CONTENTS.

ESSAY ON POETRY.

Criticism by Sample-Mr. Arnold's Test of no use to ordinary

readers-Poetry not criticism, but creation-Observation

and Imagination-The Poetic Glow-Metrical Form-The

Song-element-Wordsworth-Burns-Byron-Mrs. Brown-

ing-The Brontë Sisters

PAGE

ix

CHAPTER

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING.

I.-Her Earliest Verses

II. The Seraphim and Drama of Exile

III.-A Vision of Poets, and The Poet's Vow

IV.-The Romaunt of Margret, and other Poems

V.-Her Philanthropic Poetry.

VI.-Lyric Pencillings`.

VII.-Lady Geraldine's Courtship

VIII.-The Rhyme of the Duchess May

IX.-Poems of Affection.

X.-Her Love Sonnets

XI.-Poems of Patriotic Sympathy

XII.-Aurora Leigh.-Conclusion

CHARLOTTE BRONTË AND HER SISTERS.

I.-General Impression of Charlotte Brontë-Thackeray's

opinion of her-Mrs. Gaskell and Mr. Wemyss

Reid-The Moors-The Mother of the Brontës-

The Father's Poems

3

7

27

38

48

55

60

72

81

87

97

107

157

CHAPTER

II.-Branwell Brontë-Charlotte's Correspondence with

Southey.

III.-The Poems of the Sisters-Emily Brontë

IV.-Wuthering Heights

V.-Heathcliff and Cathy-Old Joseph-Isabella-Linton

Heathcliff

VI.-Heathcliff and Cathy-Emily Brontë and Mr. G. H.

Lewes.

VII.-Charlotte and Emily in Brussels-Belgian Scenery-

The Professor-Villette-The School Scenes in

Jane Eyre

PAGE

207

221

233

VIII.-Jane Eyre-Thornfield Hall-Meeting with Rochester. 247

IX.-Jane and Rochester-Jane's Pictures-The Mermaid-

X.-Charlotte Brontë's Defence of Jane Eyre-Rochester

Rochester's Plea

.

262

278

299

XI.-Women's Rights-The Ethics of Abnegation-Mr.

Meredith on Egotism-Thackeray's moral analysis 291

XII.-M. Paul Emanuel-The Brontë lovers

XIII.-Mr. Donne's Exodus-Shirley the author's most charac-

teristic book-Mercenary Marriage-A Day with

Shirley-The Duty of Endurance

.

XIV.-The Brontë genius-The Yorkshire School of Litera-
ture-The Deaths of the Sisters

311

326

ESSAY ON POETRY.