Elizabeth Barrett Browning Victorian Period Poetry

Elizabeth Barrett Browning March 6, 1806 – June 29, 1861 Poet Today we know her for her poetry, but in her lifetime she was also well-known for her social concerns

Elizabeth’s Background… Elizabeth’s family was large and her parents were wealthy She was educated completely at home and was fluent in several languages Elizabeth was close to her family and suffered from poor health and depression when difficulties came (financial problems and deaths of family members)

Their Romance Robert wrote to Elizabeth Barrett after she was an established poet…said that if she was an amazing as her poetry, then he already loved her He finally met her after four months of correspondence

Their Romance Her overbearing father caused her to live a life of seclusion…she was sickly and the medications she took caused more harm than good Browning saw the need to take Elizabeth to a better climate and arranged for an elopement to Italy

Their Romance… They eloped and moved to Italy which angered her father He never spoke to her again…he had forbidden his children from marrying…and disinherited her

Their Romance… Elizabeth’s health dramatically improved and her life with Browning was happy They had one child, a son Theirs is considered to be a classic romance

Separation… Elizabeth died when their child was 12, and Robert returned to England He visited Italy several times to visit her tomb Their son married but had no children

Separation… Robert died at his son’s home He never re-married and there were no descendants of the two famous poets

Their Poetry… Both Brownings are considered to be outstanding poets Robert was equal with Tennyson in fame by the time of his death Elizabeth was considered for the position of Poet Laureate, but the honor was given to Tennyson

Their Poetry… Originally, Barrett was known for her work relating to social issues such as religious freedom, anti-slavery, child labor laws, and women’s rights

Their Poetry… Those who have studied their work state that the Brownings positively inspired each others’ work, encouraging each other to write at an elevated level that would not have been possible had they not been together

Known as her husband’s “little Portuguese,” Elizabeth wrote a collection of sonnets entitled “Sonnets from the Portuguese” in homage to her husband She is most known for that collection of poems