No sooner do I begin writing about one author whose birthday it is, -  another pops up!   Over the past three days Anne Bronte, A.A. Milne, Raymond Briggs and Edgar Allen Poe have all celebrated  birthdays, or to be exact, they have had their birthdays celebrated for them – apart from Raymond Briggs who at 78 is still with us.

Anne Bronte

January 17th was  the birthday of writer and poet Anne Bronte (1820 -  1849 Thornton Yorkshire)   Anne, was the youngest of 6 children born to the Reverend Patrick Bronte and Maria Branwell she was barely one year old when her mother died. Anne wrote 2 books in her short lifetime (Agnes Grey which was published in 1847 and The Tenent of Wildfell Hall published 1848) and a  lot of poetry.  Much has been written about the Bronte family, their story is well-known.  This website is dedicated to Anne and includes all her poems and a biography.  But this beautiful poem, a tribute to the simple flower, the bluebell  could almost be a metaphor for the author’s life, which is made poignant by her sad death at the age of 29.  She is buried in Scarborough – her favorite place.

Read my review about The Tenant of Wildfell Hall here

18th January saw the birthday of British children’s author Alan Alexander Milne  (1882 –  1956) the author best known for his books about Winnie the Pooh and children’s poems.

Born in Kilburn  London, Milne  grew up at Henley House school,  a small public school ran by his father.  One of his teachers was H. G. Wells (who taught there 1889 – 1890).  The young Milne attended Westminsterschool and Trinity College Cambridge, where he studied mathematics.  Whilst at Cambridge, he edited and wrote for the student magazine Granta.  His collaborated on articles with his brother Kenneth  and caught the attention of Punch magazine.  Milne went on to be a contributor and later, assistant editor.

He married Dorothy “Daphne” de Sélincourt in 1913 and in 1920 Christopher Robin Milne was born.  Milne bought Cotchford farm in East Sussex in 1925. He joined the army in World War 1, serving as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919 .  During World War 11 Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield Forest Row.  In 1952 he had a stroke and had to undergo brain surgery.  He retired to his farm an invalid.

Milne published 18 plays and 3 novels and in 1924 produced a collection of children’s poetry called When We Were Very Young, this was illustrated by Punch illustrator E. H. Shepherd.  Milne was also a screen writer for the British film industry (founded in 1920).  But it is the two Pooh books which Milne is most famous for.

The books feature a boy named Christopher Robin (after Milnes’ son).  The characters in the book were inspired by Christopher Robin’s stuffed toys – the most noteworthy being the bear named ‘Winnie the Pooh’.  The bear was originally called ‘Edward’ but was renamed ‘Winnie the Pooh’ after a Canadian black bear called ‘Winnie’ (after Winnipeg) used as a military mascot in World War 1 and was left to London Zoo during the war.  The ‘Pooh’ comes from a swan of the same name.’

Winnie the Pooh was published in 1926. A second collection of nursery rhymes Now we are Six was published in 1927 and was followed by The House at Pooh Corner in 1928 and were all illustrated by E. H. Shepherd.  For a more in-depth look at this author please look here and this website and there are lots of Pooh related information to be found here

The author Raymond Briggs also shares his birthday with A.A. Milne.  Briggs was born in 1934 Wimbledon London.  He is a graphic artist, novelist and illustrator.  though he is best known for his story The Snowman, shown every Christmas in cartoon form on television, he has illustrated many children’s books.

Briggs liked to cartoon at an early age, even though his father tried to dissuade him from what he saw as an unprofitable pursuit.  He attended the Wimbledon School of Art from 1949 – 1953 studying painting, then the Central School of Art to study typography.

In 1953 he became a conscript in the Royal Corps of Signals, based at Catterick, where he was made a draughtsman.  He returned to study painting at Slade School fo Fine Art after 2 years of National Service where he graduated in 1957.

He briefly painted before becoming a professional illustrator, and soon began working on children’s books.  He taught illustration part-time at Brighton College of Art between 1961 and 1986

His famous works include Father Christmas (1973), Father Christmas goes on Holiday (1975) which both featured a rather grumpy Father Christmas and Fungus the Bogeyman (1977).  These were in the form of comics, rather than the typical children’s book format where the text is separate to the illustrations.

