In ‘The Captive Dove’, echoing a subject Emily had already treated, she took a totally different stance from her sister, begging not for freedom but for companionship in captivity. Though the poem almost certainly belongs to the Gondal cycle, it is interesting because it undoubtedly reflects Anne’s own character: unlike Emily, who was selfish and single-minded in the pursuit of her liberty, Anne was prepared to accept her duty, however uncongenial, though she too longed for freedom.86
