Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning Poems

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a well-known Victorian poet who published Poems in 1844, to great reviews. She married fellow writer, Robert Browning, and moved with him to Italy. Her work was incredibly influential and can be found in Emily Dickinson’s and Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry. Read more about Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Paraphrase on Anacreon: Ode to the Swallow

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Paraphrase on Anacreon: Ode to the Swallow,’ is a translation of a Greek lyric poem in which the speaker explains that love constantly (and annoyingly) inhabits their heart.

Since 'Paraphrase on Anacreon: Ode to the Swallow' is a translation of an Ancient Greek poem, we cannot give Browning all the credit for this poem. However, her masterful translation, which uses English Anacreontic meter, has won her much praise in the scholarly community, as it is as close to the original Greek as it can be without becoming too confusing.

Thou indeed, little Swallow,

A sweet yearly comer.

Art building a hollow

New nest every summer.

My Kate

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘My Kate’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a sorrowful elegy dedicated to a morally righteous and important woman who has passed away. 

This is not one of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's better-known poems, but it is still well worth reading. It feels inspired by a real-life friendship between Browning and a woman named "Kate," but specific details are lacking.

She was not as pretty as women I know,

And yet all your best made of sunshine and snow

Drop to shade, melt to nought in the long-trodden ways,

While she's still remembered on warm and cold days--

 

Died..

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Died..’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning explores the impact of a man’s death while also exploring the immorality of passing judgements, good or bad.

Grief

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Grief’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning tells of the necessary conditions for feeling true grief and the way it transforms one’s body and soul. 

Sonnet 16

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Sonnet 16’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, also known as ‘And yet, because thou overcomest so,’ speaks to the poet’s intention to live happily from now on.

Sonnet 35

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Sonnet 35’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning expresses the speaker’s worries about the changes in her life. She embarks on a new life with her beloved and hopes he’s ready to accept her in the same way she’s accepting him.

Sonnet 7

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Sonnet 7’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a love sonnet that is dedicated to the poet’s husband, Robert Browning. It expresses her happiness that he came into her life and changed her outlook as he did.  

Sonnet 8

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Sonnet 8’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, also known as ‘What can I give thee back, O liberal,’ is a Petrarchan sonnet. It explores the poet’s relationship with her new lover, Robert Browning. 

Void in Law

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘Void in Law’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning depicts the scuffle many Victorian women endured after getting married. The woman has been left alone with no real resources by a husband who prefers to spend time with his mistress.

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