ENG 463 Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Topics
All topics are based on: Mitchell, Sally. Daily Life in Victorian England. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1996.
Class, Tradition, and Money
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in Durham, England in 1806. Her father, Edward Moulton-Barrett, was a Creole and owned a plantation in Jamaica. Her mother,Mary Graham-Clarke, was from a wealthy family of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her bloodline can be traced to King Edward III of England.
While Elizabeth was sick for much of her childhood, her illness actually brought about favorable circumstances. She was free to pursue her studies with much more convenience, becaue her grandmother and uncle left her an inheritance that made her independently wealthy. Her physical weakness allowed her to refrain from the taxing household chores that would have been the responsibility of the oldest daughter. [3]
She married Robert Browning in 1845. Their romance sprung from a letter that Robert wrote to Elizabeth, in which he describes his love for her poetry, and his love for her as a person. Her parents objected to the union, but the two eloped and moved to the Italian Peninsula. They later gave birth to one son, named Pen.
The 1911 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica gives some insight as to how some of her money was acquired:
"Mr John Kenyon also became at about this time a dear and intimate friend. He was a distant cousin of the Barretts, had published some verse, and was a warm and generous friend to men of letters. From the date of the birth of their child (1849) he gave the Brownings a hundred pounds a year, and when he died in 1856 he bequeathed to them eleven thousand pounds."[4]
Working Life
Elizabeth Browning began writing poetry as a child. Her first poem was written for her mother's birthday on May 1, 1814. Her father paid to have fifty copies of her 1, 1164 line epic poem "The Battle of Marathon" published on her fourteenth birthday in 1820. This work was published anonymously, as was common during the time period. "The Battle of Marathon" had such an impact on her that she chose poetry as her profession from that point forward. She certainly did not use poetry as a means to entertain herself on idle afternoons. Poetry, in her opinion, was "responsible work," and poets were required to "tell the real truth" about the world in which they lived. [5]
Her work in poetry brings about her consideration as the most respected and successful female poet of the Victorian period. "Sonnets from the Portugese," which many consider her greatest work, is a sequence of love sonnets to her husband. The "Portugese" was her husband's pet name for her, making reference to her dark hair. [6]
Elizabeth Browning wrote two poems that express how she viewed work.
The first, entitled "Work", shows that Browning felt that all workers were intertwined, and that the success of certain jobs was dependent upon other people first accomplishing tasks of her own. She felt that when all work was completed that the finish product would be a culmination of the total effort combined.
Work
What are we set on earth for? Say, to toil;
Nor seek to leave thy tending of the vines
For all the heat o' the day, till it declines,
And Death's mild curfew shall from work assoil.
God did anoint thee with his odorous oil,
To wrestle, not to reign; and He assigns
All thy tears over, like pure crystallines,
For younger fellow-workers of the soil
To wear for amulets. So others shall
Take patience, labor, to their heart and hand
From thy hand and thy heart and thy brave cheer,
And God's grace fructify through thee to
The least flower with a brimming cup may stand,
And share its dew-drop with another near.[7]
Work and Contemplation
The woman singeth at her spinning-wheel
A pleasant chant, ballad or barcarole;
She thinketh of her song, upon the whole,
Far more than of her flax; and yet the reel
Is full, and artfully her fingers feel
With quick adjustment, provident control,
The lines--too subtly twisted to unroll--
Out to a perfect thread. I hence appeal
To the dear Christian Church--that we may do
Our Father's business in these temples mirk,
Thus swift and steadfast, thus intent and strong;
While thus, apart from toil, our souls pursue
Some high calm spheric tune, and prove our work
The better for the sweetness of our song.[8]
Science and the Urban World
The sciences made great advances during the nineteenth century. The French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, along with social and cultural changes, helped the sciences cement their place in Victorian culture.
The fields of natural philosophy and natural history became known as science. Victorian and Clerical gentlemen, who may or may not have had educational training but practiced in the field, were replaced by professional scientists. Natural laws were developed, and then doubted. Secularization, along with science, government, and industry interacting, sped the process along. Science was quickly becoming an international phenomenon, and Victorian England was leading the way with the most educated scientists in the world.[10]
While Browning's material tends to deal with romance, there were occurrences in her life that deal with the technological advances of the Victorian period.
