Living Life With Meaning: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

This is the first in the series of blog posts reflecting on how people have lived, or continue to live, meaningful lives. There will be a mix of famous people and those who are seemingly ordinary, but are nonetheless remarkable and inspirational. Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a perfect place to start.

She remains one of the most influential poets of the Victorian era. Her work captured the complexities of love, social justice, and personal struggle with a voice that continues to resonate today.

Understanding her life story offers insight into how her experiences shaped her poetry and why her meaningful legacy endures.

Early Life and Family Background

Elizabeth Barrett was born on March 6, 1806, in County Durham, England, into a wealthy family. Her father, Edward Barrett Moulton-Barrett, was a prosperous plantation owner in Jamaica. The family’s wealth came from sugar plantations, which later became a source of personal conflict for Elizabeth due to the harsh realities of slavery tied to that fortune.

From a young age, Elizabeth showed a remarkable talent for writing. She was educated at home, where she developed a deep love for literature, especially the works of classical poets, and also the Bible. Her early exposure to these texts influenced her poetic style, which combined classical formality with emotional resonance.

Health Challenges and Isolation

Elizabeth’s life was marked by chronic health problems. She suffered from a spinal injury and respiratory issues that left her frail and often confined indoors. These health challenges limited her social interactions and contributed to a sense of isolation.

Despite these difficulties, Elizabeth used her solitude to focus on her writing. Her early works, including An Essay on Mind, with Other Poems (1826), received some attention but did not bring her widespread fame. Her health issues also made her dependent on her family, particularly her strict father, who controlled many aspects of her life.

Rise to Literary Prominence

Elizabeth Barrett’s breakthrough came with the publication of Poems in 1844. This collection showcased her mastery of poetic form and her ability to address themes such as love, faith, and social injustice. The volume received praise from notable literary figures, including Robert Browning, who admired her work deeply.

Her poetry often reflected her progressive views. She spoke out against slavery, child labour, and the oppression of women. For example, her poem The Cry of the Children (1843) highlighted the harsh conditions faced by child labourers in factories, drawing public attention to the issue. Here is a stanza from that evocative poem that illustrates her concern:

"For oh," say the children, "we are weary,

      And we cannot run or leap —

If we cared for any meadows, it were merely

      To drop down in them and sleep.

Our knees tremble sorely in the stooping —

   We fall upon our faces, trying to go ;

And, underneath our heavy eyelids drooping,

   The reddest flower would look as pale as snow.

For, all day, we drag our burden tiring,

      Through the coal-dark, underground —

Or, all day, we drive the wheels of iron

      In the factories, round and round.

The Cry of the Children expresses the immorality of exploiting children as workers, and is condemnatory of both the people and institutions that justify child labour. It was, for the era in which it was written, strident and provocative.

Relationship with Robert Browning

Elizabeth’s correspondence with Robert Browning began after he sent her a letter praising her poetry. He wrote. 'I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett...' Their exchanges blossomed into a deep and enduring intellectual and emotional connection; Robert understood her chronic health challenges, and despite her father’s opposition, Elizabeth and Robert married secretly in 1846.

The couple moved to Italy, where Elizabeth’s health improved, and her creativity flourished. Their relationship inspired some of her most famous works, including Sonnets from the Portuguese, a collection of love sonnets that expressed the intensity and tenderness of their bond.

'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways', is a beautiful example of Elizabeth articulating her love for Robert specifically, but also framing it more generally:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

As you can see, Elizabeth describes a love that is as deep, broad, and high as the soul can encounter, and it endures the grandest and most mundane moments of life. She portrays love as free, pure, passionate, and timeless, continuing even after death. 

Later Years and Continued Influence

Living in Italy, Elizabeth Barrett Browning continued to write and engage with political and social issues. She supported Italian unification and expressed sympathy for the struggles of oppressed peoples. Her later poetry maintained a balance between personal reflection and broader social concerns.

Elizabeth died in 1861 at the age of 55, in Robert's arms. Her final word was 'beautiful'.

Her work left a lasting mark on English literature. She influenced later poets and writers, especially women, who saw in her a model of intellectual independence and emotional honesty.

Why Elizabeth Barrett Browning Matters Today

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life story is a powerful example of overcoming adversity through creativity; she found meaning in her unique expression of literary activism. Her poetry challenges readers to consider issues of justice, love, and human dignity. She broke barriers for women in literature and used her voice to advocate for change; her work continues to offer rich insights and inspiration. A meaningful life indeed.