Profile of the Day: Robert Browning

Poet and playwright Robert Browning was born on May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, England. Widely recognized as a master of dramatic monologue, Browning is considered to be one of the foremost poets of the Victorian age.

Image: Robert Browning / Library of Congress

Browning was the only son of Sara Anna Wiedermann, an accomplished pianist, and Robert Browning, a clerk for the Bank of England. Browning grew up surrounded by books. His father had amassed a personal library of over 6,000 books and encouraged his children’s interest in literature and the arts.

In 1845, Browning met poet Elizabeth Barrett and soon began one of the most famous courtships in literature. Keeping their relationship a secret from Barrett’s father, who did not approve of Browning, the couple exchanged hundreds of love letters before eloping in 1846. The couple fled to Italy, where they remained until Barrett’s death in 1861.

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