What is the setting in the poem, On the Death of Anne Brontë?

The main setting of the poem is Anne’s deathbed, to which Brontë is tending. Rather than dramatic, Anne’s deathbed is calm. Anne suffers in near silence as she dies. This image contrasts markedly with the rest of the poem, which focuses on Brontë’s extreme grief at the passing of her sister. What happens to Brontë internally, inside her mind, is much more chaotic than what occurs in her surroundings and their “stillness” (11). An outsider looking in on the scene might see quietude, tranquility, and peace. However, Brontë’s internal emotions challenge this portrait of death as a peaceful experience, ultimately suggesting that watching someone die is notably tumultuous and difficult.