Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Biography

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861) was an English poet, widely regarded as one of the most prominent literary figures of the Victorian era. Known for her romantic, lyrical poetry and her groundbreaking contributions to social issues, Browning’s work blends personal emotion with intellectual engagement, tackling themes like love, oppression, and human rights. 

Her most famous work, Sonnets from the Portuguese, is considered one of the greatest collections of love poetry in the English language. Throughout her career, Browning demonstrated a remarkable ability to intertwine beauty and social consciousness, earning her an enduring place in literary history.

Early Life and Education

Elizabeth Barrett was born on March 6, 1806, in Coxhoe Hall, County Durham, England, to Edward Barrett Moulton-Barrett and Mary Graham Clarke. She was the eldest of twelve children in a wealthy, but often dysfunctional family. 

Her father, a strict and authoritarian figure, was a self-made millionaire who forbade his children from marrying and placed tremendous pressure on them. Barrett’s health was fragile from a young age, and she suffered from chronic illness, including a spinal condition that led to her being largely confined to her home for much of her early life.

Despite her physical challenges and seclusion, Barrett was a voracious reader and an intellectually gifted child. Her education was largely self-directed, and she read a wide range of classical, literary, and philosophical works. By the time she was a teenager, she had begun writing poetry, and her early works reflected her keen literary sensibility and deep intellectualism.

Early Literary Career

Barrett’s first book of poetry, An Essay on Mind, and Other Poems (1826), was published when she was only 20 years old, although it went largely unnoticed. In 1838, she published Poems, which included a mix of verse and philosophical reflections. This collection earned her some recognition, and she began to be acknowledged as a promising poet in literary circles.

Her early work was often influenced by Romanticism, drawing on themes of nature, love, and the quest for personal expression. As she grew older, however, her poetry began to reflect a deeper concern with social issues, particularly those involving the rights and treatment of women.

Major Works and Achievements

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetic output during her marriage to Robert Browning is among her most celebrated. Some of her most notable works include:

Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850): This collection of 44 sonnets is perhaps her most famous work. Written during the early days of her marriage to Robert Browning, the poems express the intense emotions of love and longing, chronicling the poet’s feelings toward her husband. The sonnets are considered some of the greatest love poems ever written in English.

Aurora Leigh (1856): A verse novel in nine books, Aurora Leigh is a groundbreaking work in both its subject matter and form. The poem is about a woman’s struggle to balance her artistic ambitions with the constraints of Victorian society. It addresses themes of gender, class, and the role of women in art and literature. The work was highly praised for its feminist themes and innovative structure.

Poems (1844): This collection included some of Barrett’s most famous poems, such as The Cry of the Children, which powerfully critiques child labor and social injustice. This work marked a shift toward more politically engaged poetry, and Barrett’s growing concern with social and political issues became evident.

The Seraphim and Other Poems (1838): This collection marked a more spiritual and philosophical phase in her writing, with poems that explored religious themes and human suffering.