It has been said for Brontë faith is complex and contradictory. Compare ways in
which the poems “Last Lines” and “Evening in Paradise” explore the
significance of faith.
Brontë’s poem “Last Lines”, written on her deathbed, focuses on faith in a
complex and contradictory way. The ways John Milton explores faith in his
poem “Evening in Paradise” from his fourth volume of the epic “Paradise Lost”
is similar yet at times contrasting to how Brontë does this.
With the use of and lack of capital letters when referring to God, Brontë’s and
Milton’s type of faith is revealed. Brontë states even if there were to be no
more earth nor human kind “Every existence would exist in Thee”, finding
comfort in her belief that having faith will guarantee her a degree of
immortality by living on as a part of God. Unlike Milton, Brontë uses capital
letters to emphasise God’s invincible and immortal position as lord of life,
earth, and everything. Milton neither directly addresses God (as Brontë does)
nor gives him/her capital letters that Brontë uses to impress upon the reader
God’s unsurmountable power. “Evening in Paradise” instead refers to the
moon – reflecting the power and light of the Sun, which also came from God –
naming her “Apparent queen”. The lack of capital letter with “queen” can
suggest in Milton’s eyes God does not need any more reverence, his/her
power need not be broadcasted: it proves itself every day. It can also depict
Milton’s style of faith, taking it to be an appreciation of what God already
supplies one with, here being a beautiful evening. The miniscule “q” could
imply the moon (executing God’s wishes) is humble, without needing a gushing
description as being herself a “queen” her value is self-explanatory. Returning
to Brontë, this idea of God being so powerful - “thou art may never be
destroyed” - could be to reassure herself that a part of her will remain on earth
and stay relevant in the world. The fact her last thought in the poem is of God
being indestructible could be a final reaffirmation to herself (more than to the
rest of humanity) that when she dies she won’t be completely gone as her faith
at least will live on.
A similarity between the poets is that each establish a hierarchy, consequently
positioning themselves at God’s feet. In “Evening in Paradise” first come the
“beast and bird”, two different animals each hard to silence yet immediately
muted – showing God’s strength at rendering each quiet and obedient – then
further above in the sky appear the “living sapphirs” – “living” referring
possibly to deceased souls that still live on through their faith and “sapphirs”
the queen’s crown jewels, a show of how one’s faith can create beauty as God
which the poems “Last Lines” and “Evening in Paradise” explore the
significance of faith.
Brontë’s poem “Last Lines”, written on her deathbed, focuses on faith in a
complex and contradictory way. The ways John Milton explores faith in his
poem “Evening in Paradise” from his fourth volume of the epic “Paradise Lost”
is similar yet at times contrasting to how Brontë does this.
With the use of and lack of capital letters when referring to God, Brontë’s and
Milton’s type of faith is revealed. Brontë states even if there were to be no
more earth nor human kind “Every existence would exist in Thee”, finding
comfort in her belief that having faith will guarantee her a degree of
immortality by living on as a part of God. Unlike Milton, Brontë uses capital
letters to emphasise God’s invincible and immortal position as lord of life,
earth, and everything. Milton neither directly addresses God (as Brontë does)
nor gives him/her capital letters that Brontë uses to impress upon the reader
God’s unsurmountable power. “Evening in Paradise” instead refers to the
moon – reflecting the power and light of the Sun, which also came from God –
naming her “Apparent queen”. The lack of capital letter with “queen” can
suggest in Milton’s eyes God does not need any more reverence, his/her
power need not be broadcasted: it proves itself every day. It can also depict
Milton’s style of faith, taking it to be an appreciation of what God already
supplies one with, here being a beautiful evening. The miniscule “q” could
imply the moon (executing God’s wishes) is humble, without needing a gushing
description as being herself a “queen” her value is self-explanatory. Returning
to Brontë, this idea of God being so powerful - “thou art may never be
destroyed” - could be to reassure herself that a part of her will remain on earth
and stay relevant in the world. The fact her last thought in the poem is of God
being indestructible could be a final reaffirmation to herself (more than to the
rest of humanity) that when she dies she won’t be completely gone as her faith
at least will live on.
A similarity between the poets is that each establish a hierarchy, consequently
positioning themselves at God’s feet. In “Evening in Paradise” first come the
“beast and bird”, two different animals each hard to silence yet immediately
muted – showing God’s strength at rendering each quiet and obedient – then
further above in the sky appear the “living sapphirs” – “living” referring
possibly to deceased souls that still live on through their faith and “sapphirs”
the queen’s crown jewels, a show of how one’s faith can create beauty as God
