Catherine & Heathcliff

Catherine announcing to Nelly her marriage to Linton

"I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is or should be an existence of yours beyond you. What were the use of my creation, if I were entirely contained here? My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning: my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods; time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."

Catherine after her marriage with Linton during her illness

"'Look!" she cried eagerly, "that's my room with the candle in it, and the trees swaying before it: and the other candle is in Joseph's garret. Joseph sits up late, doesn't he? He's waiting till I come home that he may lock the gate. Well, he'll wait a while yet. It's a rough journey, and a sad heart to travel it; and we must pass by Gimmerton Kirk, to go that journey! We've braved its ghosts often together, and dared each other to stand among the graves and ask them to come. But, Heathcliff, if I dare you now, will you venture? If you do, I'll keep you. I'll not lie there by myself: they may bury me twelve feet deep, and throw the church down over me, but I won't rest till you are with me. I never will!"

Quarrel between Heathcliff and Catherine in Catherine's deathbed

"You teach me now how cruel you've been-cruel and false. Why did you despise me? Why did you betray you own heart, Cathy? I have not one word of comfort. You deserve this. You have killed yourself. Yes, you may kiss me, and cry; and wring out my kisses and tears: they'll blight you-they'll damn you. You loved me-then what right had you to leave me? What right-answer me-for the poor fancy you felt for Linton? Because misery and degradation, and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart-you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine. So much the worse for me, that I am strong. Do I want to live? What kind of living will it be when you-oh, God! would you like to live with your soul in the grave?"
"Let me alone. Let me alone," sobbed Catherine. "If I have done wrong, I'm dying for it. It is enough! You left me too: but I won't upbraid you! I forgive you. Forgive me!"
"It is hard to forgive, and to look at those eyes, and feel those wasted hands," he answered. "Kiss me again; and don't let me see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer-but yours! How can I?"

Heathcliff's reaction when he learns about Catherine's death

"May she wake in torment!" he cried, with frightful vehemence, stamping his foot, and groaning in a sudden paroxysm of ungovernable passion. "Why, she's a liar to the end! Where is she? Not there-not in heaven-not perished-where? Oh! you said you cared nothing for my sufferings! And I pray one prayer-I repeat it till my tongue stiffens-Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living! You said I killed you-haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth, Be with me always-take any form-drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!"
He dashed his head against the knotted trunk; and, lifting up his eyes, howled, not like a man, but like a savage beast getting goaded to death with knives and spears. I observed several splashes of blood about the bark of the tree, and his hand and forehead were both stained; probably the scene I witnessed was a repetition of others acted during the night.

Heathcliff one step before his death, one step closer to his Catherine

"Then you are not afraid of death?" I pursued.
"Afraid? No!" he replied. "I have neither a fear, nor a presentiment, nor a hope of death. Why should I? With my hard constitution and temperate mode of living, and unperilous occupations there is scarcely a black hair on my head. And yet I cannot continue in this condition! I have to remind myself to breathe-almost to remind my heart to beat! And it is like bending back a stiff spring: it is by compulsion that I do the slightest act not prompted by one thought; and by compulsion that I notice anything alive or dead, which is not associated with one universal idea. I have a single wish, and my whole being and faculties are yearning to attain it. They have yearned towards it so long, and so unwaveringly, that I'm convinved it will be reached-and soon-because it has devoured my existence: I am swallowed up in the anticipation of its fulfilment. My confessions have not relieved me; but they may account for some otherwise unaccountable phases of humour which I show. O God! It is a long fight; I wish it were over!

These excerpts were taken from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, one of my favourite novels and one that is purely Gothic. Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff loved each other with a strange but deep love, a love beyond time and space. And there is nothing more sublime that this...

Thoughts of a gloomy soul

I haven't posted anything almost two months now and it seems as if I abandoned this blog, which isn't the truth. Sometimes reality is more gothic than imagination, than literature and you don't feel like dealing with anything else but contemplation. I have fallen myself into this whirlwind and I am still trying to get out of it. Gloomy thoughts are all around me and I try to take them away. I have been there before and so I know that soon it will be over. I also realize that I am not the only person that faces hardships and that is sad. This means nothing at this moment but I hate to pity myself for my moody behaviour.

At moments I try to hold on to the reassuring words of Scarlet O' Hara, that "after all, tomorrow is another day". I also think that we cannot find the light unless we delve deep into the abyss. Alas, I will survive, or so I hope...

photo: deviantart.com

Lethe

Standing into the cave all she could discern was the dark waters of the lake in front of her. She could sense the coldness of the abyss embracing her, calling her from its depths. She was scared and enchanted at the same time. She knew that if she followed its path the end, her end would be close. Nothing could save her from the claws of the abyss. And yet she wanted so much to fall into the dark waters. It was like this weird feeling a child has when adults tell him not to do things. The more she knew it was forbidden, the more she craved for it.

She had heard tales about people who had followed their impulse and never came back. She really liked hearing their tales. She admired them. When everybody else considered them fools and cowards, she felt they were more like heroes. They were people who were not afraid to fall into the mysterious and unknown waters of the vast lake. Not because they gave up, not because the cave was no longer enough for them but because they finally found the exit and had the guts to go for it.

