Kyle Lefler's Channel Firing Essay!

Kyle Lefler April 10, 2011 Engl. 336/ Foss Channel Firing Essay

Religion & Science in Emily Bronte

Emily Bronte is most famous for her novel Wuthering Heights, which chronicles two thwarted lovers as they journey through their lives. Although this is the only novel she ever wrote, it became her link to the canonical literary history. However, Bronte was also a prolific poet, writing many poems during the last ten years of her short life. Some of her more well-known poems, such as No coward soul is mine and Stanzas make strong allusions to Bronte’s feelings on religion and would add another important viewpoint to the BVL reflections on the topical focus point of Religion and Science. Bronte spent the majority of her life in the small village of Haworth in Yorkshire. She is often described by her sister Charlotte as a fiercely independent and strong willed woman- even to the point of her death when she refused treatment for her illness. Following her sister’s death, Charlotte discovered unpublished manuscripts containing Emily’s poetic works, which she then published with the 1850 version of Wuthering Heights. Much of the poetry focuses on the battles the soul has with its environment, and overcoming the darkness of an Earthly life in hopes of a happier future. Bronte’s poem No coward soul is mine is full of allusions to religion and faith, especially in the concept of an afterlife. In the first stanza, Bronte writes “I see Heaven’s glories shine, And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear.” The attitude of the poem is hopeful and often looking heavenward toward a better life after death. It can be inferred that the author has some religious education as well as active faith. The second stanza addresses the “God within my breast”, an “ever-present Deity” that lives within the author’s soul. It seems that Bronte trusts in God’s promise of the Holy Spirit which now resides within her, guiding her actions and protecting her throughout life. The ending of the poem once again addresses the hope of an afterlife with her creator. She states that “there is not room for Death” as long as God is in control. Bronte’s final line, “And what thou art may never be destroyed,” hints that with God in her soul she will never truly die. Stanzas mirrors a similar theme, but uses the death of someone the author knew as a vehicle for the message. Bronte writes that “there is nothing lovely here” (on Earth). She says that she will not be sad that her friend is leaving this “dark world” because they are most certainly destined for someplace better than their earthly home. Her final line tells the reader that her idea of the afterlife is a “rest” and that her “soul is sighing” to go there. The general theme of the poem is one of hope instead of grief, because any sadness she feels here on Earth is really only a longing for something better. Many of Bronte’s other poems detail a miserable life spent on Earth- where she was constantly wishing for something better. Much of the imagery she uses is dark and solemn- leading the reader to believe that her outlook on life is dim. She uses images from the countryside around her to evoke dreariness in her work that reminds the reader of her sentiments. In general, her poetry has deep allusions to the hope of an afterlife, presumably heaven. Her allusions to religion are related more to faith than to the church itself, which leads me to believe that her faith was very personal and not based in the institution of religion. Her perspective on religion is unique and important because it comes from the female, rather than the male, which was unusual for her time period. She is also not a religious figure of power, such as a priest. Many of the authors that we have read in the context of the religion and science perspective have been involved in the church in one way or another, where Bronte is an everyday observer. Her outlook is relatable and practical if the reader is trying to learn more about a basic feeling of religion during the 19th century. Bronte’s impact on the British Victorian canon should be more broad than simply one novel; her poetry is equally unique and important to the time period. With the study of her poems, the reader gains a more full understanding of Emily herself, her hopes, dreams and fears. Her poetry sets her distinctly from her famous family.