Riches I hold in light esteem

Emily Jane Brontë 1818 (Thornton) – 1848 (Haworth)



Riches I hold in light esteem
And Love I laugh to scorn
And lust of Fame was but a dream
That vanished with the morn–
And if I pray, the only prayer
That moves my lips for me
Is–'Leave the heart that now I bear
And give me liberty.'

Yes, as my swift days near their goal
'Tis all that I implore
Through life and death, a chainless soul
With courage to endure!

(March 1, 1841)

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 11, 2023

23 sec read
195

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDCD EXEX X
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 381
Words 79
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 4, 1

Emily Jane Brontë

Emily Jane Brontë was an English novelist and poet who is best known for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. She also published one book of poetry with her sisters Charlotte and Anne titled Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell with her own poems finding regard as poetic genius. Emily was the third-eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother Branwell. She published under the pen name Ellis Bell. more…

All Emily Jane Brontë poems | Emily Jane Brontë Books

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