Elizabeth Browning

Decades before her name became associated with some of the greatest poetry of the Victorian age, Elizabeth Browing was born as Elizabeth Barrett in 1906. She was born in Coxhoe Hall in Durham, England into a family that would be considered multimillionaires according to modern standards (www.browninglibrary.org, p.1). Raised in Hereford, England, Elizabeth experienced a pleasant childhood as the eldest of twelve siblings. She was greatly educated at home by a tutor, by whom she learned to speak Latin, Greek, and read several other languages. Although her younger brothers were able to continue their education elsewhere, Elizabeth’s gender restricted her from studying outside her home.
Elizabeth’s interest in poetry stemmed from her childhood wherein she aspired to one day become a successful poet. She began composing poems at an early age, with her initial literary efforts traced as far back as age four. Elizabeth’s passion for poetry had the full support of her father, who...