The Poems of Emily Bronte

This new edition of Emily Bronte's poetryóthe first for 50 yearsócontains all those poems which she herself chose to keep. It is based on the texts of the three notebooks into which she transcribed her poems supplemented by others on single sheets scattered in various collections, and the versions published in Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell and in Charlotte's 1850 edition of the novels. Variants between the Notebooks and the latter are listed in the Notes. The majority of the poems stand without need of explanation. However, it is helpful to be aware of the context in which they were written, and especially their relationship to the imaginary world of "gondal" shared by Emily and Anne. This and the history are explained fully in the Introduction and Notes.