Briggs has said that The Snowman (1978) was inspired by Fungus the Bogeyman;-

For two years I worked on Fungus, buried amongst muck, slime and words, so… I wanted to do something which was clean, pleasant, fresh and wordless and quick.

This work was entirely wordless and illustrated only with pencil crayons, which I feel lends it charm and spontaneity. In 1982 The Snowman was made into a Oscar nominated animated cartoon, becoming Briggs best known work and much-loved by all who see it.  It is shown every year on British television  and Christmas would not be the same without it!  For a more in-depth look at the author and his life try this and the charming Snowman website here

19th January saw the birthday of celebrated Amercian author, editor, poet and literary critic  Edgar Allan Poe (b. Boston Massachusetts) USA 1809 – 1849)  Poe is famous for his tales of the macabre and mystery.  He is considered an early pioneer of the short story and  the inventor of the detective fiction genre and a contributor to the emerging genre Science fiction.

Orphaned young, Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan, of Richmond Virginia.  He attended the University of Virgina for only one semester as he was short of money.  He enlisted in the army but failed as an officers cadet at West Point.  He started his literary career with a collection of poems in 1827 (Tamerlane and Other Poems).  The poems were credited anonymously to ‘A Bostonian’

Poe spent worked for literary journals and periodicals for the next several years, becoming known for his literary criticism.  He lived in several cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City and it was in Baltimore 1835  he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm.

In 1945, his poem The Raven was published too much acclaim and was an instant success.  Poe died in  1849 at the age of only 40, the cause is still unknown.

Edgar Allan Poe’s short life is a very interesting one, full of adventures, triumphs and some sadness.  His fiction work is considered Gothic and of dark Romanticism.  His particular theme include death, decomposition and premature burial.  But he also wrote humourous tales, satire and hoaxes, using themes that catered to the public taste of the time.  Much more can be read about Poe’s life here and short stories and poems can be read on this excellent site.

Read my post about his poem Annabel Lee

Anne Bronte portrait from here

Read about  Anne here

Thanks to JustAudio2008 for The Bluebell video

A.A. Milne image from here  Pooh illustration  from here

Raymond Briggs image from here and Father Christmas illustration here

Edgar Allan Poe image from here

Thanks to KajiCarson for the video

Original birthday invite image from here

UPDATE:  There’s a video featuring Scottish Artists over on Echostains to celebrate Burns Night

There promises to be a lot more activity on Bookstains this year – and a lot of changes.  It seems these days that everyone and their wives are doing poetry challenges, these days so I feel that it is time to close mine in order to retain some originality.  I shall still be featuring poetry but it shall be in a completely different format.  I’m way behind with my book and film reviews, but I have taken notes, so expect these to appear in the form of posts soon.

To kick off 2012, here is a post about costume.  I was undecided at first about which blog to use for this post.  Although ‘echostains’ is an art and design blog, the clothes featured were actually worn by actors in films (period drama’s which were sometimes derived from books).

The place these pictures were taken was the wonderful Medieval Barley Hall in York, UK.  December 2011 saw us visiting one of our favorite places (York) for a few days before Christmas.  The weather was at its most treacherous – blowing a gale with lashings of Yorkshire rain.  However we managed to find a safe haven in The Barley Hall which was all set out for a Medieval Christmas.

We’ve visited York a lot, yet this was one building we have never been in.  Although it has long been known that there was a medieval building in the Stonegate vicinity, the building wasn’t actually officially recorded as Medieval until 1980.  When the site was sold for redevelopment, it then became clear that the extent of the medieval structure was substantial.

The oldest part of the reconstructed Barley Hall dates back to about 1360.  The house was  built as a townhouse of Nostell Priory, which is monastery in West Yorkshire.  In 1430, a new wing was added and soon after,  the Hall became the home of William Snawsell, a leading York citizen, who was a goldsmith, an Alderman and Lord Mayor of York.

The atmosphere of the hall is wonderful and it was especially enhanced by the Christmas decorations.  Charming as the Hall is, we received an unexpected surprise when we ventured upstairs.  An exhibition of Period Drama clothes awaited us – some of them instantly recognisable.  I didn’t know which ones to examine first, I was so excited!

