Classic Authors: Robert Browning

Although his writing never gained the popularity of his wife's work, Robert Browning created his own niche in the world of English literature. Students and scholars alike study not only his poetry, but also his courtship of and marriage to Elizabeth Barrett. In fact, many are more fascinated with Robert's fairy tale romance than with his poetry. Here is the story of a poet and a lover . . .

Robert Browning was born on May 7, 1812, in Camberwell, a suburb of London. Although his father could have made a fortune from a West Indies sugar plantation, he gave it up because he found slavery deplorable. Instead, he became a banker, supporting his wife and raising his two children–Robert and one sister–on a modest income. However meager his salary may have been, Mr. Browning made enough to purchase more than 6,000 books for his personal library. Robert, who was mostly educated at home, had access to his father's vast collection. He soon proved himself to be a bright student, who loved to read. Robert also showed a brilliance for languages, learning Latin, Greek, French and Italian before the age of 14.

In 1828, Robert became a student of Greek at University of London. He left the college after only a year, determined to pursue his own reading at his own pace. Critics say this may have contributed to the obscure references and allusions that appear in his work.

Soon after leaving the University, Robert met actor William Macready, and tried to write verse for the stage. In doing so, he discovered his ability to write dramatic monologues. He excelled in the genre, although the critics found his lines obscure. Men and Women (1855) and Damatis Personae (1864) are good examples of his dramatic monologues.

In 1845, Robert saw Poems , a volume of verse by Elizabeth Barrett. He vowed to meet the poetess whose work he so admired. This was not an easy task. He began the courtship through letters, exchanging notes and poems with Elizabeth, an invalid. Elizabeth's father forbade any of his children to marry, so Robert stole her away, and they eloped to Italy. Their only child, a son, was born in 1849, three years after their marriage. Since their son had no children of his own, the Brownings have no direct descendants.

The Brownings' happy union ended after 15 years of marriage, when Elizabeth died of an unknown illness. Following her death, Robert left Florence, and began publishing books at a furious pace. Between 1864 and 1889, he published almost two dozen titles. It was during this period that he wrote The Ring and the Book (1868-9), which finally gained him the popularity he desired. In 1867, he received an honorary M.A. from Oxford, and made Honorary Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. In 1882, he received an honorary D.C.L. from Oxford.

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