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Shall earth no more inspire thee by Emily Brontë

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Composed
1846 · Romantic
The PoemFull text

Shall earth no more inspire thee

Emily Brontë, 1846

Shall earth no more inspire thee, Thou lonely dreamer now? Since passion may not fire thee, Shall nature cease to bow? Thy mind is ever moving, In regions dark to thee; Recall its useless roving, Come back, and dwell with me. I know my mountain breezes Enchant and soothe thee still, I know my sunshine pleases, Despite thy wayward will. When day with evening blending, Sinks from the summer sky, I've seen thy spirit bending In fond idolatry. I've watched thee every hour; I know my mighty sway: I know my magic power To drive thy griefs away. Few hearts to mortals given, On earth so wildly pine; Yet few would ask a heaven More like this earth than thine. Then let my winds caress thee Thy comrade let me be: Since nought beside can bless thee, Return--and dwell with me.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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AO1 — Interpretation + textual reference

Brontë presents Earth not as a passive backdrop but as a sentient, sovereign speaker whose authority over the human soul is both tender and absolute. The poem's most striking interpretive claim is that nature does not merely comfort the …

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