Life. Poem by Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was an English poet and novelist best known for her novel, Jane Eyre. She was the eldest of the three Bronte sisters whose contributions to Victorian fiction quietly revolutionized the 19th century novel. Born at Thornton, Yorkshire, Charlotte was the third child of Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell. In 1820, her father received a curate post in Haworth and the family moved there where a year later, Mrs. Brontë died from cancer. Charlotte and her four sisters, Maria, Elizabeth, Emily and Anne, and their brother, Branwell, were raised primarily by their maiden aunt, Elizabeth Branwell. When a school for the daughters of poor clergymen opened at Cowan Bridge in 1824, Mr. Brontë decided to send his older four daughters there to receive a formal education. Charlotte&sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died in 1824 of tuberculosis they contracted due to the poor management of the school. Following this tragedy, Patrick withdrew Charlotte and Emily from Cowan Bridge. Grieving over their sisters&deaths and searching for a way to alleviate their loneliness, the remaining four siblings began writing a series of stories stimulated by a set of toy soldiers their father had given them. After her father had a dangerous lung disorder, he decided once again that his daughters should receive an education so they would be assured of an income if he died. In 1831, Charlotte entered the school at Roe Head. Shy and solitary, Charlotte was not happy at school. Although...