Introduction to Robert Browning Hiram Corson Introduction to Robert Browning Table of Contents Introduction to Robert Browning............................................................................................................................1 Hiram Corson.................................................................................................................................................1 PREFACE......................................................................................................................................................9 Note to the Second Edition..........................................................................................................................10 Note to the Third Edition.............................................................................................................................10 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................11 I. The Spiritual Ebb and Flow exhibited in English Poetry from Chaucer to Tennyson and Browning.....11 Popularity.....................................................................................................................................................25 II. The Idea of Personality and of Art as an intermediate agency of Personality, as embodied in Browning's Poetry.......................................................................................................................................27 2. The Idea of Personality as embodied in Browning's Poetry....................................................................34 3. Art as an Intermediate Agency of Personality.........................................................................................38 III. Mr. Browning's "Obscurity"..................................................................................................................48 `My Last Duchess'........................................................................................................................................58 IV. Browning's Verse...................................................................................................................................59 V. Arguments of the Poems.........................................................................................................................63 POEMS........................................................................................................................................................87 Wanting is What?.....................................................................................................................................88 My Star.........................................................................................................................................................88 The Flight of the Duchess............................................................................................................................89 1....................................................................................................................................................................89 2....................................................................................................................................................................89 3....................................................................................................................................................................90 4....................................................................................................................................................................91 5....................................................................................................................................................................92 6....................................................................................................................................................................93 7....................................................................................................................................................................94 8....................................................................................................................................................................94 9....................................................................................................................................................................95 10..................................................................................................................................................................95 11..................................................................................................................................................................96 12..................................................................................................................................................................98 13..................................................................................................................................................................99 14................................................................................................................................................................101 15................................................................................................................................................................102 16................................................................................................................................................................109 17................................................................................................................................................................110 The Last Ride Together..............................................................................................................................112 1..................................................................................................................................................................112 2..................................................................................................................................................................114 3..................................................................................................................................................................114 4..................................................................................................................................................................114 5..................................................................................................................................................................115 6..................................................................................................................................................................115 7..................................................................................................................................................................115 8..................................................................................................................................................................116 9..................................................................................................................................................................116 10................................................................................................................................................................117 i Introduction to Robert Browning Table of Contents Introduction to Robert Browning By the Fireside........................................................................................................................................................117 1..................................................................................................................................................................117 2..................................................................................................................................................................117 3..................................................................................................................................................................118 4..................................................................................................................................................................118 5..................................................................................................................................................................118 6..................................................................................................................................................................119 7..................................................................................................................................................................119 8..................................................................................................................................................................119 9..................................................................................................................................................................119 10................................................................................................................................................................120