Madeline Collins Mrs. Minch English 9-2 12 March 2015 Elizabeth Barrett Browning Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a very famous writer, known for her numerous poems and sonnets. She had a variety of writing styles that ranged from poems about her love for her husband, and others about religion. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s upbringing, motivation and inspiration for writing, and her most famous poem all played a major role in her life. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born on March 6, 1806. She lived a very wealthy and privileged childhood. Her family’s wealth came from her father, Mr. Barrett. He accumulated his wealth from his numerous sugar plantations, located in Jamaica (The Poetry Foundation). According to The Poetry Foundation, Mr. Barrett …show more content…
Browning became very ill beginning at the age of 15, and many believe it was from a spinal injury (Britannica School). She had a vast list of illnesses that caused all of her problems. Some were able to be controlled, but others were carried on into her adult life. Elizabeth Barrett Browning married a man named Robert Browning (Britannica School). The two first met when Robert wrote to her expressing his love for her writing, as well as his immense love for her (The life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning). Robert Browning and Elizabeth Browning later married, but they did so without her father’s permission. Due to this decision, Mr. Barrett disinherited her (The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning). Luckily, Elizabeth Browning had saved money that she was given by her uncle and grandmother, and was able to live off of the money (The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning). On June 29, 1861, due to declining health, Elizabeth Browning died. However, before she died, she and her husband moved to many different places, and in those places, Elizabeth Barrett Browning worked on many her famous …show more content…
The poems express her love and admiration for her husband (Shmoop.com). The symbolism in this poem is what she compares her love to. In the line, “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height,” it is describing how large and deep her love for him is. Using this analogy, the point is expressed and understood easily. Not only is the meaning of the poem unique, but the rhyme scheme and language used is very unique also. This poem is a sonnet. A sonnet is a fourteen line poem and usually in the form of iambic pentameter. The foot of this poem is iambic. The meter is pentameter. This sonnet is in Shakespearean form. One metaphor expressed in this poem is when she compares her love to the love that Christ had for his people when he was upon the cross. The simile is when she compares her love for him to the love that she had for the Saints as a child. There are many other metaphors and similes in this poem. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s upbringing, motivation for her work, and her most famous poem all played a major part in her life as a writer. Browning’s poems and sonnets became greatly respected during her lifetime. She was a greatly respected writer in her time. She used her talent to express her feelings. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s numerous writing styles and topics are what made her respected as well as a great