Self-Congratulation

Anne Brontë 1820 (Thornton, West Yorkshire) – 1849 (Scarborough, North Yorkshire)



Ellen, you were thoughtless once
    Of beauty or of grace,
Simple and homely in attire,
    Careless of form and face;
Then whence this change? and wherefore now
    So often smooth your hair?
And wherefore deck your youthful form
    With such unwearied care?
Tell us -­ and cease to tire our ears
    With that familiar strain -­
Why will you play those simple tunes
    So often, o'er again?
'Indeed, dear friends, I can but say
    That childhood's thoughts are gone;
Each year its own new feelings brings,
    And years move swiftly on:

'And for these little simple airs --
    I love to play them o'er
So much -­ I dare not promise, now,
    To play them never more.'
I answered -­ and it was enough;
    They turned them to depart;
They could not read my secret thoughts,
    Nor see my throbbing heart.

I've noticed many a youthful form,
    Upon whose changeful face
The inmost workings of the soul
    The gazer well might trace;
The speaking eye, the changing lip,
    The ready blushing cheek,
The smiling, or beclouded brow,
    Their different feelings speak.

But, thank God! you might gaze on mine
    For hours, and never know
The secret changes of my soul
    From joy to keenest woe.
Last night, as we sat round the fire
    Conversing merrily,
We heard, without, approaching steps
    Of one well known to me!

There was no trembling in my voice,
    No blush upon my cheek,
No lustrous sparkle in my eyes,
    Of hope, or joy, to speak;
But, oh! my spirit burned within,
    My heart beat full and fast!
He came not nigh -­ he went away -­
    And then my joy was past.

And yet my comrades marked it not:
    My voice was still the same;
They saw me smile, and o'er my face
    No signs of sadness came.
They little knew my hidden thoughts;
    And they will never know
The aching anguish of my heart,
    The bitter burning woe!

Acton

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:39 min read
56

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABACDEDXXXXFXXX XBCXXGHG EAIAXJCJ XKIKBLXL XJXJXMFM XNANHKGK
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,820
Words 328
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 16, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Anne Brontë

Anne Brontë was a British novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family. more…

All Anne Brontë poems | Anne Brontë Books

2 fans

Discuss the poem Self-Congratulation with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Self-Congratulation" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/3166/self-congratulation>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    11
    hours
    34
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    "Now I become myself. It's taken time, many years and places."
    A Rita Dove
    B W.H. Auden
    C May Sarton
    D Robert Frost