Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Women Writers and English Literature

Katherinne Ibañez

Mariela Martinez

Jessica Silva

BiographyBiography of Elizabeth of Elizabeth Barrett BrowningBarrett Browning

(1806-1861)(1806-1861)

LifeLife

• Birth: 1806• Childhood: volume of

poems (50 copies of a juvenile epic)

• Adolescence: invalid • Marriage:12

September 1846- Robert Browning

• Death: 1861

Career Career Works: • The Seraphim and Other Poems” (1838) • Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850) • “Casa Guidi Windows”, 1851 • “Aurora Leigh” 1856Recognition: • Most respected female poets • Mentioned as a successor to Wordsworth

as Poet Laureate • Considered one of England’s  greatest

poetesses

Sonnets from the Sonnets from the PortuguesePortuguese

My future will not copy fair my past –I wrote that once; and thinking at my side

My ministering life-angel justifiedThe word by his appealing look upcast

To the white throne of God, I turned at last,And there, instead, saw thee, not unalliedTo angels in thy soul!  Then I, long triedBy natural ills, received the comfort fast,

While budding, at thy sight, my pilgrim's staffGave out green leaves with morning dews impearled.

I seek no copy now of life's first half:Leave here the pages with long musing curled,

And write me new my future's epigraph,New angel mine, unhoped for in the world!

Sonnets from the Sonnets from the PortuguesePortuguese

• The title was a reference to a term of “my little Portuguese” a reference to her dark complexion that her husband used to name her.

Sonnets from the Sonnets from the PortuguesePortuguese

• It was written after she escaped her father's control.

• It is a set of love poems (XLIII). • It demonstrates how love and

relationships can be pure, eternal and unconditional.

• It shows the women’s essence loving and expressing sentiments of love

Sonnets from the Sonnets from the PortuguesePortuguese

• They were dedicated to her husband and written in secret before her marriage.

• She started to write the poems in1845.

• She showed them to her husband in1848.

• It was published in 1850.

Sonnets from the Sonnets from the PortuguesePortuguese

• Sonnet: poem with 14 lines and regular rhymes.

• It’s written in Old English.

• Each rhyme has 10 syllables.

1. My future will not copy fair my past –

2. I wrote that once; and thinking at my side

3. My ministering life-angel justified

4. The word by his appealing look upcast

5. To the white throne of God, I turned at last,

6. And there, instead, saw thee, not unallied

7. To angels in thy soul!  Then I, long tried

8. By natural ills, received the comfort fast,

9. While budding, at thy sight, my pilgrim's staff

10.Gave out green leaves with morning dews

impearled.

11. I seek no copy now of life's first half:

12.Leave here the pages with long musing curled,

13.And write me new my future's epigraph,

14.New angel mine, unhoped for in the world!•The rhyme scheme …

Sonnets from the Sonnets from the PortuguesePortuguese

XLII

My future will not copy fair my past –I wrote that once; and thinking at my sideMy ministering life-angel justifiedThe word by his appealing look upcastTo the white throne of God, I turned at last,And there, instead, saw thee, not unalliedTo angels in thy soul!  Then I, long triedBy natural ills, received the comfort fast,While budding, at thy sight, my pilgrim's staffGave out green leaves with morning dews impearled.I seek no copy now of life's first half:Leave here the pages with long musing curled,And write me new my future's epigraph,New angel mine, unhoped for in the world!

Personal ResponsePersonal Response

Sonnet XLIISonnet XLIIThese sonnets were written by Elizabeth These sonnets were written by Elizabeth Browning and published in 1850. They are Browning and published in 1850. They are 43 sonnets in total. They were dedicated 43 sonnets in total. They were dedicated to Elizabeth’s husband and they express to Elizabeth’s husband and they express

sentiments of love. Specifically, the sonnet sentiments of love. Specifically, the sonnet XLII has 14 lines and a regular rhythm. XLII has 14 lines and a regular rhythm.

Moreover, it is written in Old English and Moreover, it is written in Old English and was available to people in 1844.was available to people in 1844.

The sonnet is very attractive as it mentions The sonnet is very attractive as it mentions how she imagines her life with her future how she imagines her life with her future husband. Besides, we can read how she husband. Besides, we can read how she

compares her past life with her future. It is compares her past life with her future. It is too romantic because she looks at the too romantic because she looks at the

future with affection and hope.future with affection and hope.

Links• http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/

ebbpoem.htm#xxii• http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/ebb/

wall1.html• http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/ebb/

browningov.html• http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/152• http://www.ibiblio.org/cheryb/women/

Elizabeth-Barrett.html

The End

• Old English poetry has a different metrical system from modern English. In Old English poetry, each line must contain four fully stressed syllables, which often alliterate. The unstressed syllables are less important. Old English poetry is an example of the alliterative verse found in most of the older Germanic languages.