I remember Miss Brontë's shiver at recalling the pang she felt when, after having searched in the little hollows and sheltered crevices of the moors for a lingering spray of heather - just one spray, however withered - to take in to Emily, she saw that the flower was not recognised by the dim and indifferent eyes. (Elizabeth Gaskell, The Life of Charlotte Brontë, ch. XVI)
This anecdote lends its name to the so-called Purple Heather School which is given to firm believers in the Brontë myth. While it is true that it seems somewhat unlikely, it is still poetic and symbolic.
So today, on the 162 anniversay of Emily Brontë's death let us give her a spring of heather. We don't know what she may have thought of her fame, the wide readership of her novel and poetry and the many creative projects they both inspire, and we do know she would have loathed to see so many people reading about her personal life, but we are pretty sure that, unlike on that fateful day in 1848, she would have liked and appreciated our simple gift.
The blogosphere joins in this celebration with posts on
One Shot Poetry, Little Vamp (in Spanish),
the Brontë Sisters,
The Modern Historian,
Today in Literature,
Literary Corner Cafe, ...
Categories: Emily Brontë, Reminder
So sad. Thank you for sharing this. I'm a very new fan of E. Bronte. I guess se'd have liked that, if not all the chatter. :-)
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