Lizzie and Darcy clothes from BBC Pride and Prejudice

What a joy to be able to scrutinise  the actual clothes which Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth wore in Andrew Davies adaptation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice BBC 1995!  Lizzie’s jacket is the one worn in the scene where Darcy successfully proposes to her.  Other Pride and Prejudice clothes  featured in the exhibition are hats worn by the characters Lady Catherine de Bourgh and the haughty Miss Bingley.

From the Georgian era to the Late Edwardian era.  Costumes from the gorgeous Downton Abbey, created and written by Julian Fellowes, which premiered on ITV, September 2010. The latest episode was shown the Christmas period 2011.  The image below shows a dress worn by Dame Maggie Smith who plays The Rt Hon Violet, Countess of Grantham.  Her costumes are built to reflect the style appropriate of her heyday (early Edwardian) rather than the younger fashions of the day.  This is a stunning gown!

As worn by Dame Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey

worn by Cate Blanchett in 'Elizabeth'

Another stunning dress, was the one worn by Cate Blanchett who starred in the 1998 film  ‘Elizabeth‘  incidentally, the information about the dress states ;-

“The dress in this film were undoubtably influenced by the director Shekhar Kapur who was of Indian origin and who wanted to use fabrics which were light and flowed beautifully, very much refelecting the fabrics which were traditionally used for  clothes in India.”

Not all the clothes are grand though… Dame Judy Dench and Julia Sawalla dresss from Larkrise to Candleford are quite modest.  Unlike the ‘has to be actually seen to be believed’ Elizabeth Taylor’s dress form the film ‘Young Toscanini’

Elizabeth Taylor Young Toscanini 1988

Period drama women don’t have it all their own way though – the men are well represented in this exhibition.

Alan Rickman Judge Turpin Sweeney Todd

Tim Burton’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ 2007 (which starred Alan Rickman and Johnny Depp), features a pair of bloodstained trousers and an outfit worn by Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin with an explanation of how clothes are distressed for the bloody scenes.

bloodstained trousers from Sweeney Todd

Thanks to York dig  for providing the first image, and The Barley Hall for providing the black and white photo.  All other photographs are my own.

The exhibition is open until March 2012 – please drop in if you are in the area.  You will be well rewarded!

For lots more information please visit http://www.barleyhall.org.uk/

More info about Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd film costumes here

PLUS

PS it’s Chaim Soutine’s Birthday!

December 5th saw the   birthday celebration of famous American animator Walt Disney (1901-1966)   Disney was not only an animator, he was also a film producer, screen writer and voice actor.  He has become a national icon in his own right. Disney, an entrapenairre  and a showman went on to design theme parks, and become one of the best known motion picture producer in the world.

Walt Disney founded Walt Disney Productions along with this brother Roy O. Disney (now known as The Walt Disney Company)  He created the Micky Mouse character, and also the original voice.  He has won a vast amount of acclaim and awards for his contribution to film, including  4 Honary Academy awards, 22 out of 59 Academy awards and 7 Emmy’s.  He died in 1966 of lung cancer in California.

I have always thought the surname ‘Disney’ a very unusual one and was surprised to find that the name comes from Arundal Disney, a descendant of Frenchman d’Isigny who travelled to England with William the Conqueror in 1066.  The name became anglicised to ‘Disney’ and the family settled in a Lincolnshire village  now called Norton Disney.

Disney films have also been firm favorites with old and young alike and often hold happy memories of family outings to the cinema.  The list of Disney’s films is far too long to list so I have taken some which I think the most popular and put them in a poll to find out which films are your particular favorite.  Apologies in advance if I have missed out yours.

Thanks to Fredfredbug4 for the video

For more about Walt Disney’s life and achievements please visit the Walt Disney Family Museum

On 21st day of this month in 1772  the English poet and critic  Samuel Taylor Coleridge (died 25 July 1834) was born.  Along with his friend William Wordsworth he was a founder member of the Romantic movement and was also one of the Lake Poets.  His most well-known poems include Khubla Kahn and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner‘.  His acclaimed critical work about Shakespeare was highly instrumental for in introducing German Idealist philosophy to English-speaking culture.

