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Life and Writings of Robert Browning

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presented tu (She lubrorti Of tllC lluiiuTsttu nf (Turoutn Bertrar . -ivis the books of the late Lionel Davis, K.C. "(Sreat Winters.' LIFE AND WRITINGS OF ROBERT BROWNING ,ife and Writings of Robert Browning BY WILLIAM SHARP Condon and fclling-on-Cyne: THE WALTER SCOTT PUBLISHING CO., LTD. NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE (All rights reset ved.) 3 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE his immediate London, Robert Browning's birthplace ; pre- decessors and contemporaries in literature, art, and music; 1812 of the ; born May 7th, ; origin Browning family assertions as to its Semitic connection apparently ground- a descendant of the Micaiah less ; the poet putative Captain Browning mentioned by Macaulay; Robert Browning's his father a man mother of Scottish and German origin ; Mr. of exceptional powers, artist, poet, critic, student; of his son's the home in Browning's opinion writings ; childhood Camberwell ; Robert Browning's ; concerning his optimism; his fondness for Carravaggio's "Andromeda " his of "The and Perseus ; poetic precocity; origin Flight " writes verse is sent to school of the Duchess ; Byronic ; his afternoons sees London at Peckham ; holiday ; by Hill the of the night, from Heme ; significance spectacle • • to him . • .11 CHAPTER II. He wishes to be a poet; writes in the style of Byron and Pope; " " his written when twelve the Death of Harold ; poems, the Rev. \V. Fox's years old, shown to Miss Flower; J. criticisms on them; he comes across Shelley's "Daemon of the World "; Mrs. Browning procures Shelley's poems, CONTENTS. PACK also for her son the those of Keats, ; perusal of these volumes proves an important event in his poetic develop- he leaves school fourteen ment ; when years old, and studies at home under a tutor; attends a few lectures at University College, 1829-30; chooses his career, at the age of twenty; earliest record of his utterances concerning his life in 1SS1 youthful printed Century Magazine, ; he a series of monodramatic life- plans epics ; Browning's work, collectively one monodramatic "epic"; Shak- e's and methods Browning's compared ; Browning writes "Pauline" in 1832; his own criticism on it; his ; his aunt's the parents' opinions generous gift ; poem published in January 1S33; description of the poem; written under the inspiring stimulus of Shelley; its auto- psychical significance; its importance to the student of " the works from " poet's ; quotations Pauline . 29 CHAPTER III. The public reception of "Pauline"; criticisms thereupon; Mr. Fox's notice in the Monthly Repository, and its results; Dante Gabriel Rossetti reads "Pauline" and writes to the author; Browning's reference to Tennyson's of "Maud" in 1 s ling -, 5 5 Browning frequents literary •: rends at the British 1 Museum; makes the acquaint- " " ance of Charles Itickens and Ion Talfourd; a volume <i( poems by Tennyson published simultaneously with in he "Pauline"; 1833 commences his travels; goes to ; the sole record of his experiences there to be found in the poem "Ivan Ivanovitch," published in Dramatic I with acquaintance Maznni ; wning r Italy; visits Asolo, whence he di " hints foi .-Ho" and 1 : in S Pippa 1 ; 4 he irnt to Camberwell in of ; autumn 1834 and wintei -1 " •• S commcnci write- Paracelsus," an 1 poems; hi- love for Venice; a new voice audible in ' "Johai ricola" and "Porphyria CONTENTS. 5 PAGE " in his .own of Paracelsus," published 1S35 ; explanation " in of Paracelsus" it; his love of walking the dark; some in a wood near Dulwich and of "Strafford" composed ; concerning "Paracelsus" and Browning's sympathy with of the the scientific spirit; description and scope poem; and its four quotations therefrom; estimate of the work, lyrics .......... 49 CHAPTER IV. Criticisms upon "Paracelsus," important one written by John Forster; Browning meets Macready at the house of Mr. Fox; personal description of the poet; Macready's opinion of the poem; Browning spends New Year's Day, 1836, at the house of the tragedian and meets John Forster; Macready urges him to write a play; his subsequent interview with the tragedian; he plans a drama to be " " entitled Narses ; meets Wordsworth and Walter Savage Landor at a supper party, when the young poet is toasted, and Macready again proposes that Browning should write a play, from which arose the idea of "Strafford"; his acquaintance with Wordsworth and Landor; MS. of "Strafford" accepted; its performance at Covent Garden Theatre on the 26th May 1837; runs for five nights; the author's comments; the drama issued Messrs. & Co. the in by Longman ; performance 18S6; " estimate of Strafford "; Browning's dramas; comparison between the Elizabethan and Victorian dramatic eras ; Browning's soul-depictive faculty; his dramatic method; estimate of his dramas; Landor's acknowledgment of the " " dedication to him of Luria 73 CHAPTER V. " " the of Brown- Profundity" and "Simplicity ; faculty wonder; " first of Passes" his residence in ing|s conception Pippa ; London; his country walks; his ways and habits, and his 6 CONTENTS. TA«iK a heart-episodes; debates whether to become clergyman; is "Pippa Passes" a drama? estimate of the poem;. Browning's rambles on Wimbledon Common and in Dulwich Wood, where he composed his lines upon asserts there is romance in Camberwell as Shelley ; well as in Italy; "Sordello"; the charge of obscurity the against "Sordello"; the nature and intention of poem; quotations therefrom; anecdote about Douglas Barot's Jerrold; Tennyson's, Carlyle's, and M. Odysse opinions on "Sordello"; "enigmatic" poetry; in 1863 Browning contemplated the re-writing of "Sordello"; dedication to the French critic, Milsand . -93 CHAPTER VI. three dramatic " The and the Browning's great poems ; Ring " Book his finest work; its uniqueness; Carlyle's criticism i: I of , etiy versus Tour-de-Force; "The Ring and the Book" begun in 1866; analysis of the poem; kinship of " " The and the Book" and "Aurora Ring Leigh ; explana- tion of title; the idea taken from a parchment volume in Florence the at Browning picked up ; poem planned Casa Guidi ; "O Lyric Love," etc.; description and analysis of "The Ring and the Book," with quotations; " ..pared as a poem with The Inn Album," "Pauline," "Men and etc. "Asolando," Women," ; imaginary be entitled "Transcripts from Life" and "Flow e Vine"; Browning's greatest period; Bl wi:n L ;', primary importance ..... 113 CHA1TI I; VII. life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning; born in 1820; the "I chii R hot life; the b.irrett family settle I Cry of the Children" and ; . lice! OD her ol Bl the ma poetry; acquaintance in 184 CONTENTS. 7 TAGE a her her early belief in him as poet; physical of delicacy and her sensitiveness feeling ; personal appear- ance of Robert Browning; his "electric" hand; Elizabeth Barrett discerns his personal worth, and is susceptible Mr. Barrett's to the strong humanity of Browning's song; their Miss Barrett's jealousy ; engagement ; acquaintance Mrs. in 1846; Mr. Barrett s with Jameson ; quiet marriage resentment; the Brownings go to Paris; thence to Italy with Mrs. Jameson; Wordsworth's comments; resi- the dence in Pisa; "Sonnets from the Portuguese"; in thence to where spring they go to Florence, Ancona, " The Guardian Angel" was written; Casa Guidi; W. W. of the rooms at Casa Guidi union Story's account ; perfect 135 CHAPTER VIII. March 1849, birth of Robert Wiedemann Barrett Browning; Browning writes his "Christmas Eve and Easter Day"; "Casa Guidi Windows" commenced; 1850, they go to Rome; "Two in the Campagna"; proposal to confer poet-laureateship on Mrs. Browning; return to London; winter in Paris; summer in London; Kenyon's friendship; return in autumn to Casa Guidi ; Browning's Essay on for the letters Shelley twenty-five spurious Shelley ; midsummer at Baths of Lucca, where "In a Balcony" was in part written; winter of 1853-4 in Rome; record Karshook's of work ; "Pen's" illness; "Ben Wisdom"; return to Florence; (1856) "Men and Women" the to in summer published ; Brownings go London ; "Aurora Leigh" issued; 1858, Mrs. Browning's waning health with ; 1S55-64 comparatively unproductive period R. Browning; record of work; July 1855, they travel to Normandy; "Legend of Pornic"; Mrs. Browning's ardent interest in the Italian struggle of 1859; winter in Rome; "Poems before Congress"; her last poem, "North and South"; death of Mrs. Browning at Casa Guidi, 28th June 1S61 157 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. tai;e nine's allusions to death of his wife; Miss Browning resides with her brother from 1S66; 1868, collected works published; first part of "The Ring and the Book" pub- " lished in November 1S66; Herve Riel" written; Brown- Tauchnitz editions of his ing's growing popularity ; poems in 1S72; also first book of selections; dedication to Lord Tennyson; 1877, he goes to La Saisiaz, near Geneva; • I. a Saisiaz" and "The Two Poets of Croisic" pub- lished 1S7S; Browning's later poems; Drowning Society 1SS1 letter to established ; Browning's thereupon Mr. Yates; trip-, abroad; his London residences; his last letter to Tennyson; revisits Asolo; Palazzo Rezzonico; his belief in immortality; his death, Thursday, Dec. I2th, 1889; funeral in Westminster Sonnet Abbey ; by George Mere- dith; new star in Orion; R. Erowning's place in literature; Summary, etc. ........ 176 NOTE. In all important respects I leave this volume to speak for itself. For obvious reasons it does not pretend to be more than a Mdmoire pour servir : in the nature of things, the definitive biography cannot appear for many years to come. None the less gratefully may I take the present opportunity to express my indebtedness to Mr. R. Barrett Browning, and to other relatives and intimate friends of Robert Browning, who have given me serviceable information, and otherwise rendered kindly aid. For some of the hitherto unpublished details my thanks are, in particular, due to Mrs.
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