Robert Browning Research Paper

The Victorian era (1837-1901) was a time of change in Britain and in the whole world. During this period lived Robert Browning, a poet who is regarded as one of the best of his time, and who wrote many wonderful poems that are still being revered, such as "My Last Duchess." Born on May 7, 1812 in Camberwell England, Browning was raised in a privileged family and enjoyed a comfortable childhood filling his insatiable hunger for knowledge by spending endless hours reading. He became a clerk in the Bank of England. On this very modest salary he was able to marry, raise a family, and to acquire a library of 6000 volumes. He was an exceedingly well-read man who could recreate the siege of Troy with the household chairs and tables for the benefit of his inquisitive son (Everett).

Robert Browning produced many collections of poetry and dramatic works for the stage, but it was not until his The Ring and The Book (published in four separate volumes between 1868 and 1869) that he finally gained financial and literary success (Onlineliterature.com web). Some of Browning's most popular works are: Dramatic Romances and Lyrics (1845), which is now considered one of his finest works, and The Ring and The Book, which consisted of twelve volumes of blank verse and was written shortly after the death of his wife. In the 1870’s he continued to focus on longer works including the poems Balaustion's Adventure (1871), Fifine at the Fair (1872), and Red Cotton Night-Cap Country (1873). He also produced shorter collections including The Inn Album (1875), Pacchiarotto and How He Worked in Distemper (1876). His anthology The Agamemnon of Aeschylus was published in 1877 (onlineliterature.com