Coleridge also introduced many well coined expressions such as ‘suspension of disbelief’ and had an influence of American Transcendentalism.  He suffered a lot from anxiety and depression and may have been an undiagnosed bipolar sufferer in his adult life.  This coupled with bouts of physical illness – the aftermath of rheumatic fever and other childhood illness led to his eventual dependency and addiction to Opium.  Kublah Kahn, Coleridge claimed was written as a response to an opium dream.

Coleridge also wrote lots of ‘conversation poems’ The Eolian Harp’ 1795, ‘Reflections on having left a place of retirement’ 1795  ‘This Lime Tree Bower my Prison’ 1797, ‘Frost at Midnight’ 1798, ‘Fears in Solitude’ 1798, ‘The Nightingale: A conversation poem’ 1798 and ‘Dejection: An Ode’ 1802.

To get a more detailed idea of Coleridge, the man, his work and his contribution to Romanticism, you really must visit the fabulous website known as ‘Her Aeolian Harp‘.  There you can indulge in poetry and humanities dedicated to Romanticism  with beautiful videos.

Video by Her Aeolian Harp  with thanks!

More about this interesting poet from here

August 15th was  the birthday of Scottish poet, writer and playwright  (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) Scott was  a 1st Baronet who wrote poems and historical novels.  He has the distinction in being the first english language author to achieve international fame in his own lifetime. Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and the Lady of the Lake still remain classics both in English and Scottish literature.  

Sir Walter Scott by Rarburn

Privately educated, the young Scott  loved reading romantic adventure stories, history and travel books.  He began studying the Classics in 1783 at the age of 12 years old, becoming one of the youngest students to do so in Edinburgh University.   Lochinvar was a poem that my late father used to recite to me.  It is suitably romantic and Pre Raphealite like to appeal to a girl raised on fairy tales!    

The Knight Errant by Millias

Here it is read beautifully!

 Lochinvar
  O young Lochinvar is come out of the west,
Through all the wide Border his steed was the best;
And save his good broadsword he weapons had none,
He rode all unarm’d, and he rode all alone.
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war,
There never was knight like the young Lochinvar.
He staid not for brake, and he stopp’d not for stone,
He swam the Eske river where ford there was none;
But ere he alighted at Netherby gate,
The bride had consented, the gallant came late:
For a laggard in love, and a dastard in war,
Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar.

So boldly he enter’d the Netherby Hall,
Among bride’s-men, and kinsmen, and brothers and all:
Then spoke the bride’s father, his hand on his sword,
(For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word,)
“O come ye in peace here, or come ye in war,
Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?”

“I long woo’d your daughter, my suit you denied; –
Love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide –
And now I am come, with this lost love of mine,
To lead but one measure, drink one cup of wine.
There are maidens in Scotland more lovely by far,
That would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar.”

The bride kiss’d the goblet: the knight took it up,
He quaff’d off the wine, and he threw down the cup.
She look’d down to blush, and she look’d up to sigh,
With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye.
He took her soft hand, ere her mother could bar, –
“Now tread we a measure!” said young Lochinvar.

So stately his form, and so lovely her face,
That never a hall such a gailiard did grace;
While her mother did fret, and her father did fume
And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume;
And the bride-maidens whisper’d, “’twere better by far
To have match’d our fair cousin with young Lochinvar.”

One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear,
When they reach’d the hall-door, and the charger stood near;
So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung,
So light to the saddle before her he sprung!
“She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur;
They’ll have fleet steeds that follow,” quoth young Lochinvar.

There was mounting ‘mong Graemes of the Netherby clan;
Forsters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves, they rode and they ran:
There was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lee,
But the lost bride of Netherby ne’er did they see.
So daring in love, and so dauntless in war,
Have ye e’er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar?

Thanks to JustAudio2008 for the video

Image and more about this interesting poet and novelist here

Poem from Poemhunter

The Knight Errant by Millias image from here

Bonham Carter as Enid Blyton

When I was a child, Enid Blyton was my favorite author. She was beloved of most children: a wonderful storyteller whose stories kept you entranced. But what was she like as a person? Helena Bonham Carter was, at first glance, a surprising choice, to play Blyton in this BBC 4 biopic, but – then so was Trevor Eve who played Hughie Green, in the last series and I thought he was absolutely great!

