705 Runaway Poets - How the Brownings Fell in Love (And Why It Matters)
May 29, 2025
Discover the passionate love story of poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who overcame family constraints to create a literary legacy. Explore Elizabeth's struggles under her father's oppressive rule and how her talents blossomed despite adversity. Delve into the influence of their beloved dog, Flush, on literary history, as well as the darker themes in Robert's poem 'My Last Duchess'. This tale encapsulates their emotional depth, societal challenges, and how familial legacies shaped their poetic voices.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Naming Their Son 'Pen'
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's son was named "Pen" as a nod to their poetic careers and the pen's symbolic importance.
Despite some finding it odd, the name reflected the couple's identity and creative spirit.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Flush Browning Inspired Virginia Woolf
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's dog Flush inspired Virginia Woolf to write a full dog biography.
Woolf's 'Flush Browning' combined literary admiration with affectionate tribute to the poet's pet.
insights INSIGHT
Early Compassion Amidst Contradiction
Elizabeth Barrett wrote empathetic poetry on social issues like impressment even as a child of privilege.
This contrast highlighted tensions between her family wealth derived from slavery and her compassionate social conscience.
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Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" is a dramatic monologue that explores the themes of power, control, and possessiveness. The poem is narrated by an Italian Duke who is showing off a portrait of his deceased wife to a potential new wife's envoy. Through his words, the Duke reveals his controlling nature and his ultimate responsibility for his wife's death. The poem's use of dramatic irony and psychological insight makes it a powerful and enduring work of art. It's a study of human nature and the dark side of power.
Hamlet
William Shakespeare
The play revolves around Prince Hamlet's journey to avenge his father's murder, which was committed by his uncle Claudius. Hamlet's father's ghost appears and reveals that he was poisoned by Claudius, who then married Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Hamlet feigns madness while he investigates and plots his revenge. The play explores themes of betrayal, mortality, and the human condition, culminating in a tragic finale where nearly all main characters die, including Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, and several others[1][3][5].
Poems
Poems
John Keats
William Thomas Young
This book features a compilation of poems from two authors, although the primary focus is likely on the works of John Keats, given his prominence in English literature. The poems are expected to reflect the Romantic era's emphasis on nature, beauty, and emotional depth.
Paracelsus
Paracelsus
Udo Benzenhöfer
The Raven
Edgar Allan Poe
The Raven is a narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1845. It tells the story of a grieving man who is visited by a raven, which symbolizes his despair and loss. The poem is known for its dark and melancholic tone, its use of symbolism, and its haunting rhythm and rhyme scheme. It is considered one of Poe's most famous works.
Flush
A Biography
Virginia Woolf
In 'Flush: A Biography', Virginia Woolf blends fiction and nonfiction to tell the story of Flush, the red cocker spaniel given to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The book follows Flush's life from his carefree existence in the country to his adoption by Elizabeth in London, and later to Italy with Elizabeth and her husband Robert Browning. Through Flush's eyes, Woolf critiques city life, class differences, and the societal constraints on women, while also exploring the deep bond between Flush and Elizabeth despite their language barriers. The novel is a unique blend of realism and stream of consciousness, offering insights into the lives of both the dog and his owner during the Victorian era.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
The novel centers on the life of Dorian Gray, a young man who becomes infatuated with his own beauty and the hedonistic philosophies of Lord Henry Wotton. After wishing that his portrait would age instead of himself, Dorian embarks on a life of sensual excess and moral decay, while his portrait reflects the true state of his soul. The story delves into the duality of human nature, the allure of aestheticism, and the critique of Victorian society, highlighting the devastating effects of evil and debauchery on Dorian's life and those around him.
A Vindication of the rights of woman
Mary Wollstonecraft
Elizabeth Barrett (1806-1861) was one of the most prolific and accomplished poets of the Victorian age, an inspiration to Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, and countless others. And yet, her life was full of cloistered misery, as her father insisted that she should never marry. And then, the clouds lifted, and a letter arrived. It was from the poet Robert Browning (1812-1889), admiring her from afar, declaring his love. How did these two poets find each other? What kind of life did they share afterwards? And what dark secrets had led to her father’s restrictions…and how might that have affected his daughter’s poetry? Host Jacke Wilson takes a look at the story of the Brownings.
This episode originally ran as episode 95 on May 29, 2017. It is presented here without commercial interruption.
The History of Literature 
