Last Lines - Classic Text | Alexandria
Last Lines - Emily Brontë (1848)
"Last Lines," also known as "No Coward Soul Is Mine," stands as Emily Brontë's final complete poem, composed on December 29, 1848, mere days before her death on December 19, 1848. This profound work represents not only a culminating artistic statement but also serves as a powerful testament to Brontë's unwavering spiritual convictions and philosophical outlook.
The poem emerged during a particularly tumultuous period in the Brontë household, as consumption (tuberculosis) ravaged the family. Written at Haworth Parsonage while Emily was already grievously ill, the verse was discovered and preserved by her sister Charlotte, who later described it as evidence of her sister's "dauntless" spirit in the face of mortality. The manuscript, penned in Emily's distinctively precise handwriting, bears witness to her remarkable mental clarity and artistic control even as her physical health failed.
The work's six quatrains express a fierce declaration of faith, not in conventional religious doctrine, but in an immortal, pantheistic spirit that permeates all existence. This theological perspective, radical for Victorian England, reflects Brontë's unique spiritual philosophy, which was influenced by both Romantic literature and the wild moorland environment of her Yorkshire home. The poem's opening line, "No coward soul is mine," has become one of the most quoted phrases in English literature, embodying both personal defiance and universal human resilience.
The legacy of "Last Lines" continues to resonate in contemporary literary discourse, particularly in discussions of feminine spiritual autonomy and artistic self-assertion. Modern scholars have interpreted the work as both a personal credo and a powerful feminist statement, challenging nineteenth-century conventions about women's religious expression and poetic voice. The poem's fusion of personal conviction with cosmic vision has influenced generations of writers and continues to inspire debate about the nature of faith, immortality, and artistic legacy. The fact that these verses were Brontë's last completed work adds a poignant dimension to their enduring impact, raising intriguing questions about creativity's relationship with mortality and the power of art to transcend death.