The young Enid gets into storytelling to distract her siblings from the furious arguments which are going on between their parents. Her father eventually leaves for another woman (or so her mother says, though all her life Enid won’t believe this). It is easy to see why Enid starts escaping into her own world. She leaves home as soon at the first opportunity (Enid never stops running all through her life). She trains to become a schoolteacher, though her real ambition is to be an author. Rejected many times, she keeps trying, until eventually a door opens. Not one to hang around, she marries her publisher.

Their early days seem idyllic. What a blow it must have been to her to be told she couldn’t have children.. But despite these problems, she does have a child (in fact two,) but motherhood does not come easily to her. She seems more work inspired, than nurturing. Time for a nanny. But although she is honest about her failings, she does have some odd ideas about how to handle week old babies….

It is strange the way Blyton is different with other children than her own, and a bit baffling really. She seems more relaxed whilst in the company of children she doesn’t know. To an extent, she seems to shun anything that doesn’t fit into her world of fiction, such as the War. It’s as if in her refusal to be distracted, it will just go away. When her husband starts drinking, she banishes him into the spare room!

Blyton is the ultimate escapist, and does not like the banalities of motherhood: writing comes first. When Blyton finally comes to terms that we are at war, she contributes by digging for victory with her children and entertaining officers whilst her husband is away (escapism again). Eventually of course, she takes a lover ‘Uncle’ Kenneth Waters.

The acting was really good and the attention to period detail wonderful. Bonham Carter makes a great Blyton, showing all her contradiction. She is both hardened and yet vulnerable in her reluctance to face reality. The way that Blyton deals with harsh reality is through her children’s tales, where a happy ending is assured and cake is distributed with lashings of Ginger Beer She has such a hard unfeeling edge to her to her personality though and is able to compartmentalise her life skillfully, dismissing her children. Poor Hugh (ex husband) gets the treatment time and time again, and very cruelly. It is incredulous the way that she can turn her back on anything she doesn’t want to deal with, including her mother and her siblings. A very complicated, emotionally damaged but talented person, whose end was indeed tragic.

Watch it HERE　

It’s day 7 of the my person challenge to blog each day for a week on Bookstains.  As I haven’t put a poetry challenge on for a long time I thought that today was a good as time as any.  The Arnolfini Portrait is a very famous painting, painted on oak panel by Dutch artist Jan Van Eyck in 1434.  The painting is also known as The Arnolfini Wedding, The Arnolfini Double Portrait, The Arnoldfini Marriage and The Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife. 

Giovanni Arnolfini is presumed to be an Italian merchant posing with his wife at his house in Bruges.  The painting is considered to be one of  the most original and complex paintings and a lot of illusionist painting techniques were used in it.

The challenge is to write either a poem or a Haiku about the painting.  More detailed information can be found about this painting if you need inspiration

How to enter;-

1.  Write your poem and link it to Bookstains (and a mention).  You include the button if you want.  All poems are themed so make sure that your poem is appropriate  and make it CLEAR that  your poem is for The Bookstains  individual challenge if you are also entering it in a challenge elsewhere. 

2.  In return for linking with me I will put your poem on Bookstains, mentioning your site and Tweeting your poem.  I will also promote your poem at the end of any post I write on my art based blog echostains.

The poems can be in any form including Haiku.  They can be as serious or as humorous as you like.  One liners won’t count

The Arnolfini marriage  image here

I heard a song ages ago.  It was one of those songs which keep going round and round in your head, but try as you may, you just can’t see to remember where it came from!  I couldn’t even remember many of the words, which would have at least given me a clue.  All I had was the tune – and the words ‘walk’ and  ’beauty’.  However Eureka!  Here’s where it’s from:-

She walks in beauty, like the night
        Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
    And all that’s best of dark and bright
        Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
    Thus mellowed to that tender light
        Which heaven to gaudy day denies. 
                                   

    One shade the more, one ray the less,
        Had half impaired the nameless grace
    Which waves in every raven tress,
        Or softly lightens o’er her face;
    Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
        How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. 
                                    

    And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
        So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
    The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
        But tell of days in goodness spent,
    A mind at peace with all below,
        A heart whose love is innocent!

