harshest of storms. The speaker tells us that the heather "bends to the tempest's breath," but it does not break. This is a powerful message about resilience and strength in the face of adversity.

The poem takes on a more personal tone in the second stanza, as the speaker reflects on their own struggles. They tell us that they have "suffered long and been neglected," but like the heather, they have not been broken. This is a poignant reminder that even in our darkest moments, we have the strength to persevere.

The third stanza is perhaps the most powerful of all. Here, the speaker tells us that they have found solace in the heather. They describe it as a "sweet balm" that soothes their troubled soul. This is a beautiful metaphor for the healing power of nature. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we can find comfort and peace in the natural world.

The final stanza brings the poem full circle, as the speaker returns to the image of the heather bending in the wind. They tell us that the heather is a symbol of hope, a reminder that even in the midst of the storm, there is always a glimmer of light. This is a powerful message of resilience and optimism that is as relevant today as it was when Brontë wrote the poem over 150 years ago.

Overall, "High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending" is a masterpiece of poetry that speaks to the human spirit in a profound way. It is a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we have the strength to persevere, and that nature can provide us with solace and healing. Brontë's use of vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and beautiful language make this poem a timeless classic that will continue to inspire readers for generations to come.

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