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ROBERT BROWNING

Robert Browning was an English poet. He was born in 1812 at Camberwell and died in 1889. After completing his education at University College, London, he went to Italy, where he made diligent study of its mediaeval history and the life of the people. In 1846 he married Elizabeth Barrett, and thereafter resided chiefly in Italy, making occasional visits to England. His first poem, Pauline, was published in 1833; followed by Paracelsus in 1835; Stratford, a Tragedy (1837), produced at Covent Garden, Macready and Helen Faucit playing the chief parts. Sordello appeared in 1840, followed by the series called Bells and Pomegranates, including the three plays Pippa Passes, King Victor and King Charles, and Colombo's Birthday; four tragedies: The Return of the Druses, A Blot on the Scutcheon, Luria, and A Soul's Tragedy; and a number of Dramatic Lyrics, among them the well-known Pied Piper of Hamelin, and How they Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix (1841-46).

Between 1846 and 1868 appeared Men and Women; Christmas Eve and Easter Day; Dramatis Personse, and some shorter poems. The Ring and the Book (1869), his longest poem, was followed by Balaustion's Adventure; and Prince Hohenstiel - Schwangau (1871); Fifine at the Fair (1872); Red Cotton Nightcap Country (1873); Aristophanes' Apology; Inn Album (1875); Pacchiarotto (1876); La Saisiaz (1878); Dramatic Idylls (1879-80); Jocoseria (1883); Ferishtah's Fancies (1884); Parleyings with certain People of Importance in their Day (1887); Asolando (1889). He received the degree of DCL from Oxford in 1882. A Browning Society for the study of his works was formed in 1881, under whose auspices several of his dramas were performed. His poems are often difficult to understand from the quick transitions of thought, and they are not infrequently rugged and harsh in expression, yet they are among the chief poetic utterances of the 19th century.
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