In the poem “On the Death of Anne Brontë” the speaker is lamenting the death of Anne Brontë, Charlotte Brontë’s sister who died fairly young in 1849.
In the first stanza the speaker states how devastated she is now that Anne is dead, to the point where she would almost prefer death herself.
In the second and third stanza she minutely describes how she was present while Anne passed away and could see her last breath. However, she was glad when Anne was finally dead which implies that she was sick or suffering.
In the last stanza the speaker gives an outlook to the future, maintaining that “hope and glory” (l. 14) has left her life and what she faces now is loneliness and emptiness.
In the poem “Evening Solace” the speaker is musing about those lonely nights at home when feelings and memories of the past come back.
First the speaker states that the human heart is storing many thoughts, memories and feelings, both negative and positive, which are locked away and not accessible during the days and nights when one is active.
The speaker is then painting the picture how in evenings spent in solitude especially these negative memories of grief and heartbreak are remembered. However, they have lost their original intensity and now invoke a much lesser sadness than they used to and almost feel like they happened to someone else.
Finally, the speaker proclaims how one, “when the heart is freshly bleeding” (l. 21) cannot await this time when the sad feelings are rendered to faint memories, that only come to life in lonely evenings but ultimately do not stay with one.
In the poem “Life” the optimistic speaker is reflecting about the way life is ultimately a wonderful thing.
Addressing the reader, the speaker begins the poem by stating that although many wise people have a negative view on life, this is not the speaker’s opinion. They then argue that seemingly bad things like rain will eventually pass and ultimately even have a good reason (namely that they feed the flowers).
In the second stanza the speaker is urging the reader to enjoy life’s wonderful moments.
In the last stanza the speaker acknowledges that there are aspects of life that are unpleasant, like death and sorrow, but emphasizes how hope and courage ultimately defeat them.
