Music to My Eyes

"Ah, how my heart flutters when reading the words of Jane Eyre. My dear, when you read my sentence just there, did the word choice affect you at all? Of course it did! My brilliant use of literary tools caused a strong emotional response, no? You see my dear this same use of word choice was also consistently used throughout Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte very well used imagery and emotions to set and describe moods, tones, emotions, and even settings all throughout the novel."

Not a page will turn where there will not be imagery used to help describe a scene, emotion, mood, or setting. To narrow that search, we will focus in the extreme moments in Jane Eyre, and examine how nature was used to intensity that emotion.

The Big Heartbreak:

“ ‘The waters came into my soul; I sank in deeper mire: I felt no standing; I came into deep waters; the floods overflowed me.” (301).

In this example, Charlotte is comparing Jane's emotions to an engulfing river flooding over her. I think that Bronte used this imagery effectively to communicate the feelings that Jane was bearing with and how these feelings punched her in her soul as the grief hit her. I could almost feel the feelings slam into her like a punch in the gut. The words: 'waters', 'sank', 'deep', and 'overflowed' all describe the moment of water as well as the agony in her heart. The nature reference is also another recurring theme where nature can describe bliss, and aagony.

Burning Sensations:

“ I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart...-and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one”(320).

"I crushed his hand, which was ever hunting mine, vigorously, and thrust it back with red and passionate pressure"(273). 

This directs directly to fire, which seems to be a common theme with nature tying in with moods and emotion (water, fire...), even in that chapter there were other mentions of “flaming eyes” and other reference to fire. The words 'fervent' , 'red', 'passion', and the action words of 'kindling', 'powerful flame', and 'fuses' all depict images of heat mixed with the emotion on passion and anger. It again makes the readers almost able to feel the gaze of Mr Rochester look burning, almost as if he is burning us through the paper. 

A Moment of Bliss:

 "It was now the sweetest hour of the twenty-four: - 'Day its fervid fires had wasted,' and dew fell cool on panting plain and scorched summit. Where the sun had gone down in simple state- pure of pomp of the clouds- spread a solemn purple, burning with the light if red jewel and furnace flame... The east has its own charm of fine, deep blue, and is own modest gem..." (251)

"Sweet briar and southern wood, jasmine, pink, and rose, have long been yielded their evening sacrifice of incense: this new scent in neither of shrub nor  flower, it is- I know it well- it is Mr Rochester's cigar..."(pg 252)

"...a brilliant June morning had succeeded to the tempest of the night; and to feel, through the open glass door, the breathing of a fresh and fragrant breeze. Nature must be gladsome when I was so happy." (261).

These three scene just so happen to be the chapter that Mr Rochester pledges love and marriage to Jane. The opening quote, and the opening of the chapter, hints many bright and brilliant colors like blue, purple, and fiery red. The clouds and wind give a refreshing breath to the opening scene of Jane's engagement.
Natural elements were also a graceful gateway to the next scene in books. The the second quote, notice how the interests shifts from pink jasmines and roses, to their delicate small through the air, and that notable shifting to Mr Rochester's pungent cigar which ties into the next scene. Once more these is more relaxing nature settings in the background, but there is special attention to how smell sensations tie into the story. Not to mention, roses and bushed and men with cigars go seem to go well with romance in this story!
Finally, the last quote ties nature with emotions. Jane's moment of bliss reflects onto the day itself when she awakens. This is again the day after the live of her life proposed to her, and Jane was feeling on top of the world. Noticeably, the 'brilliant June morning' fed off of her happiness and even intensified Jane's euphoria.

Finally, these is my personal favorite of an example of brilliant word choice. There are many different descriptions of Mr. Rochester, and stern and rough-faced man that is the love of Jane; however, this description of him as a blind and crippled near the end of the story was my favorite:

“His form was of the same strong and stalwart contour as ever: his part was still erect, his hair was still raven-black; nor were his features altered or sunk; not in one year’s space, by any sorrow, could his athletic strength be quelled, I saw a vigorous prime blighted. But in his countenance, I saw a change: that looked desperate and brooding- that reminded me of some wronged and fettered wild beast of bird, dangerous to approach in his sullen woe. The cages eagle, whose gold-ringed eyes cruelty has extinguished, might look as looked that sightless Samson (439).

Can't you just about picture it in your mind! The stern face of the man mixed with the blank expression of a blind-mans focus. His black hair jetting in contrast with his pale white face and his deep eyes that appeared empty from his heartbroken spirit. See how Bronte used the eagle imagery, and imagine the intense look on the majestic bird's face that reflects on that of Mr. Rochester. The poor and desolate Mr. Rochester, though wretched and broken-spirited, still hold the majestic nature of an eagle- as Jane described it. His elegance still shines through the veil of ugly as Jane reunited her master and lover once again.