Selected Poems
By Robert Browning
Contents
My Star
Incident of the French Camp
Home Thoughts from Abroad
Rabbi Ben Ezra
Memorabilia
Abt Vogler
The Lost Leader
The Boy and the Angel
Andrea del Sarto
"Good News from Ghent"
By the Fireside
My Last Duchess
Introduction
Robert Browning was born at Camberwell, a suburb of London, May 7, 1812. From his earliest years he was fond of writing verses, and when twelve years of age had produced poems enough to form a volume. His first published poem, "Pauline," appeared in 18333, but his real introduction to the public was through "Paracelsus," a drama, published in 1835. In 1837 the tragedy of "Strafford" was unsuccessfully presented at Drury Lane Theater. In 1840 the epic "Sordello" was published, one of his most characteristic and most difficult works. In 1841-1846 appeared the series of "Bells and Pomegranates," in eight shilling parts, containing much of his finest poetry, including the tragedy "A Blot in the 'Scutcheon" and the graceful dramatic poem "Pippa Passes." In 1846 he was married to the distinguished poetess, Elizabeth Barrett, and soon after established his home in Italy. "Christmas Eve and Easter Day" appeared in 1850, followed by two volumes of short poems, "Men and Women," 1855, and "Dramatis Personae," 1864. His greatest work, "The Ring and teh Book," appeared in 1868-9, closely followed by many other important poems, chief of which are "Fifine at the Fair," 1872; "Red Cotton Night-cap country," 1873; "Aristophanes' Apology" and "The Inn Album," 1875. Most important of his latest works are "Dramatic Idyls," 1879-80; "Jocoseria," 1883; "Ferishtah's Fancies," 1885; and "Parleyings with Certain People of Importance in their Day," 1887.
The first and perhaps the final impression we receive from the works of Robert Browning is that of a great nature, an immense personality. The poet in him is made up of many men. He is dramatist, humorist, lyrist, painter, musician, philosopher, and scholar, each in full measure, and he includes and dominates them all. In richness of nature, in scope and penetration of mind and vision, in all the potentialities of poetry, he is probably second among English poets to Shakespeare alone. In art, in the power of...
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