Shade of Death

The "shade of death" Brontë" to which Brontë refers in the second stanza symbolizes the relative tranquility of her sister's passing (7). In the second stanza, Brontë writes about her desire, while sitting over Anne’s deathbed, for the “shade of death” to come over her sister (7). The description of death as a “shade” emphasizes how the observance of one's death is an outwardly calm event. It appears as near silence and motionlessness as a shadow would spread over a wall. This particular characterization of death continues in the following stanza. Death is “The cloud, the stillness that must part” Brontë from her sister (9-10). Notably, Brontë directly uses the word “stillness” to describe death. She also metaphorically compares death to a “cloud,” which like a “shade” is incorporeal and intangible, further underscoring how death appears tranquil and natural.

Tempest

The tempest to which Bront...