How Do I Love Thee?
embracing its successes. Her life was full, and we see that translated into her work. If we can learn one thing from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, it might be that writing what you know can be one of the most beautiful experiences you can pass along to others.
,Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) is one of poetry’s most well renowned names. Unlike many poets, Mrs. Browning was famous in her lifetime, and regarded as one of the best poets of the age. During a time of male dominance, i.e. Wordsworth and Tennyson, this female poet made her mark with her beautiful, and often political poetry. She wrote about issues that meant something to her, political strife, women’s rights and more. Although known as a romance poet, she was much more than that. The romance in her life though, is what compelled many of her most well known pieces.
If you ask anyone to tell you what it was she wrote, 99% will name her most famous work, “How Do I love Thee?” The poem written for her husband, Robert Browning. Before we get to Robert though, we must begin with who Elizabeth was, before he even came along.
Elizabeth was raised in a wealthy home, on a 500 acre estate in England. Her high I.Q. and interest in the literary arts, led her to read many Greek and Roman epics, as well as British classics, and other literary masterpieces. She was fluent in three languages, and her desire to learn never ceased, and included an equal obsession with religious knowledge. Though she came from a wealthy family, Elizabeth suffered many tragedies in her life; including the death of her mother when she was 22; lifelong problems with illness and injury; and the death of her favorite brother, whose loss she never truly recovered from. After her brothers death, Elizabeth became, by all accounts, a complete invalid. She had received a spinal injury years earlier and was also taking opium for a nervous disorder, but why she became permanently disabled is not known. This caused her to sink into reclusiveness and solitary, seeing only her close friends and family members for the next few years, and concentrating solely on the writing of her poems.
Throughout these tragedies, the one constant was her poetry. Her first printing, via her father, was at the age of 13. By 1844, her book “Poems,” had been released to wild acclaim, and made her one of the most popular poets in England. Although she was enjoying wonderful critical success, Elizabeth still remained in her house, disabled, and reclusive.
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