Biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Poet and Activist

Elizabeth Barrett Browning may be the perfect example of the transient power of fame. In the mid-19th century, Browning was one of the most famous and influential writers of her time; writers such as Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe cited her influence on their own work. At one point, she was even a serious candidate for Poet Laureate of the United States despite the fact that she lived in Italy for the last few decades of her life. Her poems are still vibrantly alive in the modern age, including her most famous works, Sonnet 43 (aka How Do I Love Thee?) and the long, lush narrative poem Aurora Leigh, considered an important proto-feminist work. Fast Facts: Elizabeth Barrett Browning Full Name: Elizabeth Barrett Moulton BarrettBorn: March 6, 1806 in Durham, EnglandDied: June 29, 1861 in Florence, ItalyParents: Edward Barrett Moulton Barrett and Mary Graham ClarkeSpouse:  Robert BrowningChildren: Robert Wiedeman Barrett BrowningLiterary Movement: RomanticismMajor Works: The Seraphim (1838), Sonnet 43 (1844; 1850 [revised]), Aurora Leigh (1856)Famous Quote: I belong to a family of West Indian slaveholders, and if I believed in curses, I should be afraid.Legacy: Browning was an accomplished intellectual and activist at a time when women were still discouraged from engaging in such pursuits. She was an innovative poet who chose subjects that were unusual for the time and constantly—and successfully—broke the rules of poetry. Early Years Born in Durham, England, in 1806, Browning was by all accounts a very happy child, enjoying her life at the family’s country house in Worcestershire. Educated at home, Browning began writing poetry at the age of four, and read books far beyond her age. When she was just 14 years old, her father privately published a collection of her poetry to be distributed to the rest of the family, and her mother kept almost all of her early work, which has been preserved for history. In 1821, when Browning was 15 years old, she fell ill with a mysterious affliction that caused her intense pain in her head and back, heart palpitations, and exhaustion. Doctors at the time were mystified, but many modern physicians suspect Browning suffered from hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HKPP), a genetic condition that causes potassium levels in the blood to drop. Browning began taking laudanum, a tincture of opium, to treat her symptoms. Engraved portrait of young Elizabeth Barrett Browning, British poet. Kean Collection / Getty Images After two of her brothers passed away in 1840, Browning fell into a deep depression, but as her health temporarily improved she began working industriously, and the poet John Kenyon (patron of her future husband Robert Browning) began to introduce her to literary society. Browning published her first collection of adult work in 1838, and launched a prolific period of her career, publishing her collection Poems in 1844 as well as several well-received works of literary criticism. The collection rocketed her to literary fame. Writing and Poetry Her work inspired writer Robert Browning, who had experienced early success with his own poetry but whose career had faded, to write to Elizabeth, and their mutual acquaintance John Kenyon arranged a meeting in 1845. Up to this point Elizabeth Browning’s productivity had been in decline, but the romance rekindled her creativity and she produced many of her most famous poems while secretly courting Browning. The secrecy was necessary because she knew her father would not approve of a man six years her junior. Indeed, after their marriage, her father disinherited her. Their courtship inspired many of the sonnets that would eventually appear in Sonnets From the Portuguese, considered to be one of the most accomplished collections of sonnets in history. The collection included her most famous work, Sonnet 43, which begins with the famous line How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. She included her romantic poems at the urging of her husband, and their popularity secured her position as an important poet. The Brownings moved to Italy, where Elizabeth remained almost continuously for the rest of her life. Italy’s climate and Robert’s attentions improved her health, and in 1849 she gave birth to their son Robert, nicknamed Pen, at the age of 43. The Brownings in the Gondola City, c1925. Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. From Cassells Romance of Famous Lives, Volume 3 by Harold Wheeler.   