Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🎨

Anne Brontë

arts Maturity 11-13 death dying Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Anne Brontë was a prominent English novelist and poet.

Anne Bronte
Anne Bronte

She was a member of the famous Brontë literary family. This family included her sisters Charlotte and Emily, and her brother Branwell. Anne is best known for two major works of fiction. Her first novel, Agnes Grey, was published in 1847. Her second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, was published in 1848. This second book is often recognized as one of the first feminist novels. Today, both of these works are considered classics of English literature.

Anne's early life was shaped by significant family changes. She was born on 17 January 1820 in Thornton, England. Her father, Patrick Brontë, was an Irish clergyman. Her mother, Maria Branwell, died when Anne was only one year old. This loss was followed by the deaths of two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth. These sisters died following an outbreak of typhus at the Cowan Bridge school. The school had poor food and frequent disease outbreaks. Because of these tragedies, Patrick Brontë chose to educate his surviving children at home in Haworth.

Growing up in the Haworth Parsonage, the siblings were highly creative. They relied on each other for company and played on the nearby moors. In 1826, their father gave Branwell a set of toy soldiers. The children called these soldiers "The Young Men" or "The Twelves." They used these figures to build a fictional kingdom called Angria. They created maps and watercolor renderings of this imaginary world. They even produced tiny, hand-stitched books made from scrap paper.

Branwell Brontë, The Monthly Intelligencer
Branwell Brontë, The Monthly Intelligencer

Around 1831, Anne and Emily created their own fantasy world called Gondal.

To gain independence, Anne pursued an education and employment. She attended the Roe Head school in Lancashire for two years. During this time, she was a quiet and hardworking student. In 1839, at age nineteen, she began working as a governess. A governess is a private teacher who lives with a family. Her first position was at Blake Hall near Mirfield.

Blake Hall
Blake Hall

This job was difficult because the children were hard to control. Anne felt she had little support from the Ingham family. This unhappy experience served as the primary inspiration for her novel Agnes Grey.

Anne later worked at Thorp Green Hall near York from 1840 to 1845. She served as a governess for the Reverend Edmund Robinson and his wife, Lydia. While living at the Long Plantation at Thorp Green, she wrote a poem. It was titled "Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day." In 1846, Anne began publishing poetry alongside her sisters. To protect their identities, they used pseudonyms, or pen names. They wrote as Acton, Currer, and Ellis Bell.

Bronte poems2
Bronte poems2

Anne's life was cut short when she died at age 29. Most evidence suggests she died from pulmonary tuberculosis.

Annebronte
Annebronte

After her death, her sister Charlotte wrote a preface for a new edition of Agnes Grey. However, Charlotte prevented the republication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Charlotte believed that republishing it was a mistake. This decision had a negative impact on Anne's popularity during her time. Despite this, her literary reputation has grown significantly over the years.

Anne's legacy is tied to the broader history of women's writing. Her work reflects the real-world struggles of women in the 19th century. Through her novels, she explored themes of social standing and personal rights. Her ability to turn personal hardship into lasting literature is remarkable. Even though she died young, her voice remains part of the English literary canon. Her life shows how creativity can flourish even in difficult circumstances.

Annebronte
Annebronte
595 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (10)
File:Anne Brontë by Patrick Branwell Brontë restored.jpg
Anne Brontë by Patrick Branwell Brontë...
File:Branwell Brontë, The Monthly Intelligencer.jpg
Branwell Brontë, The Monthly Intelligencer.jpg
File:Anne Bronte.jpg
Anne Bronte.jpg
File:Blake Hall.jpg
Blake Hall.jpg
File:Bronte Parsonage Museum.JPG
Bronte Parsonage Museum.JPG
File:Bronte poems2.jpg
Bronte poems2.jpg
File:Smith Elder Cornhill.jpg
Smith Elder Cornhill.jpg
File:Annebronte.jpg
Annebronte.jpg
File:AnnBrontegrave.JPG
AnnBrontegrave.JPG
File:2024-05-16 - Anne Bronte.jpg
2024-05-16 - Anne Bronte.jpg
More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.