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Elizabeth Barrett Browning Essay

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Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in 1806 in County Durham, England. She was the eldest of twelve children born to Edward Barrett Moulin Barrett and Mary Graham Clarke. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, or "Ba", grew up in her family’s estate Hope End, Henfordshire. They were part of the upper-middle class, owning a successful sugar trade.

Elizabeth began writing at a very early age. When she was twelve her father had her first epic poem "The Battle of Marathon" privately printed (Radley 15). She referred to this work as "Pope’s Homer done over again, or rather undone" (28). Her diary at this time in her life offered glimpses into her perceptive and expressive writing style.

Three years later she became …show more content…

Elizabeth suffered from many illnesses at this time. In 1838 her Uncle Samuel Barrett died and left her an inheritance substantial enough to provide her with living expenses. The following year her favorite brother Samuel nicknamed "Bro", drowned. Elizabeth became depressed for some time.

The 1840s saw many famous works produced by Elizabeth. Some of these include "The Cry of the Children", "De Profoundest" and "The Dead Pan". She also published Poems. Poems contained tributes to famous poets Elizabeth revered such as Robert Browning and Henry Wordsworth. In 1845 Elizabeth received her first letter from Robert Browning. He wrote in praise of her poetry. They corresponded for several months, marrying in 1846. Their marriage was not welcome by her father. Her relationship with him was never the same. The couple made their home in Florence, Italy. In Italy, Elizabeth became interested in the country’s politics. She hoped the country would unify. She expressed this feeling in her "Poems before Congress", published in 1860 (25).

In 1849, the Browning’s welcomed their first and only child, Robert Wiedmeman Barrett-Browning, called "Pen". A year later she produced and published Sonnets from the Portuguese, her most famous work. The sonnets were a "sequence of 44 sonnets recording the growth of her love for Robert. He often called her ‘my little Portuguese’ because of her dark complexion" (Critical Poet). During that

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