Her relationship with Robert Browning was cultivated via mail letters, which were able to travel quickly due to the advances in railroad speed. They were also cheaper, due to the "penny post" which set the price at one penny per half-ounce of weight.
Government and the Law
Elizabeth Barrett's marriage to Robert Browning in 1845 completely changed her civil status. English law at this time decreed that a marriage consisted of "one person, and that person is the husband." Everything that Elizabeth owned, earned, or inherited was the sole property of Robert. It is unknown if they agreed to a deed of settlement or a dowry.
Elizabeth Browning wrote Part One of "Casa Guidi Windows" in 1848. This was the first time that she projected herself as being passionate about politics. Descriptions of social evils are found in her earlier works, but they shy away from the politics involved and focus strictly on the occurrences. This change allowed her to involve herself in the politics of these matters, and to deliver a message using poetry as her podium. Her poetry was her weapon, and she used it to fight for causes that she held in high regard.[12]
Elizabeth's opinon on social injustice appear in two of her poems, "Casa Guidi Windows" and "Poems Before Congress." These deal directly with the Italian Fight for independence.[13]
The following is taken directly from Sally Mitchell's "Daily Life in Victorian England" and describes how the British government operates:
"Great Britain is officially ruled by a sovereign with the advice of Parliament. Parliament, like the US Congress, has two branches. The upper house is the House of Lords, which is primarily based on heredity. Members of the House of Commons are elected. By 1837, the Monarchy had taken its modern form. Formally, the Queen selected the Prime Minister - but in actuality, her choice was determined by Parliament's political leaders. She was kept informed but no longer had any real power except for the moral and symbolic influence she was able to exercise."[14]
House, Food, and Clothes
Hope End was Elizabeth Barrett's childhood home. It was located near Ledbury in Herefordshire, Jamaica. Fruit trees, flowers, and gardens decorated the landscape. The house was of Turkish design.[16]
The Casa Guidi in Florence was her home after marriage to Robert Browning. They rented it, but traveled so frequently that they often ended up subletting it.
They also lived in a first floor apartment beside the San Felice church. There was a narrow balcony where the Brownings could observe the happenings in the street below. The Casa Guidi drawing room was political in nature. It was painted green with red and white curtains. These are the three colors of the Italian flag that was illegal during that time.[17]
Victorians passed clothes down through generations of children. This was mainly a lower class practice, but often times members of the aristocracy would "hand down" clothes that were classical, or thought to be family heirlooms. The lower class either wore handed down garments, or purchased used clothes from a second hand shop. These clothes were normally made of coarse wool or cotton, and would be sewn and patched to insure their longevity.
Wealthy families could afford to purchase new clothes. Victorian women wore full skirts. Wire cages supported crino line skirts, and tied around the waist were bustles which caused an arch in the lower back portion of the dress. Corsets were used to give the appearance of a narrow waist.
Wealthy men wore silk waistcoats, shirts with high collars, and knee-length frock coats. Vests were common. A top hat or bowler hat was fashionable when used in conjunction with a cane or walking stick. Facial hair was acceptable.
Children were dressed by their parents to represent their class. They were not dressed according to gender until age five or six. It was common for young boys to wear dresses.
All clothes were made by hand until the sewing machine was invented in 1851.
Common Victorian food includes:
-Meat cooked with onions -Carrots -Potatoes -Mutton Chops -Porridge -Beer -Tarts -Tea -Eggs -Bacon -Pudding[18]
Family and Social Rituals
Children in the Victorian period were depicted as "innocent, spontaneous, appealing, and naturally good."[20] Browning reflects this in the last stanza of her poem "A Child Asleep":
He is harmless---ye are sinful,---
Ye are troubled---he, at ease:
Women, while allowed to date, were never allowed to travel anywhere alone. A chaperone was required for all activities that involved a member of the opposite sex. These chaperones provided protection when out on the town. The role of chaperone was usually fulfilled by a servant, unmarried cousin/friend, or a young child. While the child would not provide much protection, it would allow for anything remotely scandalous, such as a kiss, to be reported to the woman's home.
"A Denial" confirms this with:
Can I approach thee, I, who cannot move?
How shall I answer thy request for love?
Browning displays the problems facing these types of chaperoned courtships by questioning how one can relay their feelings if every move is performed under a watchful microscope. It would be thought uncouth for a woman to display uninhibited interest in a man, and it can be assumed that many relationships struggled because of this.
Education
Elizabeth Browning was home schooled under the direction of her father. He employed a tutor, Boyle, who instructed Elizabeth on the poets of antiquity and the works of AEschylus. Boyle was blind, which prevented certain challenges in educating methods, but her work was remarkable as Elizabeth garnered a strong understanding of literary material, and ultimately became one of the most famous poets from the Victorian period.[22]
When it came to educating her son, Robert Wiedeman Barrett Browning (commonly referred to as "Pen"), she shared the responsibility with her husband, Robert. Together, they taught him the literary arts as well as exposed him to the Italian culture. At the age of five, Pen adopted his mother's interest in Italian political affairs, and would often comment on every political action that occurred. Elizabeth died when Pen was twelve, and left no instructions with Robert as to how Pen should be educated. Robert took this as a sign of trust in him from his wife to fulfill his education. He hired a private tutor, and later helped Pen enroll at Oxford.[23]
Health and Medicine
Elizabeth Browning lived a healthy childhood up until the age of fifteen. At fifteen, she acquired a nervous disorder, and was prescribed opium by Dr. Coker. There is no evidence to show that Elizabeth ever wrote under the influence of opium, but it is known that she took laudanum nightly from the time she was fifteen.[25]
Elizabeth was sent to the Gloucester Spa to recooperate and receive treatment for her illness. Her stay lasted for almost a year, as she was convinced that she had spinal damage. Her doctors thought otherwise. Records of her care at the Gloucester Spa show that they thought they should treat her "as if for" a spine disease even though there was no evidence of such damage. She returned home at the age of 16, and fell into a deep depression.[26]
The death of her mother in 1822 damaged her mental health, but it was the drowning of her brother in 1838 that forced her to return home and retreat to her bedroom. She was a recluse for five years, and generally treated as invalid. Very few people outside of her immediate family had any contact with her during this time.
In 1838, she almost died when a lung hemmorhaged. Her doctors, as was common practice at the time, advised her to leave London for rehabilitation.[27]
Elizabeth Barrett Browning had four miscarriages during her life.[28]
It is unclear exactly what caused Elizabeth's death. The commonly prescribed opium killed the pain, but probably weakened her immune system overall. It is theorized that her life was lengthened by Robert Browning moving her around to various coastal climates, and attending to her every need. She died on June 29 in 1861.[29]
Holidays, Sports, and Recreation
The Industrial Revolution brought about the evolution of holidays as we know them. Village workers could not travel before this time because they could not ignore their household chores or livestock.
Travelling groups would go from village to village, entertaining for food and drink. Factories were depressing, as the only day off of work was Sunday. Aside from Sundays, the only other days that weren't working days were Christmas and Good Friday.
The most important holiday of the year was Christmas for factory workers. It would have been unthinkable for factory owners to not allow their workers off on Christmas day. The social perspective would have been detrimental to their business.
During this time, Santa Claus became popular. Mass production lowered the price of toys during the Victorian period, so children of all classes could expect atleast a small surprise on Christ morning. Christmas cards were first printed in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. Christmas carolling was also popular during this time, and groups would go around singing special celeberation songs.
Turkey became the most popular Christmas meal.[30]
May Day, Guy Fawkes bonfires (November 5), and Christmas mumming were all traditional celebrations.
Books, magazines, games, crafts, hobbies, and music were popular forms of home entertainment. Railways allowed for families to take quick and convenient trips to the coast. Sports were organized, commercialized, and professionalized during the Victorian period.[31]
Religion and Reform
Elizabeth was devastated when her brother, Edward, died of drowning. For months she had no desire to live, but once she realized that the grief was not going to kill her she felt that God must have a purpose for her life. She determined that this purpose was to write poetry.[34]
Her mother's death in 1828 was only softened by retreating into her poetry. If not for her poetry, Elizabeth felt that she "would have welcomed death herself."[35]
Elizabeth taught herself Hebrew in her teenage years so that she could read the Old Testament. She was passionate about her Christian faith, and later became active in the Bible and Missionary societies of her church.[36]
Victorian Morality
Elizabeth Browning believed that "love was worthless unless it could forgive all and remain eternal." Her father loved her but said that he never wanted to see her again after she secretly married Robert Browning in September of 1846. Her thoughts on the nature and sincerity of love were placed in jeopardy after this occurrence, but Robert Browning worked day and night to restore her hope. Elizabeth's marriage was the foundation of her belief in love.[38]
There was a double standard of courtship involving men and women. Men were allowed to flirt, and it was considered amusing. Women were condemned if they flirted. An unfavorable reputation could be acquired by not following strict etiquette and chaperone customs. Browning was in favor of society changing its views on courtship in the hope that love would be taken seriously and not for granted. She was forceful in her warnings to women, and outspoken against exploitation. Elizabeth always reaffirmed the power and beauty of love in her works.[39]
England and Empire
Queen Victoria took the throne when Elizabeth was 31 and remained Queen for the remainder of Elizabeth's adult life. Queen Victoria's rule was during Britain's greatest overseas influence, and the British Empire was at its strongest during this time.
The Corn Laws were repealed in 1846, mainly due to the efforts of the Anti-Corn Law, but many other reforms were underway before that. The Chartist movement begin in 1839 and sought universal male suffrage and electoral reform.
The Great Exhibition, held in 1851, was the first world's fair. It was held in Hyde Park, and backed by Prince Albert. Exhibits from different countries across the globe were on display, and the main attraction was the Crystal Palace.
England was involved in the Crimean War in 1854. This exposed the weakness of their military, and brought about a change in security customs which eventually led to the removal of the purchase system in 1872. The Indian Mutiny helped move this along. Many British officers, administrators and families were killed when native Indians attempted to overthrow Imperial leaders in their country. The British Government recognized the inability of the current Indian administration to maintain order, and took on the responsibility of governing the country.[41]
References
- ↑ Today in Literature
- ↑ National Humanities Center
- ↑ Gale.com - Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- ↑ 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
- ↑ Foster, Margaret. Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Selected Poems. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins, 1988.
- ↑ Classic Reader - Elizabeth Barret Browning
- ↑ WebTerrace - Elizabeth Barrett Browning Accessed February 18, 2007.
- ↑ WebTerrace - Elizabeth Barrett Browning Accessed February 18, 2007.
- ↑ [http://www.victorianweb.org/technology/rrov.html Victorian Railways and their Predecessors
- ↑ http://www.victorianweb.org/science/sciov.html The Victorian Web - Science
- ↑ Search.com Keyword: Equity
- ↑ Forster Xiv, Xv
- ↑ http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/ebb/ebbio.html
- ↑ Mitchell, Sally. Daily Life in Victorian England. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1996. 87
- ↑ Bed and Breakfast Guide
- ↑ Forster 206-210
- ↑ Forster 240
- ↑ Victorians.org
- ↑ Powys - A Day in the Life
- ↑ Mitchell 148
- ↑ Coronet Books
- ↑ 2020 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning Accessed March 24, 2007.
- ↑ Reese, Gertrude. "Robert Browning and His Son." PMLA 61.3 (1946): 784-803.
- ↑ West Midlands Heritage
- ↑ Forster 4
- ↑ Forster Xi, Xii
- ↑ Forster Xiii
- ↑ Forster Xv
- ↑ The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning Accessed March 31, 2007.
- ↑ Spinning the Web - Holidays & Learning
- ↑ Mitchell 209
- ↑ Victoriana.com - The Victorian Era Online
- ↑ United Reformed Church
- ↑ Forster Xiii
- ↑ Forster Xii
- ↑ Poets.org
- ↑ Art House Online
- ↑ Foster 188
- ↑ Foster 298
- ↑ London Census
- ↑ Britain Express - Empire in England
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