And so begins our foray into a novel-in-verse about a woman who becomes a poet, and so far, it is equal parts delightful and impenetrable. So many thanks to
Alice and
Jenny for organizing.
A RECAP: Aurora Leigh is born in Italy, and is an orphan by the time she's 13, at which point she's shipped off to England and to grow up in her aunt's care but DON'T WORRY, this aunt isn't as bad as Jane Eyre's aunt. She grows up rather under the aunt's thumb and her cousin visits sometimes, then she talks a lot about how much she loves nature and then she finds her father's book collection in her aunt's attic and spends the next ~fifty thousand pages talking about how amazing poets are and how they are closer to God than the rest of us.
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| Aurora and Chuck would get along, I think |
She starts writing poetry, but then on her twentieth birthday her cousin Romney finds her book of poems (which she hid in a tree near a stream, of course) and first tells her that women can't be poets (even though he didn't read anything she wrote so like...get stuffed, Romney. Although I am glad you did a small amount of privacy-respecting), does some general insulting, and then proposes to her. Aurora is like "hell no," and I applaud her.
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| Aurora reacting to Romney's proposal |
Her aunt is like "gurl you're going to be poor when I die, marry your cousin to secure your future," and Aurora is still like "hell no," and honestly I respect her resolve, also cousin Romney is v rude. Six weeks later the aunt dies from...sitting? and Romney tries to give Aurora a bunch of money and she's like "keep it, I'm outta here" and goes to London to be a poet.
At one point Romney says, "When Egypt's slain, I say, let Miriam sing! / Before...where's Moses?" and honestly Romney, you need to read the Bible again and then you need to start getting better opinions. I feel like he's going to come back as a romantic interest for Aurora, and I'm mad about it. He's rude and mean, and I don't like him. I
do like Aurora, and how she's very principled and does things like preserve ivy crowns in a drawer because PERSONAL SYMBOLISM.
A lot happens, and a lot doesn't happen. During the nature and poet parts I was like "please, EBB, spare me" but there are so many good lines in this book that I can't complain. If reading this first portion didn't remind you of
Bright Star then I have to assume you haven't seen
Bright Star, and I feel like you should because it's a good movie, and very pretty. Look at these gifs and tell me that's not Aurora, I dare you.
