The Friday Poem: Life, by Charlotte Brontë

As another week concludes, we end with a random poem. Famous poets, obscure poets, amateur poets, whatever poets--just a poem to cap off the week.

Like this one:


Life, by Charlotte Brontë

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 ?

Rapidly, merrily,
Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly !

What though Death at times steps in
And calls our Best away ?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope, a heavy sway ?
Yet hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair !

Handwritten manuscript of 'Jane Eyre' on display in the United States for the first time.

The brief life of Charlotte Bronte will be the focus of an exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, where the original handwritten manuscript of Bronte's Jane Eyre will take center stage. It'll be on display in the United States for the first time in the book's 169-year history.

At least half of this is real writing.

Why so long to get around to it? I don't know. Why did it take so long for Charlotte Bronte to get to the point in her books? Why did every character take forever to fall in love?

I'm guessing this is all long-form synergy.



photo: The British Library Board

The Friday Poem: Spellbound, by Emily Brontë

As another week concludes, we end with a random poem. Famous poets, obscure poets, amateur poets, whatever poets--just a poem to cap off the week.

Like this one:


Spellbound,  by Emily Brontë

The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending
Their bare boughs weighed with snow.
And the storm is fast descending,
And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,
Wastes beyond wastes below;
But nothing drear can move me;
I will not, cannot go.

March Madness...the book geek variety.

March Madness is upon us, and I don't mean celebrating St. Patrick's Day in South Boston. It's college basketball's one month to show us how much illegal booster money can pay off in supremely gifted athletes  how gambling on amateur athletics is only marginally trickier than gambling on pro sports  how interesting college basketball action can be. 64-ish competing colleges trimmed down to one victorious champion.

March Madness also leads to geekier impersonators, replacing college basketball teams with books. 16 or 32 or 64 books of some identical trait winnowed down to 1 victor, voted on by panels of judges or popular opinion via the internet.

There's The Morning News Tournament of Books, which examines a large swath of newer novels my grad school career won't allow me to read until I'm 50.

There's the School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books (the title rolls right off the tongue), teaching children at an early age that most everyone is a loser.

There's The Piglet, a book tournament about food books. I don't know how some book wins this tournament. I assume the book causing early-onset diabetes the quickest wins.

Then there's Book Madness, which goes the classic route: 64 famous books from history that, if we haven't read, we at least recognize from their film adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins.

I prefer Book Madness, if only because I can have a rooting interest in the head-to-head matchups.

Atlas Shrugged vs. Doctor Zhivago?
Anything that irks Ayn Rand's soul is good with me.

On the Road vs. Jane Eyre?
Charlotte Bronte gets a fan in me, if only for a day.

The Catcher in the Rye vs. The Grapes of Wrath?
If there is a God, Holden Caufield will fear Tom Joad more than impatient pimps.

Ulysses vs. Heart of Darkness?
Sometimes there are no winners.

Super-Disguise Mustaches!

Not much needs to be said. The Bronte sisters get the action figure makeover.



Remember, folks: pudding not included.