When Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) and her siblings were young they created an imaginary world called the Glass Town Confederacy. This later spun off into the countries of Gondal (created by Emily and Anne) and Angria (created by Charlotte and Branwell).
Developing these fictional worlds involved handwriting tiny books in imitation of literary magazines like Blackwood’s. Charlotte wrote many poems for these magazines, the earliest known one at age 13. One of her early poem begins, “I’ve been wandering in the greenwoods.”
The Text
I’ve been wandering in the greenwoods
And mid flowery smiling plains
I’ve been listening to the dark floods
To the thrushes thrilling strains
I have gathered the pale primrose
And the purple violet sweet
I’ve been where the Asphodel grows
And where lives the red deer fleet.
I’ve been to the distant mountain,
To the silver singing rill
By the crystal murmering mountain,
And the shady verdant hill.
I’ve been where the poplar is springing
From the fair Inamelled ground
Where the nightingale is singing
With a solemn plaintive sound.
The Manuscript
The original manuscript of this poem was sold at auction by Bonhams for £92,450. It’s a piece of paper about 3 x 3 inches signed C. Bronte and dated 14 December 1829. It also includes the note, “from the Young Mans Intelligencer.”
If you want to learn more about Charlotte Bronte’s childhood and youth, I recommend Dark Quartet, a biography of the Bronte siblings written by Lynne Reid Banks, author of the Indian in the Cupboard series. I read it many years ago; now thinking about their fictional worlds makes me want to reread it.