The moment she found herself in the banks of the Lake of Lethe she knew what her path would be. She knew she was meant to escape, one of the few humans who have tried to. And now she was finally ready. There was no fear, only great anticipation. She unbuttoned her dress, got undressed and naked she approached the cold water. Without hesitating or looking back she dived into the dark lake and was lost forever...

A new era shines for Sublime Romance

Sublime Romance, as everything in this life, has evolved. That is, it changed its exterior. As far as its content is concerned, this I hope that evolves as well. I hope you enjoy its new layout as much as I do. In my opinion, it is now a little bit closer to what I had in mind when I started it.

Sometimes I feel that I am all alone in this, but most of the times it doesn't matter. Everyday new people visit my blog, as they search for various stuff related to gothic philosophy. I hope they can find here useful stuff related to their search.

Of course there are various people who search for naked women or men and they end up here. Well, I am afraid that these searchers will be disappointed since my blog has nothing to do with it.

Anyway, thanks for passing by no matter what.

My love,
Melian

Our bloody tea

Will you join me?
Could we share this bloody tea, for once?
Life is nothing but unique moments of joy and sorrow...
But it is in sorrow that the meaning is revealed...
Come, I'm waiting
I'm always waiting
For an eternity, remember?


photo from deviantart

The True Essence of Vampirism or Simply Another Viewpoint

Why are we in love with vampires? and don't tell me that I'm the only one who I am in fond of them... well, I have a theory... it is probably because we are the only ones who have realized the potentials of humanity and we have embraced this belief. Being a vampire is a higher state of existence. You are still a human being but one that has been evolved. You have finally achieved to beat the disease of dying and you are free. When you are a true vampire nothing can harm you, neither the light nor any mortal human hand or instrument. Your existence is beyond the physical laws and you no longer need to submit to them.

Why we don't have any proof of their existence? That's an interesting question. Why should they give us any answers after all? We are inferior to them, we are just their food... Would you give answers to a lamb before killing it? No, surely not. You wouldn't even bother to think about his feelings...

That's why the existence of vampires is so alluring to so many people. It reminds us that though we are restricted (or so we feel) to the physical boundaries there is hope... We can be the superhumans. What if being a superman means turning against humanity? After all, it was always that way. The fittest wins... and cruelty is subjective (as a friend of mine says)...

You're supposed to love me

What is love but the constant need of reassuring ourselves that we are loved back? Can we love somebody who doesn't return our love? And if we do it for how long? Would it be too romantic to say that some of us can love without getting anything back? Well probably it would sound very heroic if not naive... even when we say something like that deep inside we always expect something in return. It is part of our nature, I guess...

Another problem is when we take other people's love for granted. Then we make the biggest mistake.. and we end up losing them or getting hurt, either because we hadn't shown them our feelings or because we expected too much from them..

You're supposed to love me because I need this more than everything to keep on living, because some days it is so hard not to give up, it is so hard...

A dream within a dream

How sure can we be about reality? Is what we' re living true or is it just a dream within another dream? At times I wonder and I try to define reality but then I'm lost because I simply cannot. After all everything is so subjective and never we will be in other people's shoes...

Maybe we are parts of a larger dream, probably puppets. Some one else is pulling our strings and we perform. All is an act, the world is a stage and we were chosen to participate in it though I cannot understand the reason why.

If we have a purpose probably it will be to find a way to survive and get out. But out where?

If only you let me love you

Sometimes love and happiness are so close to us but we intentionally have our eyes closed and we keep them away. Oh, how great everything would be if you just opened your eyes, if you stopped being blind, if you let me show you the way... You say that you want to be loved, why don't you just open your soul? Stop searching for endless chimeras, love is in the air you breathe when you are close to me...

What are we but lonely souls keep searching for a port? What are we but lonely planets trying to find an orbit?

Things that will remain unsaid

"There are things you should know
The distance between us seems to grow
But you're holding on strong
Oh how hard it is to let go, oh so hard to let go"

There are things that we wish we could have said, but we cannot; things that are destined to remain unsaid; things that we will take into our grave or at least we try to. But how strong do we need to be as not to express them? How easy is this? How painful it can be?

And I wonder how honest is this? For how long can we pretend being something that we are not. Sometimes it seems that we have no other choice 'cause if we show our true self everything will collapse. And this is a great dilemma. Losing what you love the most or hurting every day being someone else?

Darkness Unveiled

Well, here I am! This new blog is my attempt to redefine gothic. What is gothic? How people experience it? What means to all these gothic, cult people that all of us have come across with?
That is surely not my concern. I will try to redefine the gothic movement through my own point of view.

For me gothic is not just the particular dressing code of the gothic people, the black dresses and the black boots. No, gothic is something much deeper. It is a philosophy of life, it is a worldview, it is a deeper experience. I will try to find it out through literature, through movies and through the opinions of famous people. Sometimes my references may seem peculiar and somehow odd, but don't be frustrated. As I have already said gothic is a whole philosophy - at least for me - and therefore it can be found everywhere. I hope that this trip will be interesting. I reassure you that it will be so, at least for me.

Welcome to my blog you reader!
May the darkness be unveiled upon your eyes!