Video from ermachango with thanks

More beautiful poetry here 

Notes from the ‘The Life of Lord Byron’ by Thomas Moore 1835 here

A very short post today (day 5 in the blog everyday on bookstains challenge) and I make no apology for featuring another John Cooper Clarke poem.  He is one of my favorite poets and has featured in a few posts of mine. 

A little bit of Burnley

This one is called  ‘I don’t want to go to Burnley’ and the poet very cleverly rhymes Northern towns – sometimes with the most incongruous words (yes I’m talking to you Elsa Lanchaster!)  I went to Burnley for the first time the other week – and it was great by the way!  I certainly don’t think the poet meant any offence to the towns mentioned (at least I think he didn’t )

Elsa Lanchaster

Vidoe by herrloop with thanks

Elsa Lanchester image from here

Burnley images taken last week

Emily Jane Bronte

Today is the birthday of writer and poet Emily Bronte (b.1818 – 1848 Thornton Yorkshire).  She was the fifth child of Patrick Branwell and Maria  Branwell, parents of the famous Bronte’s of Haworth Yorkshire.  Emily wrote poetry and one novel ‘Wuthering Heights‘ before she died in 1848 after catching cold at her brother Branwell’s funeral, refusing all medical aid until it was too late.  Emily is always depicted as the quiet Bronte, other worldly, spiritual.  But she was also a home body too and pined for her home and the moors when she was sent away to school at Roe Head.

Wuthering Heights has inspired many films

Wuthering Heights, a tale of passion, tragedy and love beyond the grave was published in 1847 and received mixed reviews, but it was become a literary classic.  Much has been written about Emily Bronte the woman and there has been a lot of speculation about this quiet, private and almost mystical author.

Angria artifacts

As children the Bronte’s devised stories and poems about the exploits of their toy soldiers who inhabited an imaginary kingdom called Angria.  When Emily was 13, she and her sister Ann  left Angria and built Gondal - an imaginary island in the South Pacific. They wrote stories about Gondal, but only the Gondal  names and places and some diary papers survive.  Her poems are often described as spiritual and passionate.  The following comes from Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell in 1846 (Emily is of course ‘Ellis’

How clear She Shines

How clear she shines! How quietly
I lie beneath her guardian light;
While heaven and earth are whispering me,
“To morrow, wake, but dream to-night.”
Yes, Fancy, come, my Fairy love!
These throbbing temples softly kiss;
And bend my lonely couch above,
And bring me rest, and bring me bliss.

The world is going; dark world, adieu!
Grim world, conceal thee till the day;
The heart thou canst not all subdue
Must still resist, if thou delay!

Thy love I will not, will not share;
Thy hatred only wakes a smile;
Thy griefs may wound–thy wrongs may tear,
But, oh, thy lies shall ne’er beguile!
While gazing on the stars that glow
Above me, in that stormless sea,
I long to hope that all the woe
Creation knows, is held in thee!

And this shall be my dream to-night;
I’ll think the heaven of glorious spheres
Is rolling on its course of light
In endless bliss, through endless years;
I’ll think, there’s not one world above,
Far as these straining eyes can see,
Where Wisdom ever laughed at Love,
Or Virtue crouched to Infamy;

Where, writhing ‘neath the strokes of Fate,
The mangled wretch was forced to smile;
To match his patience ‘gainst her hate,
His heart rebellious all the while.
Where Pleasure still will lead to wrong,
And helpless Reason warn in vain;
And Truth is weak, and Treachery strong;
And Joy the surest path to Pain;
And Peace, the lethargy of Grief;
And Hope, a phantom of the soul;
And life, a labour, void and brief;
And Death, the despot of the whole!

The Bronte’s themselves have inspired many books, plays and songs – Wuthering Heights especially. 

Here’s two videos the first inspired by  Emily Bronte’s novel and the second by her poem above:-

More about Emily here and this wonderful site here

Emily Bronte image here and Bronte parsonage books here

Wuthering Heights still here

Bronte Parsonage Museum website

Bronte Parsonage Blog

Poem from here with thanks

Kate Bush video from KateBushMusic with thanks

How Clear she shines video from AnoisNl

There are more of my Bronte related posts in the Bronte category on the right side of the blog