Emily Brontë Quotes

Riches I hold in light esteem,And love I laugh to scorn,And lust of fame was but a dreamThat vanished with the morn.And if I pray, the only prayerThat moves my lips for meIs, 'Leave the heart that now I bear,And give me liberty!'Yes, as my swift days near their goal,'Tis all that I implore -In life and death, a chainless soul,With courage to endure.

~ Emily Brontë

I’m wearying to escape into that glorious world, and to be always there: not seeing it dimly through tears, and yearning for it through the walls of an aching heart: but really with it, and in it.

~ Emily Brontë

Take my books away, and I should be desperate!

~ Emily Brontë

Come in! come in !’ he sobbed.‘Cathy, do come. Oh do -once more! Oh! my heart’s darling! hear me this time - Catherine, at last!

~ Emily Brontë

No parson in the world ever pictured heaven so beautifully as they did, in their innocent talk

~ Emily Brontë

In every cloud, in every tree – filling the air at night, and caught by glimpses in every object, by day I am surrounded with her image! The most ordinary faces of men, and women – my own features mock me with a resemblance. The entire world is a dreadful collection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her!

~ Emily Brontë

Heaven did not seem to be my home, and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth, and the angels were so angry that they flung me out into the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights, where I woke sobbing for joy.

~ Emily Brontë

Thoughts are tyrants that return again and again to torment us.

~ Emily Brontë

Mr. Heathcliff, you have nobody to love you; and, however miserable you make us, we shall still have the revenge of thinking that your cruelty rises from your greater misery! You are miseable, are you not? Lonely, like the devil, and envious like him? Nobody loves you - nobody will cry for you, when you die! I wouldnt't be you!

~ Emily Brontë

He might as well plant an oak in a flowerpot, and expect it to thrive, as imagine he can restore her to vigour in the soil of his shallow cares!

~ Emily Brontë

But you might as well bid a man struggling in the water, rest within arm's length of the shore! I must reach it first, and then I'll rest.

~ Emily Brontë

Wish and learn to smooth away the surly wrinkles, to raise your lids frankly, and change the fiends to confident, innocent angels, suspecting and doubting nothing, and always seeing friends where they are not sure of foes.

~ Emily Brontë

You may fancy a glimpse of the abyss where I grovelled!

~ Emily Brontë

It's wrong to anticipate evil.

~ Emily Brontë

He turned, as he spoke, a peculiar look in her direction, a look of hatred unless he has a most perverse set of facial muscles that will not, like those of other people, interpret the language of his soul.

~ Emily Brontë

It was nothing less than murder, in her eyes

~ Emily Brontë

... You have a heart and nerves the same as your brother men! Why should you be anxious to conceal them?

~ Emily Brontë

He'll love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to loved or hated again.

~ Emily Brontë

He leant his two elbows on his knees, and his chin on his hands and remained rapt in dumb meditation. On my inquiring the subject of his thoughts, he answered gravely 'I'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don't care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!''For shame, Heathcliff!' said I. 'It is for God to punish wicked people; we should learn to forgive.''No, God won’t have the satisfaction that I shall,' he returned. 'I only wish I knew the best way! Let me alone, and I'll plan it out: while I'm thinking of that I don't feel pain.

~ Emily Brontë

Honest people don't hide their deeds.

~ Emily Brontë

It is strange people should be so greedy when they are alone in the world!

~ Emily Brontë

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.

~ Emily Brontë

All sinners would be miserable in heaven.

~ Emily Brontë

I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself.

~ Emily Brontë

She dried her tears, and they did smileTo see her cheeks’ returning glow;Nor did discern how all the whileThat full heart throbbed to overflow.With that sweet look and lively tone,And bright eye shining all the day,They could not guess, at midnight loneHow she would weep the time away.

~ Emily Brontë

He shall never know how I love him

~ Emily Brontë

To sneer at his imperfect attempt was very bad breeding.

~ Emily Brontë

The Old StoicRiches I hold in light esteem, And Love I laugh to scorn; And lust of fame was but a dream, That vanished with the morn:And if I pray, the only prayer That moves my lips for me Is, Leave the heart that now I bear, And give me liberty!Yes, as my swift days near their goal:’Tis all that I implore; In life and death a chainless soul, With courage to endure.

~ Emily Brontë

And I am weary of the anguishIncreasing winters bear;Weary to watch the spirit languishThrough years of dead despair.So, if a tear, when thou art dying,Should haply fall from me,It is but that my soul is sighing,To go and rest with thee.

~ Emily Brontë

He had the hypocrisy to represent a mourner: and previous to following with Hareton, he lifted the unfortunate child on to the table and muttered, with peculiar gusto, 'Now, my bonny lad, you are mine! And we'll see if one tree won't grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!

~ Emily Brontë

I'd be glad of a retaliation that wouldn't recoil on myself; but treachery and violence are spears pointed at both ends: they wound those who resort to them, worse than their enemies.

~ Emily Brontë

However miserable you make us, we shall still have the revenge of thinking that your cruelty arises from your greater misery.

~ Emily Brontë

The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don't turn against him, they crush those beneath them.

~ Emily Brontë

Their eyes are precisely similar, and they are those of Catherine Earnshaw.

~ Emily Brontë

As different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.

~ Emily Brontë

For the space of half a year, the gunpowder lay as harmless as sand, because no fire came near to explode it.

~ Emily Brontë

When I asked her what was the matter? answered, she didn't know; but she felt so afraid of dying!

~ Emily Brontë

... I love him... not because he's handsome... but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same...

~ Emily Brontë

I have not broken your heart - you have broken it - and in breaking it, you have broken mine ... I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer - but yours! How can I?

~ Emily Brontë

I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer - but yours! How can I?

~ Emily Brontë