Poetry, Emily Bronte

Poetry Wednesday

The BlueBell

The blue bell is the sweetest flower
That waves in summer air;
Its blossoms have the mightiest power
To soothe my spirit's care.

There is a spell in purple heath
Too wildly, sadly dear;
The violet has a fragrant breath
But fragrance will not cheer.

The trees are bare, the sun is cold;
And seldom, seldom seen;
The heavens have lost their zone of gold
The earth its robe of green;

And ice upon the glancing stream
Has cast its sombre shade
And distant hills and valleys seem
In frozen mist arrayed -

The blue bell cannot charm me now
The heath has lost its bloom,
The violets in the glen below
They yield no sweet perfume.

But though I mourn the heather-bell
'Tis better far, away;
I know how fast my tears would swell
To see it smile today;

And that wood flower that hides so shy
Beneath the mossy stone
Its balmy scent and dewy eye:
'Tis not for them I moan.

It is the slight and stately stem,
The blossom's silvery blue,
The buds hid like a sapphire gem
In sheaths of emerald hue.

'Tis these that breathe upon my heart
A calm and softening spell
That if it makes the tear-drop start
Has power to soothe as well.

For these I weep, so long divided
Through winter's dreary day,
In longing weep--but most when guided
On withered banks to stray.

If chilly then the light should fall
Adown the dreary sky
And gild the dank and darkened wall

With transient brilliancy, 
How do I yearn, how do I pine
For the time of flowers to come,
And turn me from that fading shine
To mourn the fields of home -

Emily Jane Brontë

Add a Comment

delete reply acousticeagle wrote on May 28, '09 A carpet of intense blue, a place to light one's feet. If only the more dreary walk in life, could always be as sweet. Yep, I got so inspired by the blanket of blue that I penned this little mite. Glorious flowers!

delete reply sanssouciblogs wrote on May 27, '09 Spectacular combo of visual and poetry. Just gorgeous; the language is so lovely and brings a human quality to the flower. Wonderful choice.

delete reply luckebabe wrote on May 27, '09 wonderful poem and photos to go along with it.

delete reply starfishred wrote on May 27, '09 We call them hyacinth to unfortunatly the smell makes me very sick-but they are wonderful and a wonderful poem

delete reply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on May 27, '09 What a lovely selection with the beautiful flowers to accompany the words. The cycles of life are prevalanet in both nature and the human spiirt. Thank you for this lovely entry!

delete reply billatplay wrote on May 27, '09 A marvellous collection of Bluebells and an equally wonderful poem. We are told we have 45% of the World's Bluebells??? Looks more like 5% now.

delete reply dianahopeless wrote on May 26, '09 This is one of my favorite poets and poems. You certainly found some great photos of the flowers! If I breathe deeply, I can almost smell them.

delete reply bostonsdandd wrote on May 26, '09 LOVELY pictures! Texas has a state flower, like all the United States do. Theirs is the Blue Bonnet. I always think of Bluebells instead LOL. Both are beautiful :o). I loved the poem! Spring has sprung ;o). http://bostonsdandd.multiply.com/journal/item/310/

delete reply caffeinatedjo wrote on May 26, '09 Lovely pics and lovely poem! I like the way she conveys her homesickness through the flower.

delete reply pestep55 wrote on May 26, '09 They are beautiful flowers and the poem is just as beautiful /:-)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on May 26, '09 veryfrank said Sorry Loretta, I forgot myself there, I started thinking about Jungle Blogs. :-} tis quite ok Frank, I believe the common bluebell (which is places is not as common as it was) is also called the wild hyacinth whereas the harebell is often calle the scottish bluebell. I tried to check the pictures as I collected them from around the internet and as far as I can see they are all Bluebells not harebells.............which I avoided

delete reply veryfrank wrote on May 26, '09 A very nice poem, most relaxing, I enjoyed it, thank you. The photographs are wonderful as well, as beautiful as paintings. Confusing about the blue bell flower. I had to learn the difference between the English and Scottish varieties. Also the difference between Wilde Hyacinths and wood or field hyacinths, oh my so much gets confused when flowers have so many names. I assume that the pictures used here are of the common blue bell. I wanted to learn the difference because I grow Campanula (Harebells) both the blue/purple and the white. Sorry Loretta, I forgot myself there, I started thinking about Jungle Blogs. :-}

delete reply brendainmad wrote on May 26, '09 If I were an artist, I paint a field of bluebells just like your pictures here.

delete reply lauritasita wrote on May 26, '09 This is so beautiful and peaceful to read. Their color is georgeous! Thank you for sharing this.

delete reply djdx wrote on May 26, '09 The bluebell is a lovely flower; ours are about finished blooming. They are called wild hyacinth in French.