"Stars" by Emily Bronte

1) Poem:

Stars
 Ah! why, because the dazzling sun
Restored our earth to joy
Have you departed, every one,
And left a desert sky?

All through the night, your glorious eyes
Were gazing down in mine,
And with a full heart's thankful sighs
I blessed that watch divine!

I was at peace, and drank your beams
As they were life to me
And revelled in my changeful dreams
Like petrel on the sea.

Thought followed thought, star followed star
Through boundless regions on,
While one sweet influence, near and far,
Thrilled through and proved us one.

Why did the morning dawn to break
So great, so pure a spell,
And scorch with fire the tranquil cheek
Where your cool radiance fell?

Blood-red he rose, and arrow-straight
His fierce beams struck my brow:
The soul of Nature sprang elate,
But mine sank sad and low!

My lids closed down, yet through their veil
I saw him blazing still;
And steep in gold the misty dale
And flash upon the hill.

I turned me to the pillow then
To call back Night, and see
Your worlds of solemn light, again
Throb with my heart and me!

It would not do the pillow glowed
And glowed both roof and floor,
And birds sang loudly in the wood,
And fresh winds shook the door.

The curtains waved, the wakened flies
Were murmuring round my room,
Imprisoned there, till I should rise
And give them leave to roam.

O Stars and Dreams and Gentle Night;
O Night and Stars return!
And hide me from the hostile light
That does not warm, but burn

That drains the blood of suffering men;
Drinks tears, instead of dew:
Let me sleep through his blinding reign,
And only wake with you!
--Emily Bronte

2) Vocabulary: petrel:  any of numerous tube-nosed seabirds of the families Procellariidae, Hydrobatidae, and Pelecanoididae.

3) Analysis:
     
     A) Paraphrase of first stanza: Why do the stars depart once morning comes?
        Paraphrase of second stanza: The speaker gazed at the stars all night, an experience she descibes as divine.
        Paraphrase of third stanza: The speaker is at peace with the stars, which give her life and watch her dream.
        Paraphrase of fourth stanza: The speaker goes on to describe how she dreams at night.
        Paraphrase of fifth stanza: Why must the harsh morning light break the serenity of nighttime?
        Paraphrase of sixth stanza: The speaker personifies the sun as a harsh male figure. When the sun rises, the whole world rejoices except for the speaker.
        Paraphrase of seventh stanza: The speaker can't escape the sun, it is still there even when her eyes are closed.
        Paraphrase of eighth stanza: The speaker wishes to call back night and go back into the sanctuary it provides.
        Paraphrase of ninth stanza: As much as the speaker doesn't want it, morning comes anyway.
        Paraphrase of tenth stanza: Flies are buzzing around the speaker's room in the daylight, trapped until she opens a window.
        Paraphrase of eleventh stanza: The speaker begs for the stars and the night to come back to hide her from the burning light of day.
        Paraphrase of twelfth stanza: The speaker describes day as feeding off of tears and suffering men's blood. The speaker wishes to sleep through the day and only wake at night.

    B) Theme: The theme of this poem is that nighttime and dreams and their serenity can provide a haven from the troubles that can plague a person's life in the daytime. Sleep heals and helps us to recover from the day's work. In the poem, the speaker takes this theme to the extreme, saying that she prefers night and sleep to the harsh reality of life.

4) Personal Connection: To be perfectly honest, I can't really pin down what I like so much about this poem. I found it last year while working on another project and originally thought it was a love poem, so I just thought it was cute. However, now that I read it, I realize that the "you" the speaker addresses is not a lover but is in fact the stars in the night sky. So for one thing, I like this poem because it clearly shows how poetry can be interpreted in many different ways. I also like it because it shows what a help that sleep can be. As a student I LOVE sleep, and I know firsthand that it can erase a tough day from your mind and help you to be prepared for the next one. The poem also talks about escaping into dreams which is nice because, who wouldn't want the chance to step out of their own shoes, if only for a little while?