Regret by Charlotte Bronte

                In her poem Regret, Charlotte Bronte talks about her past and how she is unhappy and lonely her life has been in the place she once called home. She wants to continue her life in happiness, and feels that getting married is the answer. The main issue stated in this poem shows up during her search for love. Charlotte points this out in the second stanza:

“Life and marriage I have known, 
Things once deemed so bright; 
Now, how utterly is flown”

                This stanza shows states Charlotte feels that marriage is the way to go, if she wants a happy ending. “Every ray of life, mid the unknown sea of life,” states that her main concern. The main concern being that no matter where she looks and any direction she takes, Charlotte feels that she is unable to find her love. “I no blest isle have found, at last, through all it wild wave’s strife, my bark is homeward bound.” Charlotte represents her life as a journey, sailing and looking for a new place she is able to call home, but is unable to. In the end, her “bark” which symbolizes her determination, dream, emotions, is taking her back to her lonely and sad home.

                In the third stanza, Charlottes experiences the change in life she wanted.

“Farewell, dark and rolling deep!

Farewell foreign shore!

Open, in unclouded sweep,

thou glorious realm before!”

                It appears that her sad and displeasuring journey has ended. Her “bark” has finally arrived in the “glorious realm.” “Glorious realm,” which represents her happiness, thus, her search for the one she was looking for has finally ended happily.

                The stanza continues, “Yet though I had safely pass’d, the weary vexed main, one loved voice through sure and blast, could call me back again.” It shows how much joy and pleasure Charlotte is in after finding her love. Not only is the author fulfilled and overwhelm, she loves her love so much she is willing to rep-experience her sad and dreadful journey from her the beginning if she ever loses him.

“Through the soul’s bright morning rose

O’er paradise for me,

William! Even from Heaven’s repose

I’d turn, invoked by thee!”

                In the forth stanza Charlotte continues depicting her love whose’ name is William. From her point of view, she feels satisfied. Throughout the first three stanzas Charlotte showed her life as dark, lost, haunting and filled with fearful memories. After being with William, she wants her to view her life as a paradise which is bright, beautiful and happy. She is even willing to leave Heaven just to be with him. “My soul, exalting then: all my heaven was once thy breast, would it were mine again!,” the author, wraps up this poem by stating that ever since she is with William she feels as if she is in Heaven.