No Coward Soul is Mine
By Emily Bronte
No Coward Soul is Mine
No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere
I see Heaven’s glories shine
And Faith shines equal arming me from FearO God within my breast
Almighty ever-present Deity
Life, that in me hast rest,
As I Undying Life, have power in TheeVain are the thousand creeds
That move men’s hearts, unutterably vain,
Worthless as withered weeds
Or idlest froth amid the boundless mainTo waken doubt in one
Holding so fast by thy infinity,
So surely anchored on
The steadfast rock of Immortality.
With wide-embracing love
Thy spirit animates eternal years
Pervades and broods above,
Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates and rearsThough earth and moon were gone
And suns and universes ceased to be
And Thou wert left alone
Every Existence would exist in theeThere is not room for Death
Nor atom that his might could render void
Since thou art Being and Breath
And what thou art may never be destroyed.
Summary of No Coward Soul is Mine
- Popularity of “No Coward Soul is Mine”: Published back in 1846, “No Coward Soul is Mine” is a reflective poem. It first appeared in 1846. The first appearance was under the title of the collection, Poems of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. These were the pseudonyms of her sisters called, the Bronte sisters. In this poem, Emily Bronte asserts that she possesses a fearless soul as her unshakeable faith in heaven arms her against all the odds and fears. It, however, has gained popularity on account of its realistic description of man’s relationship with God.
- “No Coward Soul is Mine” As a Representative of Faith: This is an affectionate and emotional poem. It begins when the speaker says that her soul is not a coward. It is not afraid in the face of stormy troubles. It always glows in problems, and her unshakeable faith in God gives her strength to cope with the challenges. She says God, who is all-powerful, resides in her heart. While talking about her faith in God, she talks about people belonging to other ethnic and religious groups. To her, they are vain as they feel easily tempted toward worldly charms.
In contrast, any temptation that might come to her would end up in despair. It is just because she believes in the supremacy of God and knows that God’s love has no limit. There is nothing in the world that can shake her strong beliefs. The poem ends when the speaker re-talks about unavoidable death. Although death is powerful, his (death) power is nothing against God’s strength. - Major Themes in “No Coward Soul is Mine”: Faith, spirituality, and death are the major themes of the poem. The poem revolves around the speaker’s beliefs. She expresses how believing in God’s supremacy empowers her soul. Despite living in a world full of chaos, she finds no reason to despair. Her rock-solid faith in the Almighty assures her that all life is everlasting. Holding this kind of faith, she feels she can beat even the most terrible occurrences of life. The speaker thinks that God lives within her. Therefore, she never feels weak, sad, or left out. In other words, she sees God as a protective force that rests inside her and protects her from worldly woes. This beautiful poem conveys a profound message that when one strengthens his/her faith in God, he/she seems least bothered about all the fears.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in No Coward Soul is Mine
literary devices are tools that writers use to create meaning in their texts. It is through these devices they convey their emotions, feelings, and ideas to the readers. The analysis of the devices used in the poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere” and the sound of /o/ in “Though earth and moon were gone.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere” and the sound of /n/ in “And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“No Coward Soul is Mine
No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere
I see Heaven’s glories shine
And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Emily Bronte used imagery in this poem, such as “And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear”, “Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates and rears” and “And what thou art may never be destroyed.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet has used faith as an extended metaphor in the poem to show how it gives power to those who hold it firmly in their lives.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as faith, death, troubles, and forbearance.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in No Coward Soul is Mine
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. The writer has used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “gone/alone”, “be/thee” and “death/breath.”
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is quatrain.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABAB rhyme Scheme, and this pattern continues till the end.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are seven stanzas in this poem, with each comprising four verses.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to refer to people who hold unshakeable beliefs in their creator.
“There is not room for Death
Nor atom that his might could render void
Since thou art Being and Breath
And what thou art may never be destroyed.”