A Biography: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

On March 6, 1806 a woman by the name of Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in Durham, England. Elizabeth was the first of twelve children born to Edward and Mary Moulton-Barrett. Elizabeth’s father was very controlling but was well respected and loved by his family. Elizabeth was raised in a lovely house that was referred to as Hope End. As a child Elizabeth spent her free time riding her horse and reading. By the age of ten she had read Shakespeare, many histories about England Rome and Greece, as well as translations by Pope Homeric. Elizabeth’s literacy skills were all self-taught; never did she have any formal education. At the age of twelve Elizabeth began writing her own poetry shortly after learning how to read Homer in Greek. The poems Elizabeth began writing reflected heavily on her concern for human rights. One of the poems Elizabeth had written at age twelve was called “Pope’s Homer done over again, or rather undone” which was a poem consisting of four books of rhyming couplets. In 1838, Elizabeth’s first mature poetry was released called The Seraphim and Other Poems. Life for Elizabeth was not all roses and sunshine. Elizabeth developed a nervous disorder, which was believed to be linked to her constant falling off her horse as a child causing damage to her spine. Despite the nervous disorder, Elizabeth still continued to write poetry. In 1833 she released an anonymous publication called Prometheus Bound: Translated from the Greek of Aeschylus as well as Miscellaneous Poems. In 1844 after losing her closest brother Edward, Elizabeth published a book called Poems, which was the start of her relationship with a poet named Robert Browning. Browning was attracted to Elizabeth through her poetry. On January 10, 1845 the two began writing each other. Elizabeth’s father did not tolerate any of his children getting married so on September 12, 1846 Elizabeth and Browning were married despite Elizabeth’s father’s orders.

Elizabeth was an inspiration for many well-known poets including Emily Dickenson and Virginia Woolf. Sadly on June 29, 1861 Elizabeth passed away supposedly smiling in the arms of her husband. 


Everett, Glen. "The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning." The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The Victorian Web, 1987. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.