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Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime.
Born in County Durham, the eldest of 11 children, Elizabeth Barrett wrote poetry from the age of eleven. Her mother's collection of her poems forms one of the largest extant collections of juvenilia by any English writer. At 15 she became ill, suffering intense head and spinal pain for the rest of her life. Later in life she also developed lung problems, possibly tuberculosis. She took laudanum for the pain from an early age, which is likely to have contributed to her frail health.
In the 1840s Elizabeth was introduced to literary society through her cousin, John Kenyon. Her first adult collection of poems was published in 1838 and she wrote prolifically between 1841 and 1844, producing poetry, translation and prose. She campaigned for the abolition of slavery and her work helped influence reform in the child labour legislation. Her prolific output made her a rival to Tennyson as a candidate for poet laureate on the death of Wordsworth.
Elizabeth's volume Poems (1844) brought her great success, attracting the admiration of the writer Robert Browning. Their correspondence, courtship and marriage were carried out in secret, for fear of her father's disapproval. Following the wedding she was indeed disinherited by her father. In 1846, the couple moved to Italy, where she would live for the rest of her life. They had one son, Robert Wiedeman Barrett Browning, whom they called Pen. She died in Florence in 1861. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband shortly after her death.
Elizabeth's work had a major influence on prominent writers of the day, including the American poets Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson. She is remembered for such poems as "How Do I Love Thee?" (Sonnet 43, 1845) and Aurora Leigh (1856).
Books by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sonnets from the Portugese
Sonnets from the Portuguese, written ca. 1845–1846 and published first in 1850, is a collection of 44 love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The collection was acclaimed and popular during the poet's lifetime and it remains so.
The Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon is a rhymed, dramatic, narrative-poem by Elizabeth Barrett (later Browning). Written in 1820, when Barrett was aged 14, it retells powerfully The Battle of Marathon, during which the Athenian state defeated the much larger inva...
From Queen's Gardens
Step into the enchanting world of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetic masterpiece, "From Queen's Gardens." Like a delicate thread woven through time, this collection of verses beckons readers to wander through the secret pathways of a queen's cherish...
Consolation
In the wake of a devastating loss, a woman finds solace in the beauty of nature and the power of love. Consolation is a collection of poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that explore the themes of grief, loss, and hope. The poems were written after...
Truth
What is truth? And how can we know it? In her poem "Truth," Elizabeth Barrett Browning explores these questions with her characteristic brilliance and passion. She argues that truth is not something that can be found in books or in the opinions of o...
Sonnet 43
LibriVox volunteers bring you 23 different recordings of Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of February 4th, 2007.
Drama of Exile
In writing her 'Drama of Exile', Barrett's subject was 'the new and strange experience of the fallen humanity, as it went forth from Paradise into the wilderness'. The bizarre, lyrical scenes that follow powerfully describe the grief and guilt of Eve...
Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett
This book contains the personal correspondence between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, two of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. The letters, written before and during their courtship, offer a glimpse into their passionate...
Best Thing in the World
This short poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning reflects on the simple yet profound joys of life. The speaker, with a contemplative tone, explores the essence of happiness, finding it in the everyday beauty of nature, the warmth of human connection, an...
Year's Spinning
“Year’s Spinning” is a collection of sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a celebrated poet of the Victorian era. These sonnets explore themes of love, time, nature, and the complexities of human life and death. Browning’s lyrical and insig...
Love
Love by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a collection of poems exploring the theme of love in its various forms, including romantic, familial, and divine. The poems are written in a variety of styles, from sonnets to free verse, and cover a wide range o...
Musical Instrument
A Musical Instrument is a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that explores the power of music to inspire and uplift the human spirit. The poem is written in the form of a dialogue between a poet and a musician, who discuss the nature of music and its...
Sonette nach dem Portugiesischen, übertragen durch Rainer Maria Rilke
This book contains the German translation by Rainer Maria Rilke of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese". Browning wrote these sonnets for her husband, who then published them. In his translation, Rilke maintains the sonnet form...
Portugiesische Sonette, übertragen durch Hans Böhm
This book presents a collection of Portuguese sonnets, originally written in Portuguese, translated into German by Hans Böhm and then translated into English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It showcases the poetic talents of both Böhm and Browning and...
Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Part 1
This extensive collection of letters offers an intimate glimpse into the courtship and early relationship between two of the most renowned poets of the Victorian era, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett. Through their nearly daily exchange,...
Sonette nach dem Portugiesischen - übersetzt von Marie Gothein
Diese Sammlung von Sonetten, die von der englischen Dichterin Elizabeth Barrett Browning verfasst und von Marie Gothein ins Deutsche übersetzt wurde, gilt als eines ihrer Meisterwerke. Die Gedichte, die sie ihrem Mann widmete, zeichnen sich durch ihr...
Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Part 2
This book is a collection of letters exchanged between the poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett during the early stages of their courtship. The letters provide insight into the lives and work of these two major literary figures, as wel...
Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Part 3
This volume of letters provides a rich and intimate glimpse into the lives and relationship of two of the most famous poets of the Victorian era, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The letters, which were written over a period of several...
Selected Poems
This collection of poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning showcases her remarkable talent and the range of her poetic voice. From passionate love sonnets to political and social commentary, Barrett Browning's poems capture the essence of the Victorian e...