LIFE, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall ?
- Charlotte Brontë
This poem, by Charlotte Brontë, may be one of the works in a collection of poetry published anonymously by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. The siblings had to pay up front and the collection sold only a few copies but they were proud to have their work in print. This also gave them the courage to publish their other novels, beginning with Charlotte's Jane Eyre. However, all of their novels were also published under pseudonyms. They didn't think the public would respond as well to their writing if they knew they were women. The three sisters tried to keep their identities secret for as long as possible.
The first half of the book has been devoted to background knowledge of the sister's lives and how this inspired them and prepared them for a career as authors. Their work is now among the great classics of literature. Unfortunately, the Brontë sisters and their brother all died quite young, leaving us, sadly, with only a few of their great works. I am fascinated with the story of this talented family.
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