poems / by currer, ellis, and acton bell
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Rare as a BrontëPublished on State Library of NSW (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au)
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Poems / by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell
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Poems, 1846{"type":"image","clickUrl":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/collection-items\/poems","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=PgSGhUAh","thumbnailLarge":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=zWZPqhCC","mediaDerivativeUrls":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=PgSGhUAh","large":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=zWZPqhCC","responsive__quarter_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__quarter_hd\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=bce5YCXr","responsive__half_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]
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\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__half_hd\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=oNFKjyrQ","responsive__full_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__full_hd\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=_GQF4iue"},"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/200929_0006.jpg","mediaMime":"image\/jpeg","transcriptUrl":null,"width":3400,"height":2787} View collection item detail [3]DSM/821.8/4 , DSM/C 611
{"type":"image","clickUrl":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/collection-items\/poems","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=PgSGhUAh","thumbnailLarge":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=zWZPqhCC","mediaDerivativeUrls":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=PgSGhUAh","large":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=zWZPqhCC","responsive__quarter_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__quarter_hd\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=bce5YCXr","responsive__half_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__half_hd\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=oNFKjyrQ","responsive__full_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__full_hd\/public\/200929_0006.jpg?itok=_GQF4iue"},"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/200929_0006.jpg","mediaMime":"image\/jpeg","transcriptUrl":null,"width":3400,"height":2787}
Before Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey and Jane Eyre the Brontë sisters published a slim volume of poetry. Asthere was still prejudice against women authors, they each adopted a pseudonym. Charlotte became Currer Bell,Anne became Acton Bell, and Emily became Ellis Bell. Charlotte contributed 19 poems, and Emily and Anne eachcontributed 21. Poems was published in 1846 by a London firm, Aylott & Jones.
The collection gained positive reviews, including one from The Athenaeum which praised Ellis Bell’s work for itsmusic and power, singling out ‘his’ poems as the best: ‘Ellis possesses a fine, quaint spirit and an evident powerof wing that may reach heights not here attempted’.
Unfortunately, only two copies were sold, and the sisters were lucky to recoup the 35 pounds they paid to havetheir poetry published. The poems were republished in 1850 by Smith & Elder with greater success.
With perhaps only 10 copies extant, the first edition of Poems is extremely rare, and the Library is fortunateto hold one of those copies in its collection!
Our rare copy was purchased by David Scott Mitchell towards the end of the 1890s. Mitchell disclosed to thebookseller Frederick Wymark, with a chuckle, that he bought it at a bargain price from Angus & Robertson. Webelieve Mitchell’s copy was from the Percy C Gilchrist library sold by Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge in July1896. You can see the faint signature of C. Gilchrist at the top of the title page. Percy Gilchrist may have inheritedthe library from his father, Alexander Gilchrist.
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Below is one of the poems written by Emily Brontë.
Poems / by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell [4]
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Poems, ‘If this be all’, 1846{"type":"image","clickUrl":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/collection-items\/poems-if-be-all","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au[2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=9Bi7z5Q3","thumbnailLarge":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=8Curzc1j","mediaDerivativeUrls":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=9Bi7z5Q3","large":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=8Curzc1j","responsive__quarter_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__quarter_hd\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=gD_Ge08N","responsive__half_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__half_hd\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=iwHbMOmE","responsive__full_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/defa
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{"type":"image","clickUrl":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/collection-items\/poems-if-be-all","thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au[2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=9Bi7z5Q3","thumbnailLarge":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=8Curzc1j","mediaDerivativeUrls":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=9Bi7z5Q3","large":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=8Curzc1j","responsive__quarter_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__quarter_hd\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=gD_Ge08N","responsive__half_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__half_hd\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=iwHbMOmE","responsive__full_hd":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/responsive__full_hd\/public\/200929_0007.jpg?itok=UfT87lIF"},"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/www.sl.nsw.gov.au [2]\/sites\/default\/files\/200929_0007.jpg","mediaMime":"image\/jpeg","transcriptUrl":null,"width":3400,"height":2649}
Sympathy by Ellis Bell
There should be no despair for you While nightly stars are burning; While evening pours its silent dew, And sunshine gilds the morning. There should be no despair—though tears May flow down like a river: Are not the best beloved of years Around your heart for ever?
They weep, you weep, it must be so; Winds sigh as you are sighing, And winter sheds its grief in snow Where Autumn’s leaves are lying: Yet, these revive, and from their fate Your fate cannot be parted: Then, journey on, if not elate, Still, NEVER broken-hearted!
Maggie Patton, Rare Books & Maps expert
This story appears in Openbook [6] Summer 2020.
Source URL:https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/blogs/rare-bronte#comment-0
Links[1] https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/printpdf/200391 [2] http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au [3] https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/collection-
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items/poems [4] https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/files/images/poems-currer-ellis-and-acton-bell-0 [5]https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/collection-items/poems-if-be-all [6] https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about-library/publications/openbook
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