Summary of “Mild the Mist upon the Hill”

About the author

Emily Jane Bronte was an English poet and novelist, born in 1818 and passed away in 1848 at the young age of 30. She is best known for her novel Wuthering Heights, which is considered a classic of English literature. Emily, along with her sisters Charlotte and Anne Bronte, was a member of the Bronte literary family. She lived a reclusive life and her poetry reflects her innermost thoughts and emotions.

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Introduction of the poem

The poem “Mild the Mist upon the Hill” was written by Emily Jane Bronte, an English poet and novelist best known for her novel Wuthering Heights. In this poem, the poet describes a landscape shrouded in mist, which reminds her of happy days from her childhood. She shifts between past and present as she describes the scenery, and the mist serves as a metaphor for the silent sorrows of the day that has passed.

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Summary of the poem

The poem “Mild the Mist upon the Hill” by Emily Jane Bronte is about the misty mountains that remind the poet of her happy childhood days. She talks about how she felt safe and protected under her father’s roof and describes the present landscape. She remembers the past and feels sad that those days are gone and she can never have them back. The poem shifts back and forth between the past and present. The mist, the green grass, and the scents of the landscape make her nostalgic for the good old days. The poet describes the mist as mild and peaceful, and it does not predict any storms. The mist reminds her of the blue mists of summer, and she can feel the dreamy scents of fragrance that pass through the air. Overall, the poem captures the bittersweet feeling of longing for a past that can never be regained, while accepting that life goes on and things change.

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The theme of the poem

The theme of the poem is nostalgia and longing for the past. The mist and the landscape evoke memories of the poet’s childhood, and she longs to go back to those days when she felt safe and happy under her father’s roof. The imagery of the mist and the mountain chain also suggest a sense of mystery and fleetingness, further emphasizing the idea of the past being unreachable and unattainable.

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Explanation of the Poem

This poem is a nostalgic reflection on a misty, rainy day, evoking memories of the past. It captures the atmosphere and emotions associated with the speaker’s childhood. Let’s break it down stanza by stanza:

Stanza 1:

“Mild the mist upon the hill.

Telling not of storms tomorrow;

No; the day has wept its fill,

Spent its store of silent sorrow.”

In the first stanza, the poet describes the mild mist on the hill. The mist doesn’t foretell storms for the following day; rather, it suggests that the current day has already seen its share of rain and sadness. It sets a melancholic tone for the poem.

Stanza 2:

“Oh, I’m gone back to the days of youth,

I am a child once more;

And ‘neath my father’s sheltering root

And near the old hall door.”

In the second stanza, the speaker expresses a strong sense of nostalgia. They feel as if they have travelled back to the days of their youth, becoming a child once again. The mention of their father’s “sheltering root” and the old hall door indicates a return to the comforting and familiar surroundings of their childhood.

Stanza 3:

“I watch this cloudy evening fall,

After a day of rain:

Blue mists, sweet mists of summer pall

The horizon’s mountain-chain.”

The third stanza describes the scene as the evening falls. The speaker observes the cloudy sky after a day of rain. The mists, while shrouding the mountain range on the horizon, are described as “sweet mists of summer,” which suggests a sense of beauty and tranquillity in the midst of the rain and mist.

Stanza 4:

“The damp stands in the long,

green grass As thick as morning’s tears;

And dreamy scents of fragrance pass

That breathe of other years.”

In the final stanza, the poet paints a vivid picture of the damp grass, which is as thick as morning’s tears, alluding to the lingering moisture from the rain. The “dreamy scents of fragrance” evoke a sense of nostalgia and memories of past years. The speaker is immersed in the sensory experience of the moment and the emotions it stirs.