Print Collector / Getty Images In 1856, Browning published the long narrative poem Aurora Leigh, which she described as a novel in verse telling the life story of the titular woman from her own point of view. The long work of blank verse was very successful and reflected much of Browning’s own experience as a woman in a time when the earliest ideas of feminism were just beginning to enter the public consciousness. Browning was a restless writer, constantly innovating and breaking with conventions. Her subjects ranged far beyond the typical romantic and historic subjects then considered appropriate, delving into philosophical, personal, and political topics. She played with style and format as well; in her poem The Seraphim, two angels engage in a complex dialog when they leave heaven to witness Christ’s crucifixion, both a subject and a format that was unusual and innovative for the time. Activism Browning believed that poetry should not be simply an ornamental art, but should act as both a record of the times and an investigation into them. Her early work, especially the 1826 An Essay on Mind, argued that poetry should be used to effect political change. Browning’s poetry dealt with issues such as the evils of child labor and the poor conditions of workers in general (The Cry of the Children) and the horrors of slavery (The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point). In the latter poem, Browning condemns both religion and government for their role in supporting slavery, a radical position to take at the time of the poem’s publication in 1850. Browning infused her work with philosophical and religious debates, and was a strong advocate for equal rights for women, a theme explored in great detail in Aurora Leigh. Much of her work addressed specific issues of the time, and the unifying theme of her activism is the fight for greater representation, rights, and protections for the poor and the powerless, including women, who had limited legal rights, no direct political power, and who were often denied an education due to the conviction that their proper role was in the raising of a family and the keeping of a home. As a result, Browning’s reputation was revived long after her death as she came to be seen as a groundbreaking feminist whose work was cited by activists like Susan B. Anthony as influential. Death and Legacy Browning’s health began to decline again in 1860 while the couple was living in Rome. They returned to Florence in 1861 in the hope that she would grow stronger there, but she grew increasingly weak and in terrible pain. She died on June 29th, in her husband’s arms. Robert Browning reported that her final word was beautiful. Browning’s fame and reputation declined after her death as her romantic style fell out of fashion. However, her influence remained great among poets and other writers who looked to her innovations and structural precision for inspiration. As writing and poetry increasingly became acceptable tools for social commentary and activism, Browning’s fame was reestablished as her work was reinterpreted through a prism of feminism and activism. Today she is remembered as an immensely talented writer who broke ground in the poetic form and was a trailblazer in terms of advocating the written word as a tool for societal change. Memorable Quotes â€Å"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.I love thee to the depth and breadth and heightMy soul can reach, when feeling out of sightFor the ends of Being and ideal Grace.†(Sonnet 43) â€Å"Of writing many books there is no end;And I who have written much in prose and verseFor others uses, will write now for mine,—Will write my story for my better self,As when you paint your portrait for a friend,Who keeps it in a drawer and looks at itLong after he has ceased to love you, justTo hold together what he was and is.†(Aurora Leigh) â€Å"Whatevers lost, it first was won.†(De Profundis) Sources â€Å"Elizabeth Barrett Browning.† Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Aug. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Barrett_Browning.â€Å"Elizabeth Barrett Browning.† Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/elizabeth-barrett-browning.â€Å"Elizabeth Barrett Brownings Illness Deciphered after 150 Years.† EurekAlert!, 19 Dec. 2011, www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/ps-ebb121911.php.Flood, Alison. â€Å"Elizabeth Barrett Brownings Five Best Poems.† The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 6 Mar. 2014, www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/06/elizabeth-browning-five-best-poems.â€Å"Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Social and Political Issues.† The British Library, The British Library, 12 Feb. 2014, www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/elizabeth-barrett-browning-social-and-political-issues.

Essay on music and emotions - 1408 Words

How can different types of music affect people’s emotions? Music has many different ways to affect people. In some ways, it is good for the body both physically and mentally. In other ways, people think it is nice to listen to. More detailed, music has personalities, which can express what people feel. There are many observations involving different ways to express human emotions. Emotions are very interesting things, especially when they involve music. Music can have many personalities, affect people’s emotions, and be used as therapy. If music reveals emotions, it is not a normal emotion like any other (Stecker 273). The expression in music can be considered a traditionalized phenomenon (Stecker 273). There are common questions about†¦show more content†¦(www.bellaonline.com/articles/). And can slow down when there is softer music playing such as a lullaby (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Rhythms of the music can adjust brain waves and breathing patterns (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). The vibrations from the music have an impact on the body, which can change peoples’ moods and bodily functions (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). The mind is greatly impacted by music by showing healthful changes (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Doctors now use music for their patients’ treatments in order to help them stay healthy (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Heart patients acquired the same benefits from listening to classical music for thirty minutes as they did from anti-anxiety medication (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Musical therapy has been used to help people with heart problems, which worked quite effectively. (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). People who have had migraines frequently, were trained to use music and relaxing procedures to reduce their headaches. Studies have also shown that music helps students with their intelligence levels (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). 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Collectivization Of The Soviet Union - 1469 Words

The date is May 8, 1945, the second world war has just come to an end and the allies had to decide the future of Europe. To accomplish this the allies formed the Potsdam conference, which met on August 2, 1945. The events that led up to and during the time of the Eastern Bloc can teach people many things in regard to all aspects of life. The Soviet Union was established in 1918 under a Communist regime, which replaced the old monarchy ruled by the Czar. However soon after 1918 a massive forced development of the Soviet Union and all their republics began. During this period of development, the Soviet Union carried out the policy of collectivization. Collectivization was the seizure of private land, objects and other things for the purpose of a collective use. However farms were not the only things collectivized, many other industries such as factories and mines became a collective as well. 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Confessions of Faith free essay sample

Rhodes enters politics in the Cape Colony for his health and wealth. What is confession of Faith of the colonial encounter that’s in Africa? â€Å"In Confessions of Faith,† the great imperialist and wealthy diamond mine owner Cecil Rhodes stresses his opinion of the importance of the English people. He tries to justify English imperialism and bringing the world under English influence by making several claims. He talks about, (what is a good chief in life? In Rhodes case by asking that question, Rhodes wants to do something useful for his country. He was controlling the diamond production. He had parlayed his territories Zambia and Zimbabwe. Rhodes argued about the way the English children are brought into this world, saying that the English people are limiting their children. Rhodes says that there should be more English children in his country so they can retain America. In addition, he states that the uncivilized part of the world should come under English rule so there would be an increase in the rate of employment and put a stop to all wars. We will write a custom essay sample on Confessions of Faith or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He said the English race is the finest race in the world. He states that taking others territory is a way to help and increase more of their kind which would make the world a better place to live in. Rhodes thinks that this will make the Anglo-Saxon race never end. Rhodes also thinks that the more English people in the world along with less other race like the British and the Irish that again there would be end of wars. Rhodes wanted nothing more than to serve his country. He believes that the Anglo-Saxon should rule the world. Rhodes wants to render himself and his race to his country. He argues that the Anglo-Saxon race is superior to all other races in the world. Rhodes thinks that any other race should not exist. Humans being born that are not going to be raised in the Anglo-Saxon race are a waste to him. He wanted to make the British Empire a superpower in which all white countries in the empire would be represented in the British colony. Rhodes argues this because he thinks that the British will rule the world. Rhodes was upset about it because he said the British do not rule America. To summarize, the absorption of the greater portion of the world under the rule simply means the end of all wars. This objects one should work for are first, and furtherance of the British Empire. The bringing of the whole uncivilized world under British Empire leaves the recovereyof the United States, the making of the Anglo-Saxon race but for only one Empire. Rhodes feels that there needs to be more English race in America, so there can be no more wars. To let the Irish and the German stay in their own country because, he describes them as low class. He deplores the way they have failed to develop America into a fine country. Rhodes wants to keep America finer without the prejudice. Rhodes made his point clear in this article and he goes into detail on what races do wrong. Rhodes thought that his race was better even though he did respect the Germans. Rhodes arguments support nationalism as well as imperialism by the way he speaks about each race. I don’t believe that there was or could be a competition to bring out the best in the races because, each race has a unique spirit and identity that can’t be duplicated by other races.