Question

Poetry appreciatiin for life by Charlotte Bronte

Answer 1

Hi The meaning of this poem is pretty simple. The poet says bad things are only ephemeral and good things invariably follow them. [Roses bloom, the day becomes pleasant after a little morning rain]. She encourages us to enjoy the ‘sunny’ things as they last. In the last stanza, she says that even in the moments of greatest adversity [like death of a loved one], hope will rescue us i.e. we should be hopeful. I would like to point three things, which can be missed in the larger scheme of things.

1. The poem starts with ‘life is not a dream so dark’. Notice that the poet denies that it is very dark dream, but she does not deny it is a dream. Life can be a complete illusion, a mirage of sorts –continuously running towards an inexistent pleasure/relief.

2. She compares the problems to ‘clouds of gloom’. It serves two purposes. It says the problem is not inside us [we need not agree with the poet]. Secondly, she builds on this analogy and says roses [we] bloom after the shower. In other words, times of grief and melancholy make us stronger and brighter. [Gold shines best when put in hearth.]

3. In the last stanza, she compares hope to ‘buoyant golden wings’. She indirectly compares